Lobo Cross Country Set to Host MW Championships
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Lobos are set to host the Mountain West Cross Country Championships on Oct. 29 at the UNM North Golf Course. The men’s race is set for 10:15 a.m. (MT) and the women will follow shortly after at 11 a.m.
The championship meet was originally scheduled to be hosted by San Jose State but due to logistical reasons, the Spartans were unable to. Other conference teams put in bids to host the meet and New Mexico won the bid.
Now, the Lobos hope to use the home course advantage to cross the finish line first. Although the New Mexico XC teams don’t actually practice on the course, the advantage of being at home will surely help their results.
The Lobos’ women’s team was ranked No. 1 in the nation by the USTFCCCA on Oct. 19. This marks the first time the Lobos have been ranked first nationally since Oct. 30, 2018. The team received six first-place votes and 324 points total to take the top spot.
In the Lobos last meet at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 15, the women’s team placed first and outran then-ranked No. 1 NC State and then-ranked No. 2 BYU. New Mexico’s top runner, Stefanie Parsons, placed 12th in the race with a time of 20:21.9 to lead the Lobos to first.
In the Mountain West’s Pre-Championships Coaches Poll, the women’s team ranked first with 10 out of the 11 first-place votes and 100 points total. The men’s team ranked sixth with 27 total points.
Since Joe Franklin took the reins as head coach in 2007, the women’s team has been wildly successful. The women have won 13 straight conference titles, beginning in the 2008 season. With this strong history, the Lobos have high hopes for this season’s championship meet. Franklin has also led the team to two NCAA Championships in the 2015 and 2017 seasons.
The men also had a stint of six straight conference titles from the 2009-14 seasons. The men have earned five individual champions in the history of the program, as well.
To keep up with all things Lobo cross country, follow @UNMLoboXCTF on Twitter and Instagram.
Head Coach Joe Franklin recognizes that the women’s team motivated each other to be better and get the results they want together.
“Our women enjoy running together,” Franklin said. “They know how to work together as a unit and use each other [as motivation] to get the outcome.”