Friday, November 15
Salt Lake City, UT
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
at
NCAA Mountain Regional
Photo by: Bill Evans
Falcons Return to Utah for NCAA Mountain Regional
11/14/2019 12:47:00 PM | Cross Country
Air Force will face some of the nation's elite in the regional races on Friday, Nov. 15.
The Air Force cross country team returns to action this weekend, as it travels to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the NCAA Mountain Regional on Friday, Nov. 15. The Falcons' lineup, which includes the 15th-ranked women and a men's squad that is receiving votes in the latest national poll, will face their regional counterparts for a chance to qualify to the NCAA Championships.
MEET INFORMATION
This year's NCAA Mountain Regional will be held at Rose Park Golf Course in Salt Lake City. The women will kick off the regional meet with a 6K race at 11:00 a.m. (MT), while the men will follow at noon with their first 10K race of the season. Live results will be available via RunnerCard.com, while FloTrack will broadcast the meet through their FloPro subscription service (direct links to both can be found on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com).
SPECTATOR INFORMATION
Tickets to the regional are $5 for those 13 years and older, while youth (0-12), seniors (65+), veterans (with ID) and students (with ID) are free. Parking will be available at the course (1386 North Redwood Road) and in an overflow lot at 1460 Morton Drive (a free shuttle service will be available from this lot, beginning at 9:00 a.m.).
WEATHER WATCH
Salt Lake City is currently forecasted to be cloudy, with a low of 37 and a high of 63 on Friday.
THE STARTING LINE
Air Force has 18 runners entered for the NCAA Mountain Regional – Hunter Boyer, Sam Gilman, Ryan Johnson, Scott Johnson, Will Kitzhaber, Alec Schrank, Konrad Steck, Patrick Sullivan, Justin Weber and Marshall Wheeler for the men and Lindsey Blanks, Teri Brady, Maddie Edwards, Mikayla Gallagher, Jenna Kill, Maria Mettler, Mahala Norris and Swathi Samuel for the women.
WHERE TO FIND THEM
The women will begin in Box 15, while the men will start in Box 6.
SCOUTING THE WOMEN'S REGION
The women's NCAA Mountain Region will feature six top-20 teams – four of which are in the top 10. The entire field includes No. 3 BYU, No. 8 Colorado, No. 9 Utah, No. 10 New Mexico, No. 15 Air Force and No. 16 (tied) Northern Arizona, as well as teams from Colorado State, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Southern Utah, Texas Tech, Utah State, Utah Valley, UTEP, Weber State and Wyoming.
SCOUTING THE MEN'S REGION
The men's stacked regional lineup includes the top three teams in the nation – top-ranked Northern Arizona, second-ranked BYU and third-ranked Colorado – as well as top-25 programs from Utah State (No. 20) and Colorado State (No. 25) and four teams that are receiving votes in the latest poll – Air Force, Southern Utah, Weber State, Wyoming. Additional teams toeing the line in Salt Lake City includes Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Nevada, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, Texas Tech, Utah Valley and UTEP.
HOW IT WORKS
The regional serves as the primary feeder into the upcoming NCAA Cross Country Championships. The top two teams from each of the nine regional sites – West, Mountain, Midwest, South Central, Great Lakes, South, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast – as well as the top four individuals not on an advancing team, will receive an automatic berth into the national meet. The remainder of the field is chosen on an at-large basis.
LAST YEAR AT THE MOUNTAIN REGIONAL
With all five scoring runners finishing within the top 50, the 13th-ranked men placed seventh overall and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships while the women accounted for a pair of top-25 finishes to place fifth in the team standings. Jaci Smith, who earned an individual selection into the women's NCAA meet, was one of four Falcons to earn all-region accolades, joining Maria Mettler, Trevor Siniscalchi and Nathan Thomas.
WOMEN REMAIN RANKED IN NATION'S TOP 15
The women remain listed among the nation's top 15, marking the first time in the program's Division I history that Air Force has spent multiple weeks among the top half of the national field. The Falcons earned a No. 15 ranking in the Nov. 5 edition of the NCAA Division I Cross Country Coaches' Poll. That USTFCCCA ranking is the second-highest NCAA DI placement by a women's team in Academy history.
MEN CONTINUE TO BE IN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION
The men continue to receive votes in the USTFCCCA poll, collecting nine points in the last poll (Nov. 5) to sit just six spots outside of the top-30. Air Force has received a mention in the national conversation during the last 23 polls, dating back to the 2017 season.
THE NEXT COURSE
The 2019 season comes to a close next Saturday (Nov. 23), when the top teams in the nation converge on LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The official list of qualifiers will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show on NCAA.com at 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Nov. 16.
MEET INFORMATION
This year's NCAA Mountain Regional will be held at Rose Park Golf Course in Salt Lake City. The women will kick off the regional meet with a 6K race at 11:00 a.m. (MT), while the men will follow at noon with their first 10K race of the season. Live results will be available via RunnerCard.com, while FloTrack will broadcast the meet through their FloPro subscription service (direct links to both can be found on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com).
SPECTATOR INFORMATION
Tickets to the regional are $5 for those 13 years and older, while youth (0-12), seniors (65+), veterans (with ID) and students (with ID) are free. Parking will be available at the course (1386 North Redwood Road) and in an overflow lot at 1460 Morton Drive (a free shuttle service will be available from this lot, beginning at 9:00 a.m.).
WEATHER WATCH
Salt Lake City is currently forecasted to be cloudy, with a low of 37 and a high of 63 on Friday.
THE STARTING LINE
Air Force has 18 runners entered for the NCAA Mountain Regional – Hunter Boyer, Sam Gilman, Ryan Johnson, Scott Johnson, Will Kitzhaber, Alec Schrank, Konrad Steck, Patrick Sullivan, Justin Weber and Marshall Wheeler for the men and Lindsey Blanks, Teri Brady, Maddie Edwards, Mikayla Gallagher, Jenna Kill, Maria Mettler, Mahala Norris and Swathi Samuel for the women.
WHERE TO FIND THEM
The women will begin in Box 15, while the men will start in Box 6.
SCOUTING THE WOMEN'S REGION
The women's NCAA Mountain Region will feature six top-20 teams – four of which are in the top 10. The entire field includes No. 3 BYU, No. 8 Colorado, No. 9 Utah, No. 10 New Mexico, No. 15 Air Force and No. 16 (tied) Northern Arizona, as well as teams from Colorado State, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Nevada, New Mexico State, Southern Utah, Texas Tech, Utah State, Utah Valley, UTEP, Weber State and Wyoming.
SCOUTING THE MEN'S REGION
The men's stacked regional lineup includes the top three teams in the nation – top-ranked Northern Arizona, second-ranked BYU and third-ranked Colorado – as well as top-25 programs from Utah State (No. 20) and Colorado State (No. 25) and four teams that are receiving votes in the latest poll – Air Force, Southern Utah, Weber State, Wyoming. Additional teams toeing the line in Salt Lake City includes Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Nevada, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Northern Colorado, Texas Tech, Utah Valley and UTEP.
HOW IT WORKS
The regional serves as the primary feeder into the upcoming NCAA Cross Country Championships. The top two teams from each of the nine regional sites – West, Mountain, Midwest, South Central, Great Lakes, South, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast – as well as the top four individuals not on an advancing team, will receive an automatic berth into the national meet. The remainder of the field is chosen on an at-large basis.
LAST YEAR AT THE MOUNTAIN REGIONAL
With all five scoring runners finishing within the top 50, the 13th-ranked men placed seventh overall and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships while the women accounted for a pair of top-25 finishes to place fifth in the team standings. Jaci Smith, who earned an individual selection into the women's NCAA meet, was one of four Falcons to earn all-region accolades, joining Maria Mettler, Trevor Siniscalchi and Nathan Thomas.
WOMEN REMAIN RANKED IN NATION'S TOP 15
The women remain listed among the nation's top 15, marking the first time in the program's Division I history that Air Force has spent multiple weeks among the top half of the national field. The Falcons earned a No. 15 ranking in the Nov. 5 edition of the NCAA Division I Cross Country Coaches' Poll. That USTFCCCA ranking is the second-highest NCAA DI placement by a women's team in Academy history.
MEN CONTINUE TO BE IN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION
The men continue to receive votes in the USTFCCCA poll, collecting nine points in the last poll (Nov. 5) to sit just six spots outside of the top-30. Air Force has received a mention in the national conversation during the last 23 polls, dating back to the 2017 season.
THE NEXT COURSE
The 2019 season comes to a close next Saturday (Nov. 23), when the top teams in the nation converge on LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The official list of qualifiers will be announced during the NCAA Selection Show on NCAA.com at 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Nov. 16.
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