GOLDEN, Colo.—The No. 1 ranked Adams State University women's cross country team and No. 3 ranked men's squad enters the postseason with Golden marks on their mind. The 2021 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships will take place on Saturday, Oct. 23, at Applewood Golf Course in Golden, Colo.
WOMEN AIM FOR 32
After a historic year in 2019 where the Grizzlies ran the gauntlet, winning titles on the conference, regional and national stages, Adams State looks to get back to the top of the podium. Last year, Adams State finished in fourth place with a score of 92 while Western Colorado captured the crown with 44 points.
The Grizzlies' top runner was
Brianna Robles, who finished in second with a time of 21:20.1.
This week, joining Robles on the start line are junior Franziska Althaus, freshman
Fiona Hawkins, freshman
Morgan Hykes, sophomore
Nicole Lawrence, freshman
Ava O'Connor, freshman
Reina Paredes, sophomore
Precious Robinson, and senior
Sarah Wills.
MEN LOOK TO REBOUND
The Grizzlies finished second in 2019, and last season, they finished in fourth place with 95 points as Colorado School of Mines won the team title with 22 points. The Grizzlies will be looking for RMAC title No. 28 as their last title came in 2018 when they won their 27th.
The Grizzlies were led in last year's championship by junior
Isaiah Rodarte, who finished the 8,000-meter, three-loop course in 24:22.1, just under four seconds behind the overall winner, Oredigger junior Dylan Ko, who finished in 24:18.4.
Toeing the starting line for Adams State with Rodarte will be senior
Carson Bix, junior
Mitchell Dervin, freshman
James Dunne, freshman
Yonas Haile, junior
Davonte Jett-Reynolds, freshman
Andrew O'Keefe, and freshman Mikah Paiz.
RMAC AWARDS
Saturday's results will also determine the usual slate of RMAC individual honors. The winner of each race will be named the RMAC Runner of the Year, while the top freshman finisher will be the RMAC Freshman of the Year. One change for this award is that those student-athletes labeled as a freshman or a redshirt freshman during the 2020 season and competed at the 2020 RMAC Cross Country Championships will not be eligible for the 2021 RMAC Freshman of the Year awards since they were eligible at last year's championship.
The top 14 individuals will earn First Team All-RMAC honors, while the 15th-28th place individual finishers will earn second-team plaudits. All those awards, plus the Summit Award, given to the male and female student-athletes with the highest GPA at the championships, will be presented in a post-meet awards ceremony at 12:15 p.m.
The RMAC Coach of the Year awards will be voted upon following the championships and announced next week.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has Adams State ranked No. 1 on the women's side and No. 3 on the men's side.
Overall, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference touted five men's programs and six women's programs in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association's national polls. All five men's teams were 13th or better. Five of the six women's squads were 10th or better, with all six inside the top 20.
Joining the Grizzly women in the rankings are No. 4 Colorado School of Mines, No. 6 UCCS, No. 7 CSU Pueblo, and No. 10 Western Colorado. Colorado Christian is also ranked 19th.
The men's field is nearly as deep with four top-10 and five ranked squads, including No. 1 Mines, No. 3 Adams State, and No. 5 Colorado Christian. Western Colorado is ranked 10th, while UCCS is 13th.
HOW TO WATCH
The RMAC Championship races are open to the public at Applewood Golf Course in Golden, Colo. For spectators planning to attend Saturday's festivities, admission will be free of charge. The parking lot will be closed to spectators, but street parking will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Fans who wish to follow the event virtually can follow live results (https://rapidresultslive.com/2021/rmacxc/index.htm).
UP NEXT
In addition to the team and individual conference championships, which are always prestigious, the Grizzlies will turn around two weeks later to compete in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships on Nov. 6 in Lubbock, Texas.
That meet will determine if the Grizzlies can qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships in Saint Leo, Florida, on Nov. 20.
