CHICAGO (August 29, 2024) – The UIC men's and women's cross country teams begin their 2024 season on Friday at the Winrow-Valparaiso Open, hosted by Missouri Valley Conference opponent Valpo at Sunset Hill Farm. The meet starts with the women's 5,000m race at 10 a.m. CT, followed by the men's 6,000m race at 10:45 a.m. CT.
 
The Flames will compete against teams like Notre Dame, Purdue, Ball State, Butler, and Western Michigan.
 
"We're excited to kick off our 2024 cross country season this weekend as we embark on our third year competing in the MVC Championship," said head coach Paul Zavala. "Our distance program has improved significantly each season, and we're looking forward to another exciting year of development.
 
FLAMES TO WATCH
Women

• Senior Daniela Martinez (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech) set a career best in the 5k with a time of 18:34.0 last September.
• Sophomore Praise Oyebanji (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) completed the 5k in a personal best of 18:21.5 on Sept 29, 2023.
• Sophomore Indigo Sterud (Rockton, Ill./Hononegah) finished the 5k with a time of 20:04.1 in September of 2023. 

Men

• Junior Daniel Chavez (Berwyn, Ill./Morton) ranks third in Flames history for the 6k with a time of 18:59.
• Senior Luke Malone (Plain City, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) holds sixth place in UIC's record books for the 6k (19:07).
• Junior Alex Bacci (Lyons, Ill./Morton) is expected to make a strong impact for UIC at this meet.

 
RACE INFORMATION
The Flames will start racing at 10 a.m. CT for the women and 10:45 a.m. CT for the men. The meet will be held at Sunset Hill Farm, located at 775 Meridian Rd. in Valparaiso, Ind. Live results will not be available.
 
SUPPORT YOUR FLAMES
Fans are strongly encouraged to support NIL opportunities for UIC scholar-athletes through contributions to The Chicago Collective.
 
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
For more information on UIC's cross country and track & field programs, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_XCTF or @UICFlames) and Instagram (@UIC_XCTF or @uicflames).