- Millie Wilcox transitioned from mid-distance to cross country at the University of Utah.
- After stagnating in the 400m, she excelled in longer distances and cross country.
- Wilcox credits her supportive family and Utah's adaptable training for her success.
SALT LAKE CITY — Millie Wilcox was one of the top mid-distance runners in the state when she came out of Olympus High School, earning 5A all-state honors in the 400-meter in 2021 and top-six finishes in the 400, 800-meter relay and 1,600-meter relay as a senior with the Titans.
But when she got to college at the University of Utah, something wasn't clicking. Building off the second-fastest 400 time in Olympus history of 57.28, her times — and her play — stagnated through the first year or so of her college career.
It would've been really easy to move on from the sport, to transfer elsewhere or leave Wilcox as another of the many former high school stars whose careers don't pan out in college.
But after a talk with Rebecca Rhodes and a modified training plan — first moving to the 800-meter and eventually longer distances — she found her calling.
It turns out, that calling included cross country.
The senior will be one of Utah's top-five runners when the Utes host the NCAA Mountain regional cross country meet Friday at the Salt Lake Regional Athletic Complex. And for Wilcox, who grew up in the Salt Lake Valley, couldn't be more excited to represent the program in its first regional host bid for the first time since 2019.
"Utah wants it to pan out well (for everyone)," Wilcox told KSL.com. "They'll adapt the training, they'll adjust — and if it means switching you to another every-day training coach, they'll do it. I'm super grateful for Utah."
Top-ranked and BYU champion BYU headlines the meet, who are led by individual title contender Jane Hedengren, as well as No. 8 New Mexico, No. 17 Colorado, No. 21 Northern Arizona and the 22nd-ranked Utes. The 6K women's meet will go off at 10:30 a.m. MT, followed by the 10K men's race at 11:30 a.m. MST.
The top two teams in each regional secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I cross country championships, set to be held Nov. 22 at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri. The first four regional finishers not from an automatic qualifying or at-large team also secure an auto-bid.
Wilcox credits a family of athletes for helping her to never give up on her dreams of being a college athlete. Her dad Brigham played rugby for Utah's club team, and mom Macy is an avid runner. Brother Tosh played rugby at BYU from 2017-20 and spent time with the Utah Warriors Selects, and another brother Isaac wrestled at Ohio State until graduating last year.
The support of her siblings, including older sister Sophie, helped push Wilcox through when she was struggling to find her place with Utah's track and field team for two years.
"Giving up on yourself just isn't how my family is," Wilcox said. "You have to put in the work, and eventually you'll see the benefits. It took me about 3.5 years — but I'd say it's worked out."
Millie Wilcox advances to the finals with a PR time of 4⃣:4⃣2⃣.9⃣8⃣ (q) in the mile - moving her up to 7th on the all-time list at Utah!
— Utah T&F/XC (@UtahTrackXC) February 28, 2025
📲 ESPN+#GoUtes | #UtahTFXCpic.twitter.com/IVB06wfAaj
It started small, with Wilcox increasing her mileage gradually until eventually, she was already running the same training splits as the cross country and long-distance athletes. She eventually went on to place seventh at the Big 12 outdoor track and field championships in the 1,500 meters in 4 minutes, 17.03 — a far cry from her 400-meter beginning, and holds a top-six mark in school history in 4:15.73 in the event.
She then added a fifth-place time in 4:39.40 in the mile at the Big 12 indoor championships. And suddenly, Wilcox was a distance runner.
She joined the cross country team this fall for her senior season, and finished third on the team — and 31st overall — with a time of 20:34.5 at the Big 12 championships. That, along with Annastasia Peters' 16th-place finish in 19:59.4 and Erin Vringer's 20th-place mark of 20:03.5, helped vault the 22nd-ranked Utes to a sixth-place finish at a meet with national contenders.
Wilcox admits she's still naive about the nuances of cross country — she has "no idea" what her coaches mean when they tell her to run Ks at a certain split in training.
What does she know? Listen to her coaches, and keep pace with her top teammates. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know — and that can be a benefit.
"I just know the watch number," she said. "And I think even though being a little lost is really hard mentally, there are some benefits."
