RICHARDSON, TEXAS (08.26.22) – The UT Dallas men's cross country team was picked to win the American Southwest Conference, while the women were predicted to finish third, according to the league's preseason polls.
FULL ASC MEN'S RELEASE | FULL ASC WOMEN'S RELEASE
The Comet men received 77 points, including six out of nine first place votes, in a vote made up of the league's head coaches. They edged out defending champion LeTourneau (70/2) and McMurry (63).
Under fifth-year head coach
Danielle Kcholi, the UTD men's program has won three of the last four conference crowns and was the runner-up a year ago.
The Comet women received 63 points, just behind defending champion McMurry (79/7) and Mary Hardin-Baylor (66/1). UTD has placed in the top three all four years under Kcholi.
In addition, graduate student
Trent Sakakini, junior
Graeme Maclean, sophomore
Sage Herrera and freshman
Avery Grossman were among the 28 listed on the ASC Runners to Watch in 2022.
Sakakini is back for his fifth season and has earned All-ASC honors every year, including a runner-up finish in 2020-21 and a fourth place finish a year ago. Maclean missed the 2021 season but finished fifth at conference the year before to earn ASC Freshman of the Year.
Herrera paced the Comet women in 2021, earning ASC Freshman of the Year with a third-place finish. Grossman makes her debut for UTD this year, coming from McKinney High School.
The UT Dallas men return 19 runners with six newcomers. Also returning is three-time All-ASC performer
Griffin Davis, who is coming off a fifth-place finish in 2021. Junior
Devan Bailey and sophomore
Ethan Conville were Second Team All-ASC runners last season.
The Comet women will have 10 runners, including five letterwinners. Senior
Elizabeth Chimitt placed third at the ASC Championship in 2019. Senior
Rachel Kahler was the 2020-21 ASC Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year for women's cross country.
The Comets open the 2022 campaign at the DBU Orville Rogers XC Opener in Grand Prairie, Texas on September 3, followed by the University of Dallas XC Invitational in Irving, Texas on September 10. UTD will trek to Fayetteville, Ark. on September 30 for the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, before returning back to Grand Prairie on October 15 to compete in the Old Glory Gallop.
The ASC Championships will be held on October 29 at East Texas Baptist in Marshall and the NCAA Division III West Regional will be in Spokane, Wash. on Nov. 12.
