Cross Country

RMAC Cross Country Championship Meet Oct. 20

Colorado Springs, Colo. -- October 5, 2007 -- Fort Lewis College will host the 42nd annual Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference cross country championships on Oct. 20, 2007. The race will be held at Hillcrest Golf Course, located near the Fort Lewis campus in Durango, Colo.

The men's 8K championship race will start at 10:15 a.m., followed by the women's 6K championship race at 11:15 a.m. Both races will begin near hole 13 on the golf course.

Since 1965, the Grizzlies men's teams have won 29 RMAC championships, two of which were shared titles (1978 with then named Southern Colorado, and 1991 with Western State). Western State has won 10 titles and one shared title since 1965. Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Omaha, who are no longer members of the RMAC, won titles between 1969-1971. ASC has won the RMAC Championship race the past two years.

Adams State and Western State have won every RMAC women's cross country championship meet since 1983. Adams State, which has won the past five titles, has been crowned the RMAC champion 21 times. They are also the defending NCAA National Champions.

An awards ceremony will follow the women's race at approximately 12:30 p.m.

Prior to the RMAC Championship races, an open race will be held at 9 a.m. Men and women will run together on the championship course, with the women running a 6K race and the men running an 8K race. Cost for the open race is $15 per runner.

Five men's RMAC teams are ranked in the latest US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) top 25 poll (Oct. 3). Adams State is ranked No. 2, followed by No. 3 Western State, No. 5 Colorado Mines, No. 14 New Mexico Highlands and No. 22 Metro State. In the women's Oct. 3 USTFCCCA national poll, the Grizzlies are ranked No. 1, followed by No. 2 Western State and No. 12 Nebraska-Kearney.

The top ten finishers in each of the men's and women's races will be named to the All-RMAC Team. The top runner and top freshman runner to cross the finish line will earn RMAC Runner of the Year and RMAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Admission to the RMAC Championship races is free.

--Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference--