Women's Cross Country Rank Fourth in NCAA Coaches' Preseason Poll
NEW ORLEANS, La. — With less than 20 days until the 2021 season kicks off, the University of New Mexico women’s cross country team is ranked fourth in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USATFCCCA) NCAA Division 1 Women’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Preseason Poll.
The Lobos currently sit with 293 points placing them 15 points outside the top three spots. Stanford sits in third with 308 points (one first-place vote), NC State in second with 318 points (two first-place votes), and BYU in first with 322 points receiving eight first-place votes.
“To be voted by your peers to be one of the top teams in the country is quite humbling. We have been fortunate to have been to the NCAA Championships for 13 years straight and have 11 consecutive top-ten finishes. That in itself shows the consistency and drive that the women who wear the turquoise have at the NCAA Finals,” head coach Joe Franklin stated.
The Lobo women have made 15 appearances at the NCAA National Championships, 13 of which have been consecutive from 2008-2020, and placed on the podium five times. The squad returns their entire 2020 team that competed in the NCAA Championships with the addition of several newcomers to the Lobos.
The Lobos are set to race into their 2021 season on Saturday, September 18, at the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational hosted by New Mexico State.