LARAMIE, Wyo. — The University of Wyoming Cross Country Team will compete as the host institution at the 2022 Mountain West Cross Country Championships to be held on Friday morning at Jacoby Golf Course in Laramie.
The women will get the chance to race first as the 6K Championship race is slated to begin at 10:15am followed by the men's 8K race at 11:00am. Just released by the conference the Pre-Championship Cross Country Poll has picked the Cowboys and Cowgirls to finish in 5th place at this year's race.
Head Cross Country Coach Scott Dahlberg on the season the Cowgirls and Cowboys have put together, "Both teams have had great blocks of training this fall. They both have consistently shown workouts that give good indication. The women have stepped up at the last two big meets, beating the teams we felt would be a big challenge but possible. That's a testament to their mentality, toughness and culture. All of the men have had great races individually, but we've yet to put all the pieces together on the same day. We know their best race is ahead of them and conference is the perfect time to make that happen."
Heading into the race the there are six women's teams in the top 35 of the latest USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll. Led by New Mexico as the No. 2 team in the country, Colorado State slots in at No. 20 with Air Force, Utah State, the Cowgirls and Boise State all receiving votes. On the men's side, Air Force is the highest ranked squad at No. 5, followed by Utah State at No. 24 and Colorado State at No. 28.
Dahlberg said, "Both the women's and men's fields are very good with a top 5 ranked team on both sides and many more either ranked or receiving votes. There's always ranked teams in the conference but the depth this year is going to make it a small margin in placing. Every point always matters, but even more so Friday. We'll have to be in the right positions at the right times, and then compete."
Fans can watch the Championships at https://themw.com/watch/?id=6314362730112
Live results can be found at https://www.rtspt.com/events/mw/2022-XC/
The Mountain West Championship Hub can be found at https://themw.com/sports/2022/8/31/2022_xc_championships.aspx
The Wyoming Race Day Hub can be found at https://gowyo.com/gameday/cross-country-vs-mountain-west-conference-championships-/cross/3253
A map of the course is available on GoWyo.com
This event will be free and open to the public. Spectator parking is free along 30th street east of Louis S. Madrid Complex. The Cowboy Joe Club is hosting a tailgate starting at 9:00am in the Clubhouse parking lot.
On hosting the race Dahlberg remarked, "Saying we are excited to host the championships is an understatement. And by we, not just the cross country/track staff and athletes, but also the athletic department, campus, community, and people across the state. We feel so much support for the event and there are so many people who have helped make it something special. We're grateful for that support and to be at a place that takes that kind of pride in what they do."
Stay up to date with Wyoming Cross Country by following @wyo_track on Twitter.
