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Utah cross-country: No. 19 Utes are ranked for first time, hope to finish that way

Utah's athletic department has voiced an intent to become known for excellence in women's distance events, letting go of longtime throwing coach Tapio Kuusela this spring to bolster its distance ranks.

That was an "incredibly tough" decision, head coach Kyle Kepler said at the time, and it remains to be seen what effect it has on Utah's team track and field scoring.

But in cross-country? So far, so good.

Utah was ranked for the first time ever in this week's national coaches poll, at No. 19, and is fourth in the region after a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Pre-National Invitational.

New assistant Mackenzie Wartenberger, previously the head coach at Radford University, "has been terrific," Kepler said Wednesday. The athletes receive an attention to detail that was limited in the past by resources, he said.

"Beyond that, it's just that the kids are really committed to each other and really want to do it as a team," he said. "... The chemistry's great. The culture is great."

The Utes are led by ultra-competitive sophomores Hannah McInturff and Sarah Feeny, who took fifth and ninth, respectively, at the Pre-National meet.

For context, Kepler said, five-time All-American Amanda Mergaert took 15th in that race her senior year.

"Those two are certainly running at a level that we haven't seen before," he said.

Kepler hopes for a top-five team finish in the Pac-12 Championships in Colfax, Wash., on Oct. 30. He'd like to push one of No. 3 Colorado, No. 5 Oregon, No. 10 Stanford and No. 12 Washington, and to beat a fairly evenly matched Cal squad.

Beyond that, he wants to become one of the 31 teams to make the NCAA Championships, in Louisville, and "to do some damage when we get there." A top-four result at the Mountain Regional, in Albuquerque on Nov. 13, would probably land the Utes a shot.

Said Kepler: "It's great to have a number in front of our name right now, but I'd like to see a number in front of our name a month from now."

— Matthew Piper

mpiper@sltrib.com

Twitter: @matthew_piper