MW Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— If the Mountain West Pre-Championship coaches poll is any indication, the 2018 Mountain West women’s championship race will be a battle.
UNM, nationally ranked No. 3, edged out second-ranked Boise State by just three votes in the poll released just two days in advance of the championship race to be hosted by San Diego State. The Lobos received seven first-place votes and 97 points in the poll decided on by the conference coaches, compared to four first-place votes and 94 points for the Broncos.
Utah State ranked third with 77 points, followed by Air Force (73), Nevada (56), Colorado State (54), San José State (53), Wyoming (42), Fresno State (21), San Diego State (19) and UNLV (19).
The separation between UNM and BSU narrowed considerably from the midseason poll released on Oct. 1, where the Lobos received nine of the 11 first-place votes and 99 total points to two first-place votes and 92 points for the Broncos.
If history is any predictor, UNM has won the championship the past 10 years, the most team titles in women’s cross country in the conference.
Last year, the Lobos took the title with 22 points behind then-sophomore Ednah Kurgat’s individual title with her time of 19:58.77. Weini Kelati finished runner-up in her first MW championship race at 20:11.63 and Charlotte Prouse completed the 6K race in 20:14.67 to take the third spot. In her last MW race, Alice Wright made it four Lobos in the top-five with her fifth-place finish of 20:54.87. Sophie Eckel ran 21:19.75 to place 11th overall, rounding out the team scoring, and Alex Buck was one behind her in 12th with her time of 21:20.58. Boise State finished second in the team’s standings with 50 points.
New Mexico earned the top spot in the preseason poll as well with Boise State second.
In the men’s poll, New Mexico remained sixth after earning 19 votes in the poll. Boise State and Colorado State were closely ranked at the top of the poll, with five first-place votes and 47 points and three first-place votes and 44 points, respectively.
Colorado State enters Friday’s race as the defending team champion but Boise State won the year prior, with both schools producing the individual champion in the years they won. New Mexico men’s team last won the team title in 2014, which marked its sixth consecutive team title.
The women’s 6K race will lead off the day at Balboa Park in San Diego, Calif., at 10 a.m. MT to be followed at 10:45 a.m. by the men’s 8K race. The races can be streamed on FloTrack, with a subscription, or followed through the live results found here.