DAYTON – The University of Dayton cross country has officially signed three runners for the class of 2030: Panagiota Tzouloufis, Ashlyn Chopra, and Olivia Smeck.

Panagiota Tzouloufis arrives at Dayton with a strong middle-distance background, holding PRs of 5:10 (1600), 2:16 (800), and 19:12 (5k). She placed 31st at the OHSAA Division I Youngstown Regional, helping GlenOak High School to a fifth-place finish. She was also a member of GlenOak's 4x800m team that qualified for last year's state championships.

Coach David Dobson is enthusiastic about Tzouloufis' addition:

"Gia comes to Dayton with experience on the largest stages in Ohio. She is energetic and dedicated to her passion for running. Gia's energy is a great fit for our program and will enhance our middle-distance group."

Ashlyn Chopra joins the Flyers from Glenwood High School with an impressive résumé, including a 17:00 PR in the three-mile and a third-place finish at the IHSA Class 2A Cross Country State Championships. On the track, she has PRs of 5:07 (1600) and 11:03 (3200). At last year's state track and field championships, she placed 19th in the 1600.

Dobson is excited to bring Chopra into the program:

"Ashlyn has consistently grown as a runner, and we are excited she will bring that momentum to Dayton, Ohio. Her high character stands out as much as her athletic successes in high school. I feel thankful to have Ashlyn joining our team and look forward to chasing excellence with her for the next four years."

Olivia Smeck signs with Dayton following a strong career at Gahanna Lincoln High School. She holds PRs of 17:58 (5k), 11:10 (3200), and 5:11 (1600), and recently placed 24th at the OHSAA Division I State Championships, marking her third consecutive year competing at the state meet.

Dobson expressed his confidence in Smeck's impact at UD:

"Olivia is an outstanding young distance runner. Her desire to grow as part of a team before individually was evident in our conversations and throughout her high school career. We are fortunate to have Olivia coming to soar with us at UD!"

For more information on University of Dayton track and field and cross country, follow the Flyers on X (@UDWomensTF_XC) and Instagram (@ud_xctf).