The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Stormy Seas Opener
Cross Country sweeps Stormy Seas Opener with countless personal bests
08.30.2024 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Hudson Heikkinen and Olivia Howell win season-opening races
GEORGETOWN, Texas - The No. 24/NR Texas cross country programs opened the 2024 season at Stormy Seas Opener in the 5K on Friday morning.
The men opened the year claiming the top-14 finishes in the 5K led by sophomore Hudson Heikkinen who edged out Logan Patete for first with his personal-best time of 15:09.54. Patete finished just .02 seconds behind in 15:05.56, also recording a personal best.
Isaac Alonzo finished in third at 15:09.74, Jack Boyd was fourth at 15:09.77 for a personal best and Nigusom Knight closed out the top five finishers in 15:09.88 – another personal best. Jackson Braddock clocked a personal best in 15:09.95 followed by Hayden Scott who competed unattached and finished in 15:09.96.
EJ Rush made his Texas debut in 15:10.04, while Zain Hamdani also ran unattached and finished in 15:10.34. Henry Coughlan was the 10th-place finisher with his time of 15:10.40. Hudson Bennett (15:10.78), Rodger Rivera (15:32.03) Dylan Schieffelin (15:37.79 – unattached) and Neeraj Kulkarni (15:37.90 – unattached) rounded out the final male finishers for Texas.
On the women's side, Olivia Howell claimed the fastest time at 17:15.2, just in front of Elizabeth Stockman who made her UT debut and finished in 17:15.22. Fellow transfer Sophia Jacobs-Townsley competed unattached and finished third with a time of 17:18.86.
Junior Brighton Mooney finished fourth with her personal-best time of 17:21.51, while senior Eva Jess also registered a PB in 17:23.50. Junior Elizabeth Pickett was sixth at 17:24.64 with a PB, transfer Jordan Mathis debuted for UT with a personal best time of 17:36.09 and freshman Sydni Wilkins was eighth in 17:40.11.
Transfer Kyra Pretre was ninth with yet another personal best time of 17:41.53 and Melody Espinoza rounded the top-10 finishers in 18:09.16. Texas went on to take the next five positions and spots 17-22 of the competition.
The Longhorns will split up in the next competition with the women traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Chile Pepper Invitational, while the No. 24 ranked men will compete at the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Okla., in two weeks.
Players Mentioned
