Julia Paternain - Women's Cross Country - Arkansas Razorbacks

Julia Paternain

Sr. | 5-9 | Distance | Cambridge, England | Hills Road Sixth Form College/Penn State

Junior (2021-22)

Outdoor: did not compete with Razorbacks outdoors … Competed unattached at Arkansas Twilight, placing second in 3,000m (9:56.72).

Indoor: Raced four times during season … Debut race in 5,000m produced a time of 16:21.50 at Washington’s Husky Classic … Competing in 3,000m distance won Arkansas Invitational in 9:44.87, then improved season best to 9:36.79 for 12th in Razorback Invitational … Also raced in mile at Arkansas Invitational, posting a time of 5:09.37 for 11th overall.

Cross Country: Raced in the NCAA Championships, covering the 6k course in 20:56.2 … Placed 24th in NCAA South Central Region with a 21:34.9 over 6k … Finished 28th in the SEC Championships with a 21:17.5 clocking over 6k on Missouri’s Gans Creek course … Opened season placing seventh in Mizzou Opener (17:19.5, 5k) … Finished 18th in Chile Pepper Festival with a 17:27.0 over 5k course at Agri Park … Also raced over 6k distance at Oregon’s Dellinger Invitational (21:16.2) and Pre-Nats (21:10.0).

Junior (2020)
Cross Country: In debut race with Arkansas placed 15th at SEC Preview meet hosted by LSU, finishing eighth among Razorbacks with a time of 17:49.7 for 5k … Finished 12th in Missouri’s Gans Creek Classic, running 20:53.6 on 6k course, placing 10th among Arkansas crew.

College
Competed at Penn State University in two cross county seasons (2018, 2019) and one outdoor season (2019) … Coached by John Gondak and Angela Reckart … Earned Athlete of the Week Big Ten honor … Received All-Academic Big Ten accolade in 2019 and 2020 … 2019 USTFCCCA All-Academic … Member of Dean’s List each semester, recipient of the President’s Freshman Award … Member of the Athletic Directors Emerging Leaders Program …

In sophomore cross country season was member of team that won NCAA Mid-Atlantic region to earn automatic berth into NCAA Championships … Finished third on team and ninth in region field with a 20:31.6 clocking on 6k course at Lehigh … Fourth among squad as Penn State placed 18th in NCAA Championships, placing 151st (21:38.5) in Terre Haute … Placed 44th in 2019 Big Ten Championships at Ohio State as fifth runner with team finishing fourth … During freshman season in cross country, placed 10th (20:22.9) on 6k course at 2018 Big Ten Championships, hosted by Nebraska, leading Penn State to fourth place team finish … Second freshman finisher among field at Big Ten meet … Finished 35th in NCAA Mid-Atlantic region, third runner on Penn State squad as they placed third and earned a berth into NCAA Championships … Also third runner for squad as team placed 20th in NCAA Championships, placing 125th on Wisconsin course … Outdoors, finished sixth in 10,000 (33:22.91) at Big Ten Championships … Placed 10th in 5,000 (16:29.56) and 13th in 10,000 (33:55.53) at NCAA East preliminary rounds … Qualified for NCAA Championships in 5,000 as a true freshman, placed 22nd … Did not compete during indoor season.

Best marks: 4:34.45 (1500), 16:00.10 (5000), 33:22.91 (10,000). Cross country: 20:22.7 (6k)

High School
2018 graduate of Hills Road Sixth Form College … Member of Cambridge and Coleridge Athletics Club … Coached by Mark Vile … Twice won ESAA English Schools’ 3,000m Senior Girls championship … Silver medalist at 2018 Inter-counties cross country … Earned a silver medal in English National U20 3,000… Two-time winner of British Cross Challenge in 2017 and 2018 … Claimed 2018 Home Countries International cross country title … In 2017, won Westminster mile and British Road One mile … Silver medalist at British Three Mile Road Championships … Awarded National Cross Country Team U17 bronze medal in 2016.

HS best marks: 2:18.0 (800), 4:29.12 (1500), 4:54 (Mile), 9:23.07 (3000)

Personal
Julia Paternain-Muniz was born September 29, 1999 in Leon, Mexico … Hometown is Cambridge, England, and her nationality is British … Daughter of Gabriel Paternain and Graciela Muniz  … Father is a professor at Cambridge University … Majoring in Psychology and Sociology … Career plans include business with an ambition to become a professional athlete and start her own business … Favorite athlete is Australian Genevieve Lacaze, an Olympic finalist in the steeplechase and 5,000m in 2016 … Person she most admires is her mother … Julia speaks Spanish and has a very multicultural background with her family from Uruguay … Chose Arkansas because of the legacy of the program as well as the girls on the team and the coaching staff.

Julia Paternain | Career Stats

Career best marks (College)

Indoor

  • Mile | 5:09.37
  • 3,000m | 9:36.79
  • 5,000m | 16:21.50

Outdoor

  • 1,500m | 4:34.45
  • 3,000m | 9:56.72
  • 5,000m | 16:00.10
  • 10,000m | 33:22.91