Lobo Men's & Women's XC Voted Preseason MW Favorites
New Mexico Men’s and Women’s Cross Country were both voted No. 1 in the Mountain West Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the league announced Wednesday – the first time since 2015 that both Lobo squads enter the season as the preseason favorites in the conference.
Heading into Darren Gauson’s second year as head coach, UNM is looking to build on a resurgent year from the Lobo men that saw them finish 18th in the nation in their first MW title and NCAA Championship appearance as a team since 2014 and an influx of new talent. All three of the Lobos’ XC All-Americans from last season – Habtom Samuel and Evans Kiplagat on the men’s side and Nicola Jansen on the women’s side – will be returning to lead a retooled roster that seeks to get both teams to NCAA’s in the same year for the first time in a decade. In yesterday’s USTFCCCA National Coaches’ Poll, the men ranked No. 8 and the women No. 20, sitting at third and fourth in the Mountain Region respectively.
The men earned seven of nine possible first-place votes to clock in at the top spot with 63 points ahead of second-place Air Force, which finished with two first-place votes and 55 points in total. The Lobos get back their top three runners from last season went 1-2-3 at MW Championships last season – NCAA Runner-Up Habtom Samuel, All-American Evans Kiplagat and MW third-place finisher Lukas Kiprop – and augment their depth with multiple experienced transfers and the addition of NCAA Track & Field West Regional Qualifier Vincent Chirchir to the mix.
The UNM had their unprecedented streak of 14 consecutive Mountain West titles snapped with a fourth-place finish at conference championships in 2023, but they’re favored to return to the top this season after adding a variety of newcomers to race alongside 2023 All-American Nicola Jansen, including one of the highest-rated true freshmen in the country in Pamela Kosgei and MW All-Conference finishers Hanna Bruckmayer and Mercy Kirarei. The Lobo women received nine first-place votes to lead the conference with 97 points, outpacing second-place pick and 2023 champs Colorado State (2 first-place votes, 88 points).
2️⃣ days away from Cross Country season 🤩
New Mexico comes in at the top as the overall preseason favorite! pic.twitter.com/8IxZfDmWsh
— Mountain West (@MountainWest) August 28, 2024
RANKINGS UPDATE
New Mexico Men’s and Women’s Cross Country both opened the season ranked among the Top 25 teams in the nation at the same time for the first time since 2015 in the USTFCCCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll, released by the organization on Tuesday.
The UNM men clocked in at No. 8 – their highest preseason rank in history and highest weekly rank since the final poll of the 2010 season – with the women ranked No. 20 in the nation. It’s also the first time since 2015 that both programs were ranked within the Top 20 at the same time.
The reigning Mountain West champions, the UNM men entered the rankings for the first time since 2015 last season, rising as high as No. 13 in the final poll before placing 18th as a team at NCAA Cross Country Championships behind a runner-up individual finish from Mountain Region Athlete of the Year Habtom Samuel.
It’s the 11th consecutive season in which the Lobo women are ranked in the preseason poll, not counting the 2020 season in which there was no preseason ranking — they opened the 2023 season at No. 21 and were ranked no lower than fourth in the nation in each of the previous seven preseason polls, winning national team titles in 2015 and 2017 along the way.
In the USTFCCCA Regional Rankings released on Monday, the UNM men rank No. 3 in the Mountain Region, with the women ranked No. 4.
UP NEXT
New Mexico Men’s and Women’s Cross Country kicks off the season with its annual rust-buster at the Lori Fitzgerald Open in Las Cruces, N.M. on Saturday, with live results available via GoLobos.com/XCResults. Follow @UNMLoboXCTF on X and IG for live coverage, race content and more.