Both New Mexico Men’s and Women’s Cross Country / Track & Field programs finished fourth in the USTFCCCA’s Program of the Year standings released Tuesday at the conclusion of the 2025-26 academic year, giving the Lobos their best combined finish in program history.
The USTFCCCA Program of the Year Award honors the institution that has achieved the most success in each academic year (spanning the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons) based on the institution's finish at their respective Championships.
In order to be eligible for the award, teams must qualify for each of the Championships. Scoring is based on the team's finish at each Championship in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field (i.e., 1st = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points … 31st = 31 points) with the lowest total score for all three championships combined determining the award winner. Ties among schools split points for positions taken.
For the men, it's their third year in a row rising to a new high in the standings after concluding 2024 in eighth and 2025 in seventh. For the women, it's their highest finish since 2019, when they finished second in the standings after placing 2nd at XC, 5th at Indoors and 8th outdoors.
At NCAA Cross Country Championships, the Lobo Men (82 points) finished as national runners-up while the women (216 points) joined them on the team podium with a fourth-place team placing. At NCAA Indoors, the women finished tied for 10th with 20 points and the men tied for 19th with 13 points and both teams finished among the Top 15 in the nation at NCAA Outdoor Championships last week in Eugene, with the men 14th (20 points) and the women 12th (22 points).
| John McDonnell Men’s Program of the Year | Terry Crawford Women’s Program of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Program | POY Points | Program | POY Points |
| Oregon | 12 | Oregon | 9 |
| Arkansas | 20 | Florida | 12.5 |
| Alabama | 31 | BYU | 20 |
| New Mexico | 37 | New Mexico | 27 |
| Virginia | 39 | South Carolina | 39 |
The UNM men finished fourth in the John McDonnell Men’s Program of the Year standings with 37 points, with the women fourth in the Terry Crawford Women’s Program of the Year standings with 27.
| NEW MEXICO PROGRAM OF THE YEAR RANKINGS HISTORY | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Gender | Final Rank | Points | XC | Indoor | Outdoor |
| 2025-26 | Men | 4 | 37.0 | 2nd | 19th | 14th |
| 2025-26 | Women | 4 | 27.0 | 4th | 10th | 12th |
| 2024-25 | Men | 7 | 42.0 | 9th | 26th | 5th |
| 2024-25 | Women | 8 | 48.5 | 7th | 32nd | 9th |
| 2023-24 | Men | 11 | 76.5 | 18th | 35th | 23rd |
| 2022-23 | Women | 15 | 83.0 | 2nd | 43rd | 33rd |
| 2021-22 | Women | 12 | 81.5 | 3rd | 40th | 36th |
| 2020-21 | Women | 6.0 | 6th | — | 50th | |
| 2019-20 | Women | 4.0 | 4th | — | — | |
| 2018-19 | Women | 2 | 15.0 | 2nd | 5th | 8th |
| 2017-18 | Women | 5 | 29.0 | NATIONAL CHAMPION | 10th | 17th |
| 2016-17 | Women | 7.0 | 7th | — | 32nd | |
| 2015-16 | Women | 8 | 46.5 | NATIONAL CHAMPION | 30th | 15th |
| 2014-15 | Men | 7 | 84.0 | 14th | 31st | 36th |
| 2014-15 | Women | 14 | 99.0 | 3rd | 46th | 48th |
| 2013-14 | Men | 11 | 108.0 | 11th | 45th | 44th |
| 2013-14 | Women | 10.0 | 10th | — | — | |
| 2012-13 | Men | 13 | 103.0 | 21st | 49th | 28th |
| 2012-13 | Women | 10.0 | 10th | — | — | |
| 2011-12 | Men | 11 | 82.0 | 31st | 15th | 33rd |
| 2011-12 | Women | 16 | 129.0 | 9th | 62nd | 55th |
| 2010-11 | Men | 14 | 111.5 | 16th | 50th | 41st |
| 2010-11 | Women | 5.0 | 5th | — | — | |
| 2009-10 | Men | 11 | 74.5 | 8th | 8th | 55th |
| 2009-10 | Women | 50.0 | 13th | 36th | — | |
| 2008-09 | Women | 18.0 | 18th | — | 70th | |