Staff Report
The Lobo men's cross country team was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Conference - the highest preseason ranking ever for UNM.
New Mexico received one first-place vote and 19 total points to tie defending MWC champ Air Force for No. 2.
The Lobo women's team was picked to finish sixth. The BYU men and women were voted first in both polls.
Five seniors are returning to this year's squad. All-American Matt Gonzales is coming off a summer in which he nearly qualified for the Olympics. All-MWC performer Ben Ortega also returns, as well as former all-conference performer Cameron Clarke. New to the team is highly touted recruit Shadrack Kiptoo, one of the country's best high school runners last year for La Cueva High School.
The Lobos were ranked as high as third in the conference in 2002, when they won their first three meets and were 27th in the country at one point. That team was blasted by injuries that ultimately ended championship aspirations. The preseason ranking proved dead on that year, as the squad finished third in the conference.
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Last year the team finished fourth in the MWC.
The Lobo women are returning five of their top seven runners from last year. Senior Jacquelyne Gallegos was an all-MWC performer in track for the Lobos last spring after a car accident forced her to miss last year's cross country season. Juniors Timmie Murphy and Janice Tosa also return, and sophomore Riann Lucy will look to improve on a promising freshman debut.
MWC preseason men's cross country poll
Place Team (First place votes) Points
1 BYU (3) 23
2 Air Force (2) 19
3 New Mexico (1) 19
4 Colorado State 15
5 Utah 8
6 Wyoming 6
MWC preseason women's cross country poll
Place Team (First place votes) Points
1 BYU (7) 49
2 Colorado State (1) 41
3 Air Force 31
4 Utah 28
5 Wyoming 28
6 New Mexico 27
7 San Diego State 13
8 UNLV 7
