Photo by: Justin Tafoya, NCAA Photos
Falcons Set to Host MW Cross Country Championships
10/30/2024 5:08:00 PM | Cross Country
Championship season begins for the Air Force cross country program this Friday (Nov. 1), when the team hosts the 2024 Mountain West Cross Country Championships at the Academy's Eisenhower Golf Course. The Falcons will line up against their conference counterparts on the Blue course, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (MT).
MEET INFORMATION
The Mountain West Championships will be contested at Eisenhower Golf Course on the Academy grounds. The women will kick off the championships with a 6K race at 10:00 a.m. (MT), while the men will follow with an 8K race 45 minutes later. Admission is free and parking will be available in Lot 5. The Mountain West Network will broadcast the meet live, while results will be available via Record Timing (direct links to both are available in the links above and on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com). The championship will also be available on the MW App, which can be accessed on iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Android, and Android TV.
GETTING TO THE COURSE
The MW Championship course is located on the south side of the course (a map is located in the links above). Do not plot Eisenhower Golf Course into a GPS. Instead, upon entering the Academy via North Gate (exit 156), take the first left onto Stadium Boulevard and then take the second right onto Academy Drive. Spectator parking will be available in Log 5, across the street from Falcon Stadium.
WEATHER WATCH
The projected forecast for Friday is sunny, with a high of 55 and a low of 30.
A LOOK AT THE LEAGUE
The Mountain West Championships will feature 11 women's teams and nine men's programs. The women's field includes one No. 8 New Mexico, two teams receiving votes (Boise State, Colorado State) and squads from Air Force, Fresno State, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State and Wyoming. The men's lineup also features an NCAA Top 10 team from New Mexico (No. 6), two top-20 squads (No. 19 Utah State, No. 20 Wyoming) and athletes from Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, and San Jose State.
GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, EISENHOWER
The Falcons last hosted the Mountain West Cross Country Championships in 2013 – an event that also marked the program's last race around the greens of Eisenhower Golf Course, which had served as the site of the Air Force Open during several previous years. During the 2013 championship meet, Isaiah Bragg became the program's first individual MW champion, as he won the race in an 8K time of 24:08.39.
CONFERENCE HISTORY
Six different schools have captured the men's team title at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships. Former conference opponent BYU tallied nine trophies during their time in the league (1999-2002, 2004-08), while New Mexico (2009-14, 2023), Air Force (2003, 2015, 2020-22), Boise State (2016, 2018), Colorado State (2017) and Utah State (2019) have collective MW titles.On the women's side, New Mexico (15-straight from 2008-22) and BYU (eighth-straight from 1999-2006) have combined for 23 of the 25 team titles, while Colorado State has won the remaining two (2007, 2023).
AIR FORCE HISTORY AT THE MW CHAMPIONSHIPS, TEAM EDITION
Highlighted five team championships (2003, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022) and 11 runner-up finishes, the men have finished within the top three of the Mountain West 23 times in the last 25 years. The women, who claimed runner-up honors in 2016 and 2019, have placed within the top-three nine times – and finished within the top half of the field 19 times.
AIR FORCE HISTORY AT THE MW CHAMPIONSHIPS, INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING
Since the Mountain West was formed in 1999, the men have seen 50 runners combine for 89 all-conference awards, including two individual champions (Isaiah Bragg 2013, Sean Maison 2022) and 43 first-team (top seven) selections. Ben Payne is the Academy's only four-time all-MW honoree, while Sam Gilman is the only Falcon to claim three first-team awards. On the women's side, 17 Falcons have collected 25 all-conference honors, including Mahala Norris, who captured the women's first MWXC title at the 2020 championship meet.
FAST FACT
Air Force accounted for the finish by a true freshman in four-straight championship meets, as Ryan Johnson (2019 men). Luke Combs (2020 men), Halle Hamilton (2021 women) and Max Sannes (2022 men) all earning MW Freshman of the Year honors.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE
In addition to the success in the Mountain West, the men also captured three team titles and three individual championships as members of the Western Athletic Conference. The men won WAC team titles in 1991, 1994, and 1995, while Chris Nelson (1990, 1991) and Eric Mack (1995) captured individual titles.
THE NEXT COURSE
The postseason continues for Air Force on Friday, Nov. 15, when it travels to Reno for the NCAA Mountain Regional.
MEET INFORMATION
The Mountain West Championships will be contested at Eisenhower Golf Course on the Academy grounds. The women will kick off the championships with a 6K race at 10:00 a.m. (MT), while the men will follow with an 8K race 45 minutes later. Admission is free and parking will be available in Lot 5. The Mountain West Network will broadcast the meet live, while results will be available via Record Timing (direct links to both are available in the links above and on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com). The championship will also be available on the MW App, which can be accessed on iOS, Apple TV, Roku, Android, and Android TV.
GETTING TO THE COURSE
The MW Championship course is located on the south side of the course (a map is located in the links above). Do not plot Eisenhower Golf Course into a GPS. Instead, upon entering the Academy via North Gate (exit 156), take the first left onto Stadium Boulevard and then take the second right onto Academy Drive. Spectator parking will be available in Log 5, across the street from Falcon Stadium.
WEATHER WATCH
The projected forecast for Friday is sunny, with a high of 55 and a low of 30.
A LOOK AT THE LEAGUE
The Mountain West Championships will feature 11 women's teams and nine men's programs. The women's field includes one No. 8 New Mexico, two teams receiving votes (Boise State, Colorado State) and squads from Air Force, Fresno State, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State and Wyoming. The men's lineup also features an NCAA Top 10 team from New Mexico (No. 6), two top-20 squads (No. 19 Utah State, No. 20 Wyoming) and athletes from Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Nevada, and San Jose State.
GLAD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, EISENHOWER
The Falcons last hosted the Mountain West Cross Country Championships in 2013 – an event that also marked the program's last race around the greens of Eisenhower Golf Course, which had served as the site of the Air Force Open during several previous years. During the 2013 championship meet, Isaiah Bragg became the program's first individual MW champion, as he won the race in an 8K time of 24:08.39.
CONFERENCE HISTORY
Six different schools have captured the men's team title at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships. Former conference opponent BYU tallied nine trophies during their time in the league (1999-2002, 2004-08), while New Mexico (2009-14, 2023), Air Force (2003, 2015, 2020-22), Boise State (2016, 2018), Colorado State (2017) and Utah State (2019) have collective MW titles.On the women's side, New Mexico (15-straight from 2008-22) and BYU (eighth-straight from 1999-2006) have combined for 23 of the 25 team titles, while Colorado State has won the remaining two (2007, 2023).
AIR FORCE HISTORY AT THE MW CHAMPIONSHIPS, TEAM EDITION
Highlighted five team championships (2003, 2015, 2020, 2021, 2022) and 11 runner-up finishes, the men have finished within the top three of the Mountain West 23 times in the last 25 years. The women, who claimed runner-up honors in 2016 and 2019, have placed within the top-three nine times – and finished within the top half of the field 19 times.
AIR FORCE HISTORY AT THE MW CHAMPIONSHIPS, INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING
Since the Mountain West was formed in 1999, the men have seen 50 runners combine for 89 all-conference awards, including two individual champions (Isaiah Bragg 2013, Sean Maison 2022) and 43 first-team (top seven) selections. Ben Payne is the Academy's only four-time all-MW honoree, while Sam Gilman is the only Falcon to claim three first-team awards. On the women's side, 17 Falcons have collected 25 all-conference honors, including Mahala Norris, who captured the women's first MWXC title at the 2020 championship meet.
FAST FACT
Air Force accounted for the finish by a true freshman in four-straight championship meets, as Ryan Johnson (2019 men). Luke Combs (2020 men), Halle Hamilton (2021 women) and Max Sannes (2022 men) all earning MW Freshman of the Year honors.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE
In addition to the success in the Mountain West, the men also captured three team titles and three individual championships as members of the Western Athletic Conference. The men won WAC team titles in 1991, 1994, and 1995, while Chris Nelson (1990, 1991) and Eric Mack (1995) captured individual titles.
THE NEXT COURSE
The postseason continues for Air Force on Friday, Nov. 15, when it travels to Reno for the NCAA Mountain Regional.
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