Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos
Men Tabbed as MW Preseason Favorite
8/25/2021 12:09:00 PM | Cross Country
The men were picked first, and the women fifth, in the conference's preseason coaches' poll.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Air Force men's cross country team was selected as the preseason favorite in the Mountain West, the league office announced this afternoon (Aug. 25) with the release of its annual preseason coaches' poll.
Air Force, the reigning Mountain West team champion, returns all but one of its seven all-conference runners from last season's title squad with the return of sophomore Luke Combs, junior Sam Gilman, senior Ryan Ioanidis, junior Ryan Johnson, senior Will Kitzhaber, and junior Scott Maison – a lineup that also led Air Force to a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Backed by five of the nine first-place votes, the men accounted for 61 points to lead the nine-team field in the preseason standings. Utah State, which finished second to the Falcons at last season's championship, accounted for three first-place votes and 56 points to take the same placement in the this year's preseason predictions. Boise State rounded out the top three with 48 points, while Colorado State finished just three back from that (45 points) and New Mexico received the final first-place vote and 38 points to sit in fifth. Wyoming tallied 31 points to take sixth in the preseason poll, while the trio of Nevada (19), Fresno State (17) and San Jose State (9) completed the projected field.
"We have a competitive conference," head coach Ryan Cole, who is beginning his eighth season at the Falcons' helm, said of the announcement. "So, (the preseason ranking) is an honor, but at the end of the day, we're focused on the conference championship results and that order of finish, rather than the preseason rankings … the end of the year, rather than the beginning."
On the women's side, Air Force was picked to finish within the top half of the conference – and just eight points out of the top three. The Falcons, who return seven of its nine runners from last season's championship race – including four scoring runners – and welcome a talented batch of freshmen, accumulated 70 points to earn a No. 5 placement in the preseason standings.
New Mexico, winners of the last 13 conference championships, earned nine first-place votes and totaled 98 points to lead the preseason picks, while Boise State received the other two first-place nods and 91 points. Just seven points separated the next three teams, as Colorado State (78), Utah State (71) and Air Force (70) rounded out the top five – and distanced themselves from the rest of the projected field: Wyoming (52), Nevada (48), Fresno State (37), San Diego State (28), San Jose State (20), UNLV (12).
The Falcons open the 2021 season next Saturday (Sept. 4) with the AFXC Open, while the 2021 Mountain West Cross Country Championships will now take place in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, Oct 29.
Air Force, the reigning Mountain West team champion, returns all but one of its seven all-conference runners from last season's title squad with the return of sophomore Luke Combs, junior Sam Gilman, senior Ryan Ioanidis, junior Ryan Johnson, senior Will Kitzhaber, and junior Scott Maison – a lineup that also led Air Force to a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Backed by five of the nine first-place votes, the men accounted for 61 points to lead the nine-team field in the preseason standings. Utah State, which finished second to the Falcons at last season's championship, accounted for three first-place votes and 56 points to take the same placement in the this year's preseason predictions. Boise State rounded out the top three with 48 points, while Colorado State finished just three back from that (45 points) and New Mexico received the final first-place vote and 38 points to sit in fifth. Wyoming tallied 31 points to take sixth in the preseason poll, while the trio of Nevada (19), Fresno State (17) and San Jose State (9) completed the projected field.
"We have a competitive conference," head coach Ryan Cole, who is beginning his eighth season at the Falcons' helm, said of the announcement. "So, (the preseason ranking) is an honor, but at the end of the day, we're focused on the conference championship results and that order of finish, rather than the preseason rankings … the end of the year, rather than the beginning."
On the women's side, Air Force was picked to finish within the top half of the conference – and just eight points out of the top three. The Falcons, who return seven of its nine runners from last season's championship race – including four scoring runners – and welcome a talented batch of freshmen, accumulated 70 points to earn a No. 5 placement in the preseason standings.
New Mexico, winners of the last 13 conference championships, earned nine first-place votes and totaled 98 points to lead the preseason picks, while Boise State received the other two first-place nods and 91 points. Just seven points separated the next three teams, as Colorado State (78), Utah State (71) and Air Force (70) rounded out the top five – and distanced themselves from the rest of the projected field: Wyoming (52), Nevada (48), Fresno State (37), San Diego State (28), San Jose State (20), UNLV (12).
The Falcons open the 2021 season next Saturday (Sept. 4) with the AFXC Open, while the 2021 Mountain West Cross Country Championships will now take place in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, Oct 29.
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