2023 USF Invitational Results
SAN FRANCISCO – Navigating the familiar trails of Golden Gate Park on Friday, Academy of Art cross country opened the season with the USF Invitational. Junior
Grace Southern highlighted several strong performances on the women's side with the eighth-fastest 6k time in program history while redshirt sophomore
Jaden Singleton bettered his time from the 2022 version of this initial meet by more than a full minute and 25 seconds.
Out in the front pack of the more than 140-runner field, Southern's first cross country race in an ART U uniform was extremely memorable. She delivered a time of 21:50.8, making her the top NCAA Division II finisher while slotting her at 26th overall. Eighth in program history, she was also the first Urban Knight to run sub-22:00 at Golden Gate Park.
Also making her cross country debut for Academy of Art was redshirt sophomore
Katharina Goetschl who went 22:33.8 to claim 45th overall, just two spots ahead of a late-charging junior
Lina Hanich who passed 18 other down the stretch before taking 47th overall with the second-fastest 6k time of her career at 22:38.5. Sophomore
María Martín rounded out the Knights' squad with a 24:25.9 mark at 106th overall.
The first two finishers were Riley Stewart (20:33.3) and Sophia Kennedy (20:40.8) of Stanford who captured first place as a team.
Alongside one another through the first of four course loops, Singleton and freshman
Bradley Bell ended up separated by 12 places when the crossed the final line. Singleton's improvement on his collegiate debut time from the 2022 USF Invitational was a minute and 26 seconds as he delivered a 27:28.7 in 120th on Friday. Bell first collegiate cross country race had him take 132nd at 28:06.6 and sophomore
Vaughn Lacour began 2023 less than 30 seconds back of his teammate at 28:27.4 in the 135th position.
Boise State's Ned Potter was the 8k overall winner at 24:09.1 and he would join four of his teammates in the top six en route to the team title.
In just over one week's time, Academy of Art will be back in action for Stanislaus State's Kim Duyst Twilight Meet which takes place at River Oaks Golf Course in Ceres on Sept. 9.
