SAN FRANCISCO – With half of its total roster debuting this fall campaign, Academy of Art men's and women's cross country took important steps forward in 2023. Multiple Pacific West Conference Runner of the Week honors highlighted the Urban Knights' journey toward the postseason where both teams finished among the top seven at the PacWest Championships and two standouts went on to become All-West Region Team honorees.

"Reflecting back on the season, I think about the development the team had throughout," said Head Coach Bruce Jackson. "They showed a willingness to take on added responsibility in the face of unforeseen circumstances. They embraced the challenges along the way and strived towards their individual and team goals."

Opening the season in its own back yard of Golden Gate Park, ART U had a variety of individuals shine at the USF Invitational (Sept. 1) led by junior Grace Southern who delivered the program's eighth-fastest 6k at the time (first Urban Knight to run sub-22:00 at the venue) to become PacWest Runner of the Week.

Academy of Art was back in action one week later for Stanislaus State's Kim Duyst Twilight Meet (Sept. 9) which saw three ART U men run their respective fastest 8k races of the year as graduate student Samy Achab, redshirt sophomore Jaden Singleton, and sophomore Vaughn Lacour led the squad. On the women's side, Southern continued her strong early run, securing second place in a race of nearly 50 runners.

Cal State San Marcos' Cougar Challenge (Sept. 23) that followed marked breakout performances across the board for the Academy of Art women's team. On the eve of being named PacWest Runner of the Week for the second time, Southern broke the program's 6k record (20:58.6) that held for over a decade while redshirt sophomore Katharina Goetschl turned in her own top-10 ART U all-time mark and season bests came from junior Lina Hanich, sophomore María Martín, and junior Michaela Andrews. Meanwhile, Lacour became the third different Knight to lead the men's team through the first three meets.

Splitting up for Academy of Art's next meet, the women traveled to Illinois for the Lewis Crossover Invitational (Oct. 7) while the men remained local for the SF State Invitational (Oct. 6). ART U had Achab out in front in the return to Golden Gate Park and Southern again paced the Knights in Romeoville, finishing inside the top 45 of a 300-runner field.

Those final tune-ups gave way to the postseason which meant the PacWest Championships hosted by Fresno Pacific on Oct. 21. Leader changes came on both sides as Goetschl in eighth marked the top spot for the sixth-place women, putting her on the All-PacWest Second Team along with Southern in 10th overall, and freshman Bradley Bell's season-best 8k time guided the seventh-place men.

"The men showed versatility throughout the season with four different student-athletes leading the way in races," Jackson said. "They should be able to build upon that versatility by sharing the workload and pushing each other in workouts and races. They should draw strength from one another during those challenging moments in races and know that they're not just running for themselves but for the team."

The women's dynamic duo of Goetschl and Southern would move on NCAA Division II West Regionals (Nov. 4) in Oregon where they shared success once again. Both crossed the finish line inside the top 20 of more than 164 runners overall with Goetschl taking 12th while posting the fourth-fastest time in Academy of Art history at 21:20.5 and Southern not far behind in 17th place. Narrowly missing qualification to NCAA DII Nationals, the pair still went out strong as members of the All-Region Team.

"I'm proud of the way Kat and Grace competed this season," Jackson said. "Their accomplishments are a product of the preparation they put in during the summer and throughout the season. Although both of their seasons fell just short of their goals to make Nationals, they both took a leap in fitness and belief. I'm excited to watching them carry that momentum into the indoor track season."

Academy of Art cross country now takes its talents from the course to the track as the Urban Knights progress through the upcoming indoor and outdoor track & field seasons before resuming cross country in 2024.

"I look forward to combining new student-athletes with both fully returning rosters," Jackson said. "Our returners will apply the lessons learned this season and, along with some new faces, will help this team take a step forward."