Women's XC/Track Second in Program of the Year Final Standings
USTFCCCA RELEASE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Behind three top-10 finishes on the season in the cross country, indoor track and outdoor track championships, The University of New Mexico women’s cross country and track and field program placed second in the USTFCCCA Terry Crawford Program of the Year standings for the 2018-19 year.
The Lobos combined to score 15 points for their best-ever finish in the final standings, which takes in to account UNM’s finish from the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships, 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
It is the fifth time in program history that the women earned the award under the guidance of Head Coach Joe Franklin, but the first finish in the top three in award history. The Lobo women have seen an increased improvement in the standings each time after placing fifth last year with 29 points, eighth in 2016, 14th in 2015 and 16th in 2012.
The Lobos finished four points behind Oregon in the final standings and one point ahead of Arkansas with the Razorbacks coming off of indoor and outdoor team titles.
UNM started the season with a runner-up finish at the cross country championships, led by three in the top 10 with All-American finishes for Weini Kelati, Ednah Kurgat and Charlotte Prouse, as well as scoring from Adva Cohen and Emily Martin. It was the fourth time in the last five years that UNM finished in the top three.
In the indoor championships, Kelati, Kurgat and Prouse combined for a program-record 23 points for a program-best fifth-place finish in the team standings. Making the achievement even more significant was the fact that the last time a non-Power 5 school finished in the top five of the women’s team standings was UCF in 2013. Kelati ran to First Team All-American status in both the 3000- and 5000-meters, with Prouse and Kurgat earning a First Team (5000-meter) and a Second Team (3000-meter) All-American nod.
History continued to be made at the outdoor championships as the trio and Cohen were responsible for another program record of 27 points and an eighth-place finish. For the second straight year and the third time in four years, UNM finished as the top non-Power Five school. Highlighting the championships was a NCAA title for Kelati in the 10,000-meter, and a runner-up finish and fourth-place result in the steeplechase by Prouse and Cohen, respectively. In addition, Kelati’s win was the third outdoor title in four years for UNM and the first NCAA title for the sophomore after finishing runner-up in the cross country championship and in the 5000-meter at the indoor championship. Kelati nabbed her second First Team All-American distinction in the 5000-meter following a fifth-place showing to close the scoring.
Prouse and Kelati led the Lobos with five All-American honors on the year with the Lobos earning 16 on the season.
Presented annually since 2009, the NCAA Division I Program of the Year Award recognizes the most outstanding cross country and track & field programs in Division I based on the institution’s performance through the academic year.
To be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for all three NCAA Championships. Scores for the award are calculated from the team’s finish at those championships (i.e., first place earns one point, second place two points, 31st place 31 points, etc.). The team with the lowest total score for all three championships receives the award.
This year, 16 teams scored at all three 2018-19 championships, including Mountain West school Boise State in which the Broncos finished ninth with 64 points.