ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Three University of New Mexico cross country athletes have been selected to compete at the 2015 SPAR European Cross Country Championships, which is slated for December 13 in Hyères, France.
New Mexico redshirt sophomore Alice Wright was picked to compete for the United Kingdom’s Under-23 team, while senior Molly Renfer was chosen for Switzerland’s U23 team. Lobo men’s senior runner Elmar Engholm was selected for Sweden’s senior team.
Wright, hailing from Worcester, England, is coming off a superb season running cross country for UNM head coach Joe Franklin. Wright finished fifth at the NCAA Championships for the Lobos, earning All-American honors and helping New Mexico to its first-ever national title in cross country.
She also earned All-American honors in the 10,000 in June, and is a two-time All-Mountain West performer in cross country.
Running for the UK, she placed ninth in the U23 race at the 2014 Euro Cross Country Championships in Bulgaria, and took third in the 10,000-meter run at the 2015 European Athletics U23 Championships in Estonia.
Renfer, from Esher, England, is competing for her father’s home country, Switzerland. She is also hot off an exceptional year of running for the Lobos, scoring at all five of UNM’s meets, including a top-25 finish at the NCAA Championships.
A Harvard graduate finishing her collegiate career at New Mexico, Renfer picked up her first career All-American plaudit at the national championships, placing 24th. She was also All-MW for UNM.
Renfer represented Switzerland at the 2011 European Junior Championships, the 2015 European Athletics Team Championships and the 2015 European Athletics U23 Championships.
Engholm, a senior from Stockholm, Sweden, posted a productive season for the New Mexico men, leading them three times during the season. He was the Lobos’ top finisher at the Mountain West Championships (sixth place) and the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships (24th), making the All-MW team and the USTFCCCA All-Mountain Region team in the process.
He competed for Sweden’s U23 team at the 2014 Euro Cross Country Championships, helping his team to a podium finish. He also represented Sweden at the 2014 and 2015 European Team Championships.
The 2015 SPAR European Cross Country Championships are scheduled for December 13 at the Hippodrome de Hyères in Hyères, France. For more information, head to the European Athletics website.