Slattery welcomes talented newcomers to team

The Grand Canyon cross country head coach Sara Slattery recruited nine athletes to join her talented team for the fall season.

The team will begins its first official practices with the new squad this week. GCU will travel to Flagstaff, Arizona, on Wednesday for their annual cross country "camp" that is a time for team bonding and high-altitude training. The Lopes will end camp on Saturday to attend the first meet of the year at the George Kyte Invitational in Flagstaff.

Jodie Judd

Junior Jodie Judd is the first-ever international runner who has signed with the GCU cross country team. Judd is a transfer from Florida State, but she calls Essex, England home. Judd, who earned All-South Region honors from 2017-19, was the ACC indoor mile champion and Florida State's top finisher at the NCAA Championships (62^nd place). She also won the England Athletics under-23 5,000-meter title, as well as placing sixth at the European U23 Athletic Championships. Her sister Jessica represented Great Britain in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races.

"What really made me excited to recruit Jodie is that she wanted to be a part of something bigger than herself and building a strong team," Slattery said. "We have a close group of hard-working women, and I am excited to add Jodie to our GCU family and see what we can do the next two years."

Emma Summers

Freshman Emma Summers comes from Richland, Washington, where she attended Richland High School. In 2019, Summer placed 10th at the state championship in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races. At the 2019 cross country state championships, Summer placed 68^th.

"I was impressed with Emma's perseverance during a tough year," Slattery said. "She had some great performances last year in not ideal conditions with COVID. She has consistently improved during her high school career and I am excited to see what she can do surrounded by a team of women who support and push her each day."

Annabelle Boudreau

Freshman Annabelle Boudreau is from Newport Beach, California where she attended Corona Del Mar high school. She won the Sunset League cross country meet and set the course record. She was also runner-up at the Division III California Interscholastic Federation Cross Country Finals. Boudreau also qualified for state in cross country and placed 16th. She was recognized with the OCADA Character award as well.

"Annabelle has been successful at the high school level in a very competitive state," Slattery said. "I am excited to have her surrounded by women who will support her, push her when she needs it and guide her the next four years."

Kendall Drisko

Junior Kendall Drisko is the first student-athlete to come from the GCU Running Club. During her freshman year at Chico State in California, Drisko planned to run competitively, but injuries kept her back. She transferred to GCU as a sophomore, when she trained with the running club during 2020-21 and made big strides. Because of COVID-19, the GCU Running Club only competed in one road race, but Drisko rose to the occasion by placing first. Slattery set standards for Drisko to hit before coming onto the team, and Drisko hit each one.

"I was very impressed with Kendall's ability to work hard on her own during a very difficult year," Slattery said. "She is a very positive, driven individual, and I am looking forward to seeing what she can do with the guidance and support of our team."

Roshan Tinoco-Miranda

Freshman Roshan Tinoco-Miranda is an Arizona native who attended Rio Rico High School. Tinoco was a back-to-back cross country state champion in 2020 and 2021. He also was a runner-up at the Division II state track and field championships's 3,200-meter race.

"Roshan has made a steady progression throughout his high school career and had an excellent senior cross country season," Slattery said. "He is excited to be a part of the of our strong team culture here at GCU. Roshan is a great cross country runner, and I am excited to see what he can do when he is focused year-round."

Jacob Pringle

Redshirt freshman Jacob Pringle is transferring from Memphis, where he was a redshirt for the season. In the last two years, Pringle has made great strides, starting with his later years at Collierville (Tenn.) High School, Pringle broke three school records and won a medal at state for track.

"What made me very interested in Jacob was that he wanted to be a part of building something special and really values the team," Slattery said. "It will be great to see what he can do when he is surrounded by men that will push him."

Micah Smith

Freshman Micah Smith is from Oxnard, California, where he attended Rio Mesa High School and was awarded 2019 MVP after winning Rookie of the Year as a freshman. Not only is Smith a dedicated athlete, but he graduated high school as an International Baccalaureate Scholar with a 4.5 GPA.

"Micah had a solid senior year in difficult conditions," Slattery said. "Most of his year, sports were locked down due to COVID-19. Micah continued to train on his own and ran personal bests across the board. It will be fun to see what he can do when he is not restricted."

Alex Rafferty

Another Arizona native, freshman Alex Rafferty attended Millennium High School in Goodyear, where sophomore Myles Goodman and senior Aidan Diggs also ran as former track and field teammates. Rafferty won a total of 13 All-American titles through USA Track and Field's Junior Olympics for events in track and cross country. He also placed fifth in the Division II cross country state championship as a sophomore.

"Alex is a student of the sport," Slattery said. "He has been running track for many years and had gradual improvements each year. He has been a part of a strong program and will be a big help in middle-distance events."

Austin Clayton

Freshman Austin Clayton attended Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Arizona, where current team member senior Reier Gilbertson competed with him. Clayton was a three-sport athlete, running cross country, playing basketball and running track.

"Austin has progressed really well throughout his high school career," Slattery said. "This spring, he had a big jump in his track performances and with consistency in his training and a focus on running, I think he will make some big jumps the next four years."

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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