Lobo XC Women Ranked Second in USTFCCCA Preseason Poll
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The University of New Mexico women’s cross country team will start the season ranked second nationally, according to the USTFCCCA national preseason poll released on Wednesday.
The Lobos received 319 points and one first-place vote, finishing six points behind NC State. NC State received nine first-place votes, while Stanford received the other and is ranked fifth with 277 points.
UNM was one of two Mountain West schools to be ranked in the top-30, with Colorado State ranked 13, while Utah State was receiving votes. In addition, there were a total of eight Mountain Region teams among the preseason poll, which shapes up to be a competitive and deep field at the NCAA Mountain Regional hosted by UNM on Nov. 11.
With Wednesday’s ranking, the Lobos have been ranked in the top-2 to start the season in four of the last five years with three times at the No. 2 spot.
The women are coming off of a third-place finish at the NCAA Championship, extending their top-10 team finish streak to 12 straight seasons as well as continuing the longest current top-10 streak in the country in cross country. In addition, the Lobos won the Mountain Regional title last season after all seven runners placed in the top-35.
They again look to be in strong contention for a podium finish, returning All-Americans Emma Heckel and Gracelyn Larkin, as well Abbe Goldstein, Amelia Mazza-Downie and Ali Upshaw, who all competed in last year’s NCAA Championship. As previously mentioned, UNM will also have the added benefit of racing on its home field for the NCAA Mountain Regional to set up another appearance at the NCAA Championships held in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Nov. 19.
The Lobos officially open their season with the Lobo Invitational on Sept. 10 and will have four meets before the Mountain West Conference Championship, set for Oct. 28 in Laramie, Wyoming. Among the meets on the schedule for UNM this season are the prestigious Joe Piane Invitational (Sept. 30), hosted by Notre Dame, and the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational (Oct. 14), hosted by the University of Wisconsin. All of that preparation will lead up to the NCAA Mountain Regional and the ultimate destination of the NCAA Championships.