COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Mountain West Conference announced the results of its preseason men’s and women’s cross country poll this afternoon. The University of New Mexico men’s team was tabbed for third, it’s highest preseason ranking since the formation of the MWC in 1999. Meanwhile, the Lobo women were picked to finish fifth for the second-straight year by the league’s coaches.

The UNM men received 20 votes, two ahead of Air Force and five behind Brigham Young, while the women were six behind Air Force with 32 votes. Colorado State was picked to win the men’s title, while defending national champion BYU was tabbed to win its fourth-straight MWC women’s cross country championship.

Both the Lobo men’s and women’s teams matched their preseason rankings with fifth place finishes at the 2001 MWC Championships in Albuquerque. Two years ago, both squads were picked to finish last in the league with the men receiving just six votes and the women earning 16.

The women finished eighth in 1999 and seventh in 2000 before moving up to fifth at the conference championships last year. Meanwhile, the men’s team finished sixth at both the 1999 and 2000 championships before their much improved showing last fall. This year the New Mexico men received 11 points in the MONDO Men’s Cross Country Pre-Season poll, their first national votes since 1993.

MWC Preseason Men’s Cross Country Poll

|Pl.|Team (1st place votes)|Points| |1.|Colorado State (2)|27| |2.| BYU (3)|25| |3.|NEW MEXICO|20| |4.|Air Force|18| |5.|Utah|16| |6.|Wyoming (1)|14|

MWC Preseason Women’s Cross Country Poll

|Pl.|Team (1st place votes)|Points| |1. |BYU (6)|50| |2.|Colorado State (1)|46| |3.|Utah|41| |4.|Air Force|38| |5.|NEW MEXICO|32| |6. |Wyoming|27| |7.|SDSU|25| |8.|UNLV (1)|21|y

Lobos Track & Field

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