THIS WEEK'S MEET
- The University of Colorado Colorado Springs cross country teams are headed North to Kenosha, Wis., this Saturday for the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championships, hosted by the University of Wisconsin Parkside on the prestigious Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course. The women's 6k championship race will begin at 9 a.m. (MT), followed by the men's championships at 10:15 a.m. (MT).
MEET INFORMATION
- Course: Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course
- Location: Kenosha, Wis.
- Distance: 6k (women), 10k (men)
- Elevation: 650'
LAST TIME OUT
- The No. 4 UCCS women's cross country team earned its second straight automatic bid to the national meet with its runner-up finish at the NCAA South Central Regional meet, held in Pueblo, Colo., at Walking Stick Golf Course. All five Mountain Lions ran to all-region honors after finishing in the top 25: Madison Brosig (ninth), Kate Henderson (10th), Kaya Pillivant (16th), Kseniya Nikanorov (17th), and Maddie Ruszkiewicz (22nd).
- The No. 14 Mountain Lions men's squad earned one of 10 at-large bids to the national championships after placing sixth in the NCAA regional meet. Joseph Impellitteri and Logan Cole paced UCCS with top-25 finishes, placing 21st and 25th overall, respectively.
MOUNTAIN LION WOMEN COMPETING AT NCAA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP
Name (6k PR Time | Meet, Date)
MOUNTAIN LION MEN COMPETING AT NCAA DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP
Name (10k PR Time | Meet, Date)
THE FIELD
- Thirty-four teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top three, seven-person teams automatically qualified from each of the eight regions, for a total of 24 teams. Ten additional teams were selected at-large. A minimum of 24 additional individuals were selected to participate in each championship through an automatic qualifier and at-large selection process.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
- As a team, the Mountain Lions women's unit will be competing in its 15th NCAA Championship race (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2006, 2004, and 2000). This year's national championship meet will be the ninth straight year UCCS has competed in the national championship race under head coach Corey Kubatzky, and the 12th time in the past 13 championships.
- Molly Breuer will be making her fourth appearance at the national championships, while Madison Brosig and Kaya Pillivant are running in their second straight championship meet. Making their national championship cross country debut on Saturday will be Kate Henderson, Kaya Pillivant, Kseniya Nikanorov, and Elizabeth McQuitty.
- The UCCS men's program will be competing in the national meet for the 12th time in program history (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2008, 2004) and in their seventh straight national meet. Eleven of the 12 times UCCS has qualified as a team for the national meet have come under head coach Mark Misch who took over the program in 2007.
- The trio of Joseph Impellitteri, Logan Cole, and Brett Davis will be experiencing their third national championship meet this Saturday, as Caden Leal, Koy Cunningham, Enzo Knapp, and Michael Burke Jr. are running in their second national meet.
- The Mountain Lions are just one of six teams to have both men's and women's cross country teams qualify for the Division II championship meet the past seven years – Chico State University, Colorado School of Mines, Grand Valley State University, Lee University, and Western Colorado University.
USTFCCCA ALL-AMERICA AWARDS
- The top 40 finishers on Saturday will be named to the USTFCCCA All-America team.
NATIONAL MEET QUALIFICATIONS
- Teams and individuals qualify for the national championships through participation in the eight regional meets. A total of 34 teams and 24 individuals will be selected for the national championship. The process for allocating the berths is as follows:
Teams (34)
- The top three teams from each regional meet will automatically advance to the championship finals (24 teams total).
- Ten at-large teams will be selected by the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Cross Country Committee using the selection criteria. There is no limit to the number of at-large teams that may be selected from any given region.
Individuals (24 minimum)
- The top two individuals who are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championship finals (16 individuals total).
- All individuals who finish in the top five at the regional meet and are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championship finals.
- The next eight individuals will be selected at-large.
WEATHER FORECAST
- After nearly a foot of snow fell last week in the Kenosha area, Saturday's forecast will dry out. Temperatures at race time are expected to be in the mid-40s under partly sunny skies.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
- Each week the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces Regional (Tuesdays) and National (Wednesdays) rankings.
| 2025 USTFCCCA NATIONAL RANKINGS |
| WEEK |
MEN |
WOMEN |
| Preseason (Sept. 3) |
No. 14 |
No. 7 |
| Week 1 (Sept. 17) |
No. 15 |
No. 7 |
| Week 2 (Sept. 24) |
No. 14 |
No. 8 |
| Week 3 (Oct. 1) |
No. 12 |
No. 8 |
| Week 4 (Oct. 8) |
No. 12 |
No. 8 |
| Week 5 (Oct. 15) |
No. 13 |
No. 8 |
| Week 6 (Oct. 29) |
No. 15 |
No. 3 |
| Week 7 (Nov. 12) |
No. 14 |
No. 4 |
| 2025 USTFCCCA REGIONAL RANKINGS |
| WEEK |
MEN |
WOMEN |
| Preseason (Sept. 2) |
No. 6 |
No. 5 |
| Week 1 (Sept. 16) |
No. 6 |
No. 5 |
| Week 2 (Sept. 23) |
No. 6 |
No. 5 |
| Week 3 (Sept. 30) |
No. 6 |
No. 5 |
| Week 4 (Oct. 7) |
No. 6 |
No. 5 |
| Week 5 (Oct. 14) |
No. 6 |
No. 5 |
| Week 6 (Oct. 28) |
No. 6 |
No. 2 |
| Final (Nov. 8) |
No. 6 |
No. 2 |
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH MARK MISCH & COREY KUBATZKY
- Head coach Mark Misch is in his 19th year leading the Mountain Lions in 2025-26. Under Misch, UCCS has qualified as a team for the NCAA Division II National Championship meet 11 times, including the past seven championships.
- Corey Kubatzky is in his 11th year with the UCCS cross country and track and field programs in 2025-26, serving as head coach for the women's cross country team as well as coaching the distance and middle distance women runners for indoor and outdoor track & field. Since joining UCCS in 2015, Kubatzky's teams have qualified for the past eight NCAA Division II cross country championships.
UPCOMING MEET
- Saturday's national championship meet will conclude the cross country season. Both Mountain Lion programs will turn their attention to the track and field season, beginning in December.
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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.
