UCF Knights Cross Country: Building Momentum in the Big 12 Conference
The UCF Knights represent the University of Central Florida in athletics. As a member of the Big 12 Conference, the Knights compete in the NCAA Division I (FBS for football). Since joining the Big 12 Conference, the Knights' streak of NCAA Tournament appearances has continued. In their first season in the Big 12 (2024), the Knights made another regional appearance after placing in the top-five in the Big 12 Conference Standings for the regular season. This article delves into the UCF Knights cross country team.
The Evolution of UCF Athletics
Originally known as the "Knights of the Pegasus," the university's athletic teams adopted this moniker in 1970 to replace the unpopular Citronaut mascot. In 1993, a rebrand led to the name "Golden Knights," but in 2007, the teams reverted to simply "Knights." UCF sponsors 16 varsity sports, but this article focuses on the cross country team.
A History of Conference Affiliations
UCF's athletic program has evolved through several conference affiliations. As a charter member of the Sunshine State Conference in 1975, the school moved to Division I in 1984. Early Division I years saw UCF in the American South Conference, which merged into the Sun Belt Conference in 1991. In 1996, UCF advanced to I-A (FBS) in football. UCF joined Conference USA (C-USA) in all sports in 2005, then the Big East (which became the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2013), and finally, the Big 12 Conference in 2021.
Cross Country: A Look at the 2025 Season
The UCF Cross Country team boasts a balance between youth and experience as it looks to improve.
How Cross Country Team Scoring Works
The top seven runners on a team are given points based on their finishing order in the race. For example:
Read also: A Look Back at NCAA Cross Country Championships
- 1st Place: Runner A, UCF = 1 point
- 2nd Place: Runner B, Oklahoma State = 2 points
- 3rd Place: Runner C, Baylor = 3 points
The scores of the top seven runners from every team are added together, and the lowest score wins. Essentially, the more runners finish in the front, the better.
Last Season
- 12th in the Big 12 Conference Championship
- 20th in NCAA South Regional
Despite a one-spot decline in their finish in the Big 12 Championship last season, it was done while their lead runner, Izzy Richardson, was out with an injury. So, based on what Harmon saw from the rest of the squad, there was potential for what was to come.
This Season
With five Big 12 programs getting voted into the USTFCCCA National Preseason Poll, including BYU at #1, Harmon said there lies a “good middle of the pack” of Big 12 programs in which the Knights can begin to move up the ladder and improve on their first two seasons in the conference.
“I know we’re kind of shooting for a top 10 finish this year, but once you get, once you get past No. 6, it’s kind of open,” Harmon said. “A seventh-place finish, an eighth-place finish, that would be thrilling for us when you talk about the makeup of our team and who we are as a total track team.”
Leadership and Coaching
Bryan Harmon is back for Year #3 in Orlando. Harmon has retained several central runners from last season’s team and utilized the transfer portal to bring in a couple more experienced runners. This also allowed for Harmon to be “more meticulous” in his recruiting from the high school ranks, which led him to finding the pair of freshmen on the squad this season that he said will make an impact.
Read also: Cross Country Season Preview
“This is the first year I think that feeling has been mutual amongst not only myself, but the rest of our coaching staff and our athletes, that we’re not just going into the Big 12 kind of looking at fingers crossed and hoping whatever comes out of it, comes out of it,” Harmon said.
Key Athletes
Runner to Watch: Izzy Richardson
The New Zealand native returns for her senior season in 2025, looking to rebound from an injury that cut her 2024 season short. Back in 2023, she ran the fastest 6K time by anyone not named Anne-Marie Blaney in program history and has the fourth-fastest 5K time in program history.
“I mean, the most important thing right now is she’s healthy,” Harmon said. “We’ve worked on some mechanical stuff, continuing to work on some mechanical stuff that I think, hopefully, or we think is going to maintain that health.”
Who’s New That’s Good? Alexandra Raquet
Originally from Tampa, Lexi Raquet returns to her home state after transferring in from Louisville. “I know she has big goals too for the cross country season, so she doesn’t just look at herself as a middle distance runner.”
Roster Breakdown
- 6 Seniors
- 1 Junior
- 6 Sophomores
- 2 Freshmen
- 2 International Runners (Kenya and New Zealand)
| Name | Year | Hometown | 2024 School | 2024 Season 6K Bests/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail Clements | Jr. | Pinellas Park, Fla. | UCF | 21:57.7 |
| Masha Dorofeev | Fr. | Fort Myers, Fla. | Fort Myers HS | FHSAA 3A Individual State Champion (18:05.5, 5K) |
| Ava Quattrocchi | So. | Rockledge, Fla. | UCF | 22:16.3 |
| Avery Latto | So. | Seminole, Fla. | UCF | 21:56.4 |
| Bailey McLain | Sr. | Haymarket, Va. | UCF (Runner’s Club) | N/A (Ran 1500m and Mile in 2025 Track season) |
| Alexandra Raquet | So. | Tampa, Fla. | Louisville | 21:27.6 |
| Izzy Richardson | Sr. | Auckland, New Zealand | UCF | 22:28.0. Season cut short due to injury |
| Daisy Ross | Fr. | Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. | Ponte Vedra Beach HS | Finished 9th in FHSAA 3A Championship (Ran 18:10.0 best 5K time last season) |
| Kendall Hughes | Sr. | Brandon, Fla. | UCF | 21:46.0 |
| Yvone Sandui | So. | Bungoma County, Kenya | Norfolk State | 21:33.9/ Finished 3rd overall in MEAC Championship 5K. |
| Madison Patchan | So. | St. Augustine, Fla. | UCF | 23:17.3 |
| Paige Jaszczak | Sr. | Mims, Fla. | UCF | 21:58.3 |
| Penelope Sosa | Sr. | Miami, Fla. | UCF | 22:31.62 |
| Raquel Edwards | So. | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | UCF | Did not run in 2024. |
| Riley Jaszczak | Sr. | Mims, Fla. | UCF | 22:31.62 |
Newcomers
Lone transfer Alexandra Raquet joins the Knights after spending her freshman cross country season at Louisville. While with the Cardinals, Raquet competed in four meets and capped off her season at the ACC Cross Country Championships with a time of 21:37.1. Rounding out the newcomer class is a promising freshman duo: Masha Dorofeev and Daisy Ross. Dorofeev arrives from Fort Myers High School, where she dominated her senior season by winning both the FHSAA District 3A-6 and Region 3A-3 5k races, before claiming the FHSAA State Championship title with a stellar time of 18:05.5. Though small in number, this group of newcomers is poised to make a significant impact on the Knights' 2025 campaign.
Read also: The Stetson Cross Country Program
Returners
At the head of the returning squad is senior Isabella Richardson, back for her fourth and final season with the Black & Gold. Richardson has proved to be one of the strongest competitors on the roster over the course of her career, having been the Knights’ top finisher at the NCAA South Regionals in two of the last three seasons. This will be McLain’s first cross-country season with the group, but she will look to build on a strong 2025 outdoor track and field season, highlighted by a first-place finish in the 1500m at the South Florida Invitational. Florida native, Sosa, enters her final season with a personal-best 6k time of 21:08.5, the 11th-fastest mark in program history. The solo junior, Abigail Clemets, will bring back a postseason edge to the group, having finished at the NCAA South Regionals with a team-best time of 22:00.5. Sandui, although having spent the 2025 indoor/outdoor track and field season at UCF, spent her last cross country campaign at Norfolk State in 2024. While a large group of seniors will provide direction for the team, coach Harmon and his squad also possess marquee features who will fill in for the graduating class in years to come.
Schedule Breakdown
There is no home meet for the Knights this season. The squad's season will open Friday, Aug. 31 in Jacksonville with the Florida Intercollegiate 5K. It’s the first of just three meets before the Big 12 Championship on Halloween, another one serving as a preview of the NCAA Regional course in Huntsville, Alabama.
| Date | Day | Time | Meet | Distance | Location | Host School | 2024 Team Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 31 | Friday | TBA | Big 12 Championship | 6K | Lawrence, Kan. | Kansas | 12th |
| Nov. |
About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team".
Fan Engagement
Being a part of the action is an important part of the UCF experience. Find out what to wear for specific games on social media. Embrace the electric atmosphere with several official tailgating spots around campus - Memory Mall being the most iconic. Let’s pack the Acrisure Bounce House! A fan favorite since debuting in 2017, this matchup honors UCF’s origin story as SpaceU - founded to fuel our nation’s space program and help put humans on the moon. Tailgating before Knights football games is one of the most celebrated traditions at UCF. UCF is pleased to host these gatherings and welcome all of our guests to campus. We expect all fans to celebrate responsibly and adhere to the rules while on campus. Protecting campus is the UCF Police Department’s top priority, so if you see activity that looks suspicious, say something. From the first kickoff on a converted cow pasture to buzzer-beater shots, grand slams and championship cheer routines, UCF Knights have been building momentum on the field and the court since our athletic debut. And whether we were underdogs or the overwhelming favorites, you’ve been cheering us on every step of the way. The Charge On Fund is your way to provide unrestricted charitable support for UCF Athletics and maintain the significant momentum built over the past years.
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