Doyle Set for All-American Run at 2022 NCAA XC Championships

STILLWATER, Okla. – UMass Lowell cross country senior Kenzie Doyle (Swansea, Mass.) is set to represent the River Hawks alongside the nation's best at the 2022 NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship hosted by Oklahoma State University this Saturday.

Doyle qualified for the event as an individual after placing fourth at the NCAA Northeast Regional just one week ago in the Bronx. Doyle posted a 6K time of 20:29.4 to earn her spot on the national stage after becoming the 2022 America East Individual Champion and guiding the River Hawks to their third consecutive conference title just two weeks prior.

"Kenzie performed well at both the America East and NCAA Regional meet," said UMass Lowell Cross Country Head Coach Gary Gardner. "She handled the race at the regional extremely well. She remained patient, and we knew the most important outcome was qualifying for the NCAA finals."

Doyle had set this goal for herself long ago, working relentlessly to achieve it. It finally came to fruition at the regional race with her family in attendance.

"When I crossed the line at regionals and realized that I had qualified for the NCAA National Championship, I remember hugging my family and repeating 'I worked so hard for this'," said Doyle. "This is a goal that I set for myself two years ago when Gary and I had a talk about doing a heavier training load. This past summer, I started doing harder long run efforts and running longer tempo workouts. I eventually got into the rhythm of running longer and faster and felt much stronger as a result. This is when I realized that this goal was realistic for me, and I continued to show up to practice every day with that goal in mind."

With the goal of reaching the NCAA Cross Country Championship accomplished, she now sets her sights on the 6K course in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and a new goal of becoming an All-American.

"This course is known to be extremely hilly. I think that it plays in my favor because of the amount of mileage I have done throughout this season. Doing high mileage has made me a lot stronger this season, and I am confident that I can get All-American when I toe the line this Saturday."

Doyle's confidence on the course has been crucial to her success thus far and is something that is reinforced by Coach Gardner each and every day.

"Something that Gary always tells me before my races is to 'be confident'," said Doyle. "I believe that most of racing is mental and not as much physical. A large majority of people who make the National Championship can become an All-American on the right day, but it takes the most mentally tough ones to achieve it."

The past two years have all led up to this moment for Doyle. Off the course, her preparation has been just as diligent and focused as it is at practice.

"Being successful in a race like this does not just include training hard," claimed Doyle. "Having a disciplined lifestyle is a key factor of what goes into being a successful competitor. The past two years, I have worked on this by getting more sleep and fueling with the right foods in order to recover."

The hard work, up to this point, is in the past. It is now time to focus on this one final race.

"At the NCAA Championship meet, the key is to run your own race and not get caught up in the moment," according to Gardner. "It's easy to get caught up in all the hype, TV crew and tension surrounding the finals. Those that are successful treat this like any other race. That's our goal–to run the same way we did at conference and regionals. If we do that, we will be pleased with the outcome."

The NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship will take place on Saturday, November 19 at Greiner Family Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Oklahoma at 9:20 a.m.

Doyle Set for All-American Run at 2022 NCAA XC Championships

Next Event

Footer