No. 4 BYU Women’s Cross Country prime for action in Iowa for Big 12 Championships
This Saturday, the No. 4 Cougars set out to perform the 6,000-meter race at the Iowa State Cross Country Course in Ames, Iowa for their first-ever Big 12 Championships.
Two weeks ago, the team competed in the XC-23 Pre-Nationals Invitational in Panorama Farms in Virginia. BYU junior Carmen Alder swept the whole competition and beat her personal 6,000-meter time of 19:32.6, winning her first title in her collegiate career. Jenna Hutchins comes in fifth with 19:58.2, finishing second for BYU. Two seconds later, Aubrey Frentheway crossed the finish line in seventh place with 20:00.6.
This may be BYU’s first Big 12 championships, but the team’s winning culture is all too familiar thanks to legendary Coach Diljeet Taylor. Since 2019, the Cougars have been in the top three in the nation three times at the West Coast Conference Championships. She has also led BYU to six top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships and has even won the 2020-21 NCAA Division I Women’s Cross Country National Championship.
Even though nerves are running high for the Cougars, their legacy has prepared them in place for their most competitive race of the season.
The women’s 6k race will be aired on ESPN+ on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. MT.
