Caren Kipsirat led Utah Valley to a second-place finish at the UVU Invitational on Friday, marking the start of the 2026 cross country season. Both the men's and women's teams secured runner-up positions during the event.
In her collegiate cross country debut, Kipsirat finished second with a time of 15:41.42. She competed closely with BYU's Jane Hedengren during the first lap before Hedengren pulled away in the final loops. Kipsirat's time was more than 45 seconds faster than Morgan Nokes' time on the same course last season.
Head coach Scott Houle noted that Kipsirat performed well despite having previously only competed on a track. Other top finishers for the women's team included Reagan Doman in ninth, Sophia Biesinger in 19th, freshman Rozlyn Stowe in 22nd, and Mazee Frentheway in 24th. The women's team finished with a total of 54 points.
On the men's side, Sila Kiplagat finished fifth with a time of 14:02.45. He was followed by Alex Hartshorn in sixth and Trey Despain in ninth. Mark Boyle finished 11th in his first race as a Wolverine, while Cameron Jacobs placed 16th to complete the team scoring.
Following a schedule change, Utah Valley is scheduled to host a second meet at Scera Park on Friday, Sept. 11. The women's race is set for 10 a.m. MT, followed by the men's race at 10:45 a.m. MT.
