The Texas women’s cross country team wrapped up their 2024 season with a 31st-place finish at the NCAA Championships held on November 23 in Madison, Wisconsin. This marked the third NCAA appearance in the past five years for the Longhorns, who came off a strong fifth-place performance at the SEC Championships.
This year was particularly notable as it was their first time competing at the finals under assistant coach Sarah Smith and as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Leading the charge for Texas at the NCAA meet was senior Eva Jess, who posted a time of 20:45.7, finishing 139th overall, and contributing 107 points to the team total. Jess’s strong showing capped off a season where she led the team in scoring multiple times. Graduate transfer Olivia Howell, competing in her final collegiate race, was next for the Longhorns with a time of 20:57.8. This marked the end of Howell’s college career and her final race under Smith, who had previously coached Howell for three years at the University of Illinois before joining Texas.
Junior Elizabeth Pickett ran a time of 21:20.2, followed closely by freshman Sydni Wilkins, who clocked in at 21:30.9. The rest of the Texas scorers included junior Brighton Mooney (21:51.2), graduate Kyra Pretre (21:57.5), and graduate Elizabeth Stockman (22:28.9). Despite the strong efforts, no Texas runners placed in the top 100, a rare outcome after the team had several top-25 finishes at both the SEC Championships and South Central Regionals earlier in the season.
As part of the SEC, Texas was one of five conference teams to qualify for the NCAA Championships, alongside Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Finishing the season ranked 31st nationally and second in the South Central Region behind Arkansas, the Longhorns are now setting their sights on the upcoming indoor track season.
Looking ahead, the team is gearing up for the indoor track and field season, with several runners aiming to surpass their personal bests in the 3,000 meters. Eva Jess posted a career-best 9:33.07 last season, while Elizabeth Pickett’s best time was 9:44.51. The indoor season will kick off on December 11 with the Longhorns competing at the Louisville opener.
With a strong finish to cross country and high hopes for the indoor season, the Texas women’s cross country team continues to build momentum for future success.
