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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The University of New Mexico women’s cross country team was selected as the favorite to win the 2016 Mountain West women’s cross country title, as voted by the league’s coaches in the women’s preseason coaches’ poll.
The Lobo men were tabbed fourth in the men’s version of the poll.
It’s the sixth straight year that the Lobo women, the reigning NCAA champions, were picked as the preseason favorite. The New Mexico women have won eight straight MW cross country titles, while the men have won six of the last seven men’s championships.
The New Mexico women captured the top spot in the preseason poll by earning 99 points and nine of the 11 first-place votes. The women return All-Americans Alice Wright, Calli Thackery and Rhona Auckland, plus key pieces in Natasha Bernal and Sophie Connor.
The Boise State women scored the other two first-place vote and 92 total points to place second, while Colorado State registered 79 total points to place third. Air Force (67 points), Wyoming (63), Utah State (56), Nevada (53), San José State (30), Fresno State (27), San Diego State (20) and UNLV (19) claimed fourth place through 11th, respectively.
On the men’s side, the Lobos tallied 31 points total to place fourth in the men’s poll. The men bring back top-five runners Graham Thomas, Josh Kerr and Zac Castillo and add a number of new faces.
Colorado State earned the top spot in the poll with five first-place votes and 46 points. Boise State came in second in the poll with one first-place vote and 43 points, while Air Force was tabbed third with the final two first-place votes and 40 points.
Wyoming (23 points), Utah State (19), San José State (12) and Fresno State (10) rounded out the eight-team poll, placing fifth-to-eighth, respectively.
Both Lobo squads will aim for the conference title at the 2016 MW Cross Country Championships, which will be hosted by Boise State at the Falcon Crest Golf Club in Kuna, Idaho on Friday, October 28.
But before the Lobos can vie for conference supremacy, they will kick off the 2016 season hosting the 2016 Lobo Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, September 3 at the University of New Mexico North Golf Course.