<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0x8m4s_0wJGvEJL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0x8m4s_0wJGvEJL00" width="1920" height="1080" ></figure>THIS WEEK'S MEET<ul><li>The University of Colorado Colorado Springs No. 11 women's and No. 22 men's cross country programs will travel South on I-25 to the Land of Enchantment for Saturday's 2024 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships. New Mexico Highlands University will serve as this year's host institution and will run the championship races at Gene Torres Golf Course.</li></ul>MEET INFORMATION<ul><li>Course Gene Torres Golf Course</li><li>Location: Las Vegas, N.M.</li><li>Distance: 8k (men), 6k (women)</li><li>Elevation: 6,435'</li></ul>LAST TIME OUT<ul><li>The men's top runners last ran at the University of Wisconsin Parkside Lucian Rosa Invite on Saturday, Sept. 28. Jagger Zlotoff led UCCS to a first-place finish at the legendary Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wis. Zlotoff bested all 108 competitors on the course with an 8k time of 25:13.5. UCCS tallied a 13-point advantage over second place Hillsdale.</li><li>On Oct. 5, the women's top crew competed among 23 Division I teams at the Live In Lou Classic in Louisville, Ky., where the Mountain Lions finished seventh out of 27 total teams and besting 18 Division I programs. Anna Fauske crossed the finish line in 10th place overall, setting a new personal best 5k time in 17:02.8. </li></ul>MOUNTAIN LION MEN COMPETING AT RMAC CHAMPIONSHIP MEETName (8k PR Time | Meet, Date)<ul><li>Koy Cunningham (26:04.8 | 2024 UWP Rosa Invite, 9/28/24)</li><li>Brett Davis (25:34.6 | 2024 UWP Rosa Invite, 9/28/24)</li><li>Jack Donze (25:41.3 | 2024 UCCS Rust Buster, 9/7/24)</li><li>Alex Fernandez (26:33.1 | 2024 UCCS Rust Buster, 9/7/24)</li><li>Joseph Impellitteri (25:56.1 | 2024 UWP Rosa Invite, 9/28/24)</li><li>Enzo Knapp (24:45.0 | 2023 XC College &amp; Open, 10/14/23)</li><li>Caden Leal (26:09.0 | 2024 UCCS XC Open, 10/11/24)</li><li>Turner Schad (26:21.9 | 2024 UWP Rosa Invite, 9/28/24)</li><li>Jagger Zlotoff (24:48.0 | 2023 RMAC Championships, 10/21/23)</li></ul>MOUNTAIN LION WOMEN COMPETING AT RMAC CHAMPIONSHIP MEETName (6k PR Time | Meet, Date)<ul><li>Molly Breuer (21:45.1 | 2023 NCAA DII Champs, 11/18/23)</li><li>Madison Brosig (22:37.9 | 2024 Roadrunners Invite, 9/17/24)</li><li>Anna Fauske (20:09.0 | 2023 NCAA DII Champs, 11/18/23)</li><li>Kate Hedlund (20:53.2 | 2023 NCAA South Central Region, 11/4/23)</li><li>Emma Montoya (22:05.5 | Roadrunners Invitational, 9/16/23)</li><li>Lara Murdock (20:31.0 | Central Regional, 11/19/22)</li><li>Lida Padgett (First 6k) </li><li>Kaya Pillivant (22.24.0 | 2024 Roadrunners Invite, 9/17/24)</li><li>Rachel Richtman (21:39.0 | 2023 NCAA South Central Region, 11/4/23)</li></ul>THE FIELD<ul><li>All 15 RMAC schools will be competing on Saturday, including 13 men's and women's teams ranked in the USTFFCCCA Top-25: </li></ul><ul><li>Adams State University: No. 1 (women)/No. 6 (men)</li><li>Colorado Christian University: No. 11 (men)/No. 18 (women)</li><li>Colorado School of Mines: No. 2 (men)/No. 4 (women)</li><li>Colorado State University Pueblo: No. 3 (women)/No. 12 (men)</li><li>Fort Lewis College: No. 23 (women)</li><li>UCCS: No. 11 (women)/No. 22 (men)</li><li>Western Colorado University: No. 5 (men)/No. 7 (women)</li></ul>RMAC HISTORY<ul><li>The highest the Mountain Lions have finished as a team at a RMAC Championship meet was third place, which they accomplished in 2021, 2005, 2003 and 2000. UCCS posted a fifth-place finish last season at Washington Park.</li><li>Jagger Zlotoff leads the returners after earning an All-RMAC First Team honor last year with a 13th place finish. Veterans Zlotoff and Jack Donze will both be competing in their third straight conference championship meet.</li><li>The highest the women's team has finished at a RMAC Championship meet was second place in 2000. They have finished as high as third place on 14 different occasions, before placing fifth at last year's championship. </li><li>Three-time All-RMAC performer Anna Fauske will be running in her fourth straight conference championship, while graduate student Kate Hedlund is making her fifth appearance. Rachel Richtman, who ran to an All-RMAC Second Team honor last year, will be running in her third conference championship.</li></ul>RMAC AWARDS<ul><li>The top 14 finishers at Saturday's race will earn 2024 All-RMAC First Team honors. Runners that finish 15-28 will be named All-RMAC Second Team. The first runner to cross the finish line will be named the RMAC Runner of the Year, while the first freshman to cross the finish line will be named the RMAC Freshman of the Year.</li></ul>WEATHER FORECAST<ul><li>Saturday's forecast will feature a mix of sun and clouds, with temperatures in the 60's and the humidity levels reaching 50 percent.</li></ul>NATIONAL RANKINGS<ul><li>Each week the United States Track &amp; Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announces Regional (Tuesday's) and National (Wednesday's) rankings. In the last set of rankings (Oct. 16), the Mountain Lions were ranked No. 22.</li></ul>2024 USTFCCCA NATIONAL RANKINGSWEEK MEN WOMENPreseason (Sept. 4) No. 23 No. 10Week 1 (Sept. 18) No. 20 No. 9Week 2 (Sept. 25) No. 19 No. 10Week 3 (Oct. 2) No. 20 No. 9Week 4 (Oct. 9) No. 21 No. 10Week 5 (Oct. 16) No. 22 No. 112024 USTFCCCA REGIONAL RANKINGSWEEK MEN WOMENPreseason (Sept. 3) No. 8 No. 4Week 1 (Sept. 17) No. 8 No. 4Week 2 (Sept. 24) No. 7 No. 5Week 3 (Oct. 1) No. 7 No. 5Week 4 (Oct. 8) No. 7 No. 6Week 5 (Oct. 15) No. 7 No. 6UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH MARK MISCH &amp; COREY KUBATZKY<ul><li>Head coach Mark Misch is in his 18th year leading the Mountain Lions in 2024-25. Under Misch, UCCS has qualified as a team for the NCAA Division II National Championship meet nine times, including the past five championships.</li><li>Corey Kubatzky is in his 10th year with the UCCS cross country and track and field programs in 2024-25, serving as head coach for the women's cross country team as well as coaching the distance and middle distance women runners for indoor and outdoor track &amp; field. Since joining UCCS in 2015, Kubatzky's teams have qualified for the past seven NCAA Division II cross country championships.</li></ul>UPCOMING MEET<ul><li>The Mountain Lions will turn the bus around and head North on I-25 for the 2024 NCAA South Central Regional Championship Meet on Saturday, Nov. 9. Metropolitan State University Denver will host the men's 10k race at Washington Park at 10 a.m., followed by the women's 6k race at 11:15 a.m.</li></ul>SOCIALX – @GoMountainLionsInstagram – @gomountainlionsFacebook – /GoMountainLionsFor everything UCCS Athletics, follow the Mountain Lions on social media and stay tuned to gomountainlions.com.As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.</div></body>

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PREVIEW | UCCS Cross Country Teams Prepped for RMAC Championships

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs No. 11 women's and No. 22 men's cross country programs will travel South on I-25 to the Land of Enchantment for Saturday's 2024 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships. New Mexico Highlands University will serve as this year's host institution and will run the championship races at Gene Torres Golf Course.