Mountain Region Championships Next For XC Team

BOULDER — Colorado's cross country teams will travel to Salt Lake City for the NCAA Mountain Region Championship this Friday, November 15.

Utah will serve as this year's host at Rose Park Golf Course. The women's 6-kilometer race is scheduled first at 11 a.m. MT, while the men's 10k run is to follow at 12 p.m. MT. There will be a short awards ceremony following the conclusion of the races to honor the top-25 runners in each race with all-region honors.

The competition will be fierce at the meet. Five of the top 30 teams in the USTFCCCA Poll are in the men's race, while six of the top 30 will be competing in the women's field.

"It's a killer region," head coach Mark Wetmore said. "The top three teams in the country are in the men's race. Three or four of the top teams in the country are in the women's race. It's always a balancing act between getting through to the big race [NCAA's] without going too hard eight days prior. So we will all be tip-toeing, looking at each other, playing our cards close to our vests and trying to do the least."

The CU women enter the meet as the eighth-ranked team in the nation and are third in the regional poll. No. 3 BYU is the only team in the race ranked above the Buffs in the national poll, but just behind CU are No. 9 Utah and No. 10 New Mexico. Air Force (15) and Northern Arizona (16) are also in the top 20 of the USTFCCCA poll. In the regional poll, CU is ranked below BYU and Utah as the Utes have narrowly defeated the Buffs twice this season.

On the men's side, as Wetmore noted, top-ranked Northern Arizona and No. 2 BYU sit above the Buffaloes in the national and regional polls. NAU is also the three-time defending NCAA Champion. Utah State (20) and Colorado State (25) are the other two teams ranked in the national poll.

Colorado has a tradition of doing well at this meet. The men have won it 21 times, while the women have taken home 15 titles, including five in the last six years.

Live scoring for the meet will be available at runnercard.com, while Flotrack will stream the event (a subscription is required).

The top two teams in each race automatically advance to nationals, while 13 other teams will be selected for at-large bids following all nine regional championships. The NCAA will announce those 13 teams during a selection show on Saturday, Nov. 16, starting at 3 p.m. MT. Fans can access the show at NCAA.com.

The NCAA Championship is Saturday, November 23, in Terre Haute, Ind., which has been the site for the event 12 of the last 16 years.

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