Women's Cross Country 9/4/2025 10:41:00 PM Chris Brannick

Freshman Leads UCO In Debut

Gabija Pukstas Finishes 25th At Season Opening Distance After Dark

TULSA, Okla. – Cross country season began late Thursday with Rogers State's Distance After Dark at Mohawk Sports Complex with Central Oklahoma finishing ninth in the event.

Host Rogers State won the team event with 24 points, scoring finishes in first-place, fourth, fifth, sixth, and eighth individually. Oklahoma Christian placed second with 54 points. Oklahoma Baptist (83) was third, Oklahoma City (113) fourth, and Arkansas Fort Smith (164) fifth.

The 5k race began at 10 p.m. Thursday and for the Bronchos it featured four freshmen making their UCO debuts.

Gabija Pukstas, from Stillwater, Oklahoma, was one of the four and the first one to cross the finish line. The rookie was as high as 14th in the just past the midway point and ended the race finishing 25th individually. She did it with a time of 19:06 and missed a Top 20 mark in school history by just two seconds in her first career collegiate race.

Senior Genevieve Young returned to cross country after not competing last fall. She was the second Broncho to cross the finish line in 21:35 to finish 75th individually. Then the other three freshmen were next.

Maya Winterburn (Flower Mound, Texas) finished in 21:53, Gianna Weatherspoon (Oklahoma City) finished in 22:37, and Tori McIntosh (Poway, Calif.) finished in 23:40. Kylee Smith, a senior, finishing in 23:41.

UCO scored 243 points, with all but Smith's finish counting toward the total. Southwestern Oklahoma State was sixth, Dodge City (Kan.) was seventh, John Brown (Ark.) finished eighth, and Mid-America Christian was 10th behind UCO.

Central Oklahoma returns to action Saturday, Sept. 20 with Missouri Southern's annual Southern Stampede in Joplin.

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Players Mentioned

Kylee Smith: 5' 1"; Senior

Maya Winterburn: 5' 4"; Freshman

Gianna Weatherspoon: 5' 3"; Freshman

Gabija Pukstas: 5' 7"; Freshman

Genevieve Young: 5' 3"; Senior

Tori McIntosh: 5' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kylee Smith
: 5' 1"; Senior

Maya Winterburn
: 5' 4"; Freshman

Gianna Weatherspoon
: 5' 3"; Freshman

Gabija Pukstas
: 5' 7"; Freshman

Genevieve Young
: 5' 3"; Senior

Tori McIntosh
: 5' 5"; Freshman