COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Both University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's and women's cross country programs are ranked No. 4 in their respective 2024 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Polls, announced Wednesday afternoon.
Each of the league's 15 men's and women's cross country head coaches voted on the RMAC preseason polls. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.
The UCCS men's cross country team received 141 points in the 15-team poll. Colorado School of Mines is the preseason favorite with 192 points and 12 first-place votes, followed by Adams State University in second place (185 points) and Western Colorado University in third place (168 points).
In the women's preseason poll, Adams State collected all 14 possible first place votes to lead the league with 196 points. The Orediggers followed in second place with 176 points and Western Colorado in third place with 171 points.
Both Mountain Lions' squads are coming off a fifth-place finish from last year's RMAC championship races. The women's team posted a fifth-place team finish at the NCAA regional meet before boasting a 12
th place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championship Meet.
Two weeks after the conference championship meet last season, the UCCS men's team collected a seventh-place finish in the regional meet and ended the year with a solid 19
th place finish at the national championships.
Each team is set to return to a high level of competition this season as both programs return six competitors from the 2023 national meet. The Mountain Lion women's program returns
Anna Fauske,
Kate Hedlund,
Molly Breuer,
Rachel Richtman,
Rachel Goodrich and
Emma Montoya. The men's squad is led by
Jagger Zlotoff,
Logan Cole,
Brett Davis,
Joseph Impellitteri,
Michael Burke Jr. and
Jack Donze.
The Mountain Lions commence the 2024 season with the annual UCCS Rust Buster meet this Saturday, Sept. 7 at Monument Valley Park. The men's 8k race begins at 9:15 a.m. followed by the women's 5k race at 10 a.m.
2024 RMAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Colorado School of Mines (12) |
192 |
| 2. Adams State (3) |
185 |
| 3. Western Colorado |
168 |
| 4. UCCS |
141 |
| 5. Fort Lewis |
137 |
| 6. Colorado Christian |
130 |
| 7. CSU Pueblo |
128 |
| 8. MSU Denver |
105 |
| 9. New Mexico Highlands |
88 |
| 10. Colorado Mesa |
77 |
| 11. Black Hills State |
68 |
| 12. South Dakota Mines |
58 |
| 13. Chadron State |
50 |
| 14. Regis |
26 |
| 15. Westminster |
22 |
2024 RMAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Adams State (14) |
196 |
| 2. Colorado School of Mines (1) |
176 |
| 3. Western Colorado |
171 |
| 4. UCCS |
155 |
| 5. CSU Pueblo |
143 |
| 6. Fort Lewis |
122 |
| 7. Colorado Christian |
118 |
| 8. MSU Denver |
107 |
| 9. Colorado Mesa |
99 |
| 10. South Dakota Mines |
63 |
| 11. Black Hills State |
62 |
| 12. New Mexico Highlands |
57 |
| 13. Chadron State |
51 |
| 14. Westminster |
32 |
| 15. Regis |
23 |
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
