by staff–20 Jan ’21
The Cowboys Cross Country Team was selected fifth, while the Cowgirls were picked seventh in the Mountain West annual Preseason Coach’s Poll as announced by the league on Wednesday.
The Cowboys earned 28 points in the poll, two slots behind their finish at the 2019 MW Championships. Colorado State was picked to win the league with 43 total votes and three first place votes. Boise State matched CSU’s first place votes with three but received a total of 40 votes, predicted to finish second in the league. Right ahead of the Cowboys with one first-place vote and 38 and 35 votes, respectively, are Air Force and Utah State in third and fourth. Following the Cowboys are New Mexico with 20 votes, Nevada with 12 votes and Fresno State with eight.
The Cowgirls received 36 votes in the 2021 poll. The defending Mountain West Champs, New Mexico, were selected first with a total of 81 votes and nine first place votes. The Boise State women were the only other team in the poll to receive a first-place vote with one and a total of 70 votes. The top two teams were followed by Air Force with 67 votes, Colorado State with 56 votes, Utah State with 48 votes and Nevada with 41. Following the Cowgirls are UNLV with 21 votes, Fresno State with 18 votes and in tenth is San Diego State with 12 votes.
The Cowboys return six letterwinners and four redshirts from last year’s squad that finished third at the MW Championships and sixth at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships while the Cowgirls get back eight letterwinners and two redshirts from last year’s team that finished sixth at the MW Championships and 12th at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls are slated to dual CSU in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Saturday Jan. 23 in the first competition of the season.
The full results.
Men’s Cross Country Predicted Order of Finish
Team Points
1. Colorado State (3) 43
2. Boise State (3) 40
3. Air Force (1) 38
4. Utah State (1) 35
5. Wyoming 28
6. New Mexico 20
7. Nevada 12
8. Fresno State 8
Women’s Cross Country Predicted Order of Finish
Team Points
1. New Mexico (9) 81
2. Boise State (1) 70
3. Air Force 67
4. Colorado State 56
5. Utah State 48
6. Nevada 41
7. Wyoming 36
8. UNLV 21
9. Fresno State 18
10. San Diego State 12
