HUSKIES ENTER CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
KENOSHA, Wisc. – The UConn women's cross country team is headed out to Wisconsin for the 2023 BIG EAST Championships presented by JEEP on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies will lineup in the 11-team field looking to use their "For the Pack" mentality toward success at this year's title race.
This year's championship is hosted by Marquette University at Wayne Dannehl Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Following the practice day on Friday, Oct. 27, the Championship will begin on Saturday, Oct. 28 with the Men's 8K championship race at 12 p.m. ET. At 12:50 p.m, the Women's 6K race will start prior to an awards presentation at 1:40 p.m./12:40 p.m. The event will be streamed live on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Beth Alford-Sullivan will be taking the Huskies to their second conference championship race under her guidance and off a strong fall where UConn posted a top-five finish in every race they participated in.
"We have had some great success each meet and building momentum meet to meet," stated senior Jenna Zydanowicz (West Hartford, Conn.). "I think that is really powerful to accomplish our goals going into conference and regionals. We set the goal of being top-five at each meet this season and we have met that so far. So now we want to reach even farther."
Junior Chloe Thomas (Dundas, Ontario) echoed her teammates thoughts heading into this weekend. "The goal for the BIG EAST Championship is to crack into that top-three. Anything can happen and we have been working really hard all season. To see the improvement in my teammates has been super exciting. We are a really excited and read to go."
Thomas has had a great regular season for the Huskies, coming into this race off three-straight personal best times and three consecutive top-seven finishes. Last season, Thomas was an All-BIG EAST finisher, taking 15th overall at the
Zydanowicz gives the Huskies a strong one-two punch at the top of the lineup. She is coming of a personal best time and 11th place finish at the Arutro Barrios Invitational last time out, just missing out on her third top-10 finish.
The Huskies were third at last season's BIG EAST Championship and were third at the race in 2021 as well. UConn's roster also features senior Sophie Coughlin (Melbourne, Australia), grad student Caroline Webb (Greenwich, Conn.), sophomore Madison Relyea (Mayfield, N.Y.) and senior Caroline Towel (Bedford, Mass.) who all ran at last year's title race.
UConn's success on Saturday will be a "Pack" effort, as it has been all year. "The team motto is 'For the Pack' and it means is run, train, do all the little things for the group and I think we really embody that as a team," stated Thomas. "We are really focused. We run for our each other, you have to run for your team and love your teammates. You have to really care about them and how the team does as a whole or your not going to get through that 6K."
Zydanwoicz says this Husky "Pack" is ready to get it done. "We run for the pack, run for our teammates. I think going in we are in a really great place and I am excited to see what we can accomplish."
Players Mentioned
Players Mentioned
Latest Women's Cross Country
- Another One: Chloe Thomas Wins USTFCCCA Northeast Region Athlete of the YearSTORRS, Conn.- Senior Chloe Thomas was named the NCAA Division I Northeast Regional Female Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Tuesday.
- Chloe Thomas Earns All-American Honors, Finishing 9th at NCAA ChampionshipsVERONA, Wisc.- Chloe Thomas and Jenna Zydanowicz finished their UConn cross country careers among the best in the nation on Saturday morning, racing at the NCAA Championships at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course hosted by the University of Wisconsin.
- Best Friends Thomas and Zydanowicz Race Together One Last TimeSTORRS, Conn. – For the last four years, Chloe Thomas and Jenna Zydanowicz have been leading the way for UConn cross country. Now in their final season together, the two best friends will grace the national stage together on Saturday at the NCAA Championships in Madison, Wisconsin.
- Thomas and Zydanowicz Lead Huskies in Northeast RegionalHOPKINTON, NH- For the last four years, Chloe Thomas has rewritten the UConn history books. Coming into the cross country season, she had put together one of the most decorated careers in the program's history. On Friday morning, she continued her historic 2024 season with something that no Husky has ever done before.
- Cross Country Toes Line in Northeast RegionalsSTORRS, Conn.- After an excellent individual and team showing on November 1st at the BIG EAST Championships, UConn cross country will take their talents back to Hopkinton, New Hampshire for the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships Friday morning. The Huskies competed and won the Bruce Kirsh Cross Country Cup earlier this season in Hopkinton and are eager to replicate this success on Friday.
- Top Dog: Chloe Thomas Wins BIG EAST Championship, First in UConn HistoryLEESBURG, VA.- Chloe Thomas has been making history for UConn cross country all season long. It was only fitting that she rewrote the history books at least one more time on Friday morning at the BIG EAST Championships, becoming the BIG EAST Individual Champion in UConn history.