Women’s Cross Country Moves to No. 2 in USTFCCCA Poll
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico women’s cross country team rose to No. 2 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches Poll the association announced Tuesday.
The Lobos, who have placed top-10 at the NCAA Championships each of the last seven years for the nation’s longest active streak, earned four of a possible 12 first-place votes to move past former No. 1 Colorado and into the No. 2 slot.
Oregon is the top-ranked team in the NCAA with eight first-place votes, while Colorado falls to No. 3.
Last week at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational, the New Mexico women stormed to the team title, led by reigning USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Female Athlete of the Week Ednah Kurgat, who won her second individual title of the season.
The Lobos also have Alice Wright, Charlotte Proue and Weini Kelati posting superb results, as all four have placed within the top 15 at both the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational in late September and at Wisconsin.
New Mexico’s No. 2 ranking is the team’s best since occupying the same position in the third regular-season poll of 2016. Since the start of the 2015 season, the Lobo women have been ranked top-three in 17 of 22 polls and top-two in 13 of 22 polls.
This is also the 45th consecutive poll in which the UNM women have been ranked.
Oregon, the 2016 NCAA team champion, owns 355 points to lead the poll, with New Mexico earning 347. Colorado (340 points), San Francisco (340) and North Carolina State (309) round out the top five.
Additionally, the women were ranked second, behind Colorado, in the women’s USTFCCCA Mountain Region’s rankings that were released Monday.
The Lobos return to action next week as they host the 2017 MW Cross Country Championships at home at the UNM North Golf Course on Friday, October 27.
Along with the No. 2 UNM women, the No. 8 Boise State women and No. 12 Utah State women will be in attendance. On the men’s side, No. 9 Colorado State, No. 17 Air Force and No. 19 Utah State will be competing.
Fans can follow @UNMLoboXCTF on Twitter and Instagram to keep track of the Lobos!