RICHARDSON, Texas - The UT Dallas cross country teams open the 2026 campaign at the UT Tyler Cross Country Invitational at Texas Rose Horse Park Saturday morning.

Under ninth-year head coach Danielle Kcholi, the Comet men return eight runners and three squad members from last year's squad that finished seventh in the Lone Star Conference. Four freshman join the UTD men.

The Comet women return four letterwinners and two squad members from the 2025 team that finished 12th at the LSC Championship. One transfer and two freshmen will also compete for UTD this season.

Junior Alex Bozhilov and freshmen Alexandros Stavropoulos, Joan Jerono and Marianna Salazar were on the 2026 LSC Runners to Watch list.

Bozhilov, from Sofia, Bulgaria, earned All-LSC honors by finishing seventh in at the championships last year. He broke school 6K and 8K records while being the Comets' top finisher in all six meets. 

Stavropoulos comes to UTD from Patras, Greece, while Jerono arrives from Kilibwoni, Kenya. Salazar, from Cypress, Texas, won a team state title for Bridgeland High School.

Also returning for the Comet men are seniors Colton Dillard, Frank Douglas, Erik Grover and Zach Johnson; juniors Euaiel Aklile, Nicholas Holland and Anthony Stuart; and sophomores Matthew Beatty, Andrew Hopkins and Alan Sutherland. Freshmen Sebastian Calderon-Espinosa, Dev Kumar and Jonathan Marsh are new to the team. 

Returning for the women are senior Ellie Suo-Anttila; juniors Alexia Callahan, Bharvi Varu, Bhavya Varu and Grace Youngblood; and sophomore Lili-Mai Pigeon. Senior Anna Dinaso also joins the team after competing for the Comets in track & field in the spring. Callahan was the LSC Newcomer of the Year in 2025.

The Comets are now eligible to compete at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, held in Lubbock, Texas on November 21. 

After the opening meet in Tyler, UTD will compete at the Texas A&M Invitational in College Station on September 11, the Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Okla. on September 27 and the Old Glory Gallop in Fort Worth on October 17. The 2026 LSC Championships will also be in Lubbock on November 7.