COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Aug. 28, 2024) – The University of Wyoming cross country teams were picked to finish third for the men and sixth for the women by conference coaches in the Mountain West Preseason Poll released on Wednesday.

The Pokes' rankings follow the return of both teams' scoring five from the 2023 Mountain West Cross Country Championships where the men placed fourth and women placed sixth as a team.

New Mexico was picked to finish first in the league on both the men's and women's side. The New Mexico men were given seven of the nine first-place votes with 63 total points. The women were voted first by nine of the 11 coaches with 97 points.

On the men's side, Air Force was picked second at 55 points with the remaining two first-place votes. On the women's side, Colorado State got the final two first-place votes to be picked second with 88 points.
To round out the men's poll, the Cowboys were picked third (44), tied for fourth with 39 points was Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State, Nevada was selected seventh (20), in eighth was Fresno State (13) and San José State at 10th (12).

In the women's poll, Air Force was selected third (84), fourth was Boise State (70), Utah State was picked fifth (65), the Cowgirls were picked sixth (61), San Diego State landed at seventh (40), eighth was Nevada (37), Fresno State was picked ninth (30), UNLV was selected 10th (21) and ending off with San José State landing at 11th (12).

In the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll released Tuesday, two men's and three women's Mountain West teams received Top 30 votes in the preseason poll. The New Mexico men landed at eighth (232) in the nation while Air Force received votes (21). On the women's side, New Mexico ranked 20th (104) while Colorado State (14) and Boise State (6) received votes.

Mountain West cross country coaches ranked each men's and women's team, besides their own, to determine the rankings.

Mountain West Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll

Place	School (First-Place Votes)	Points
1	New Mexico (7)	63
2	Air Force (2)	55
3	Wyoming	44
T4	Boise State	39
T4	Colorado State	39
T4	Utah State	39
7	Nevada	20
8	Fresno State	13
9	San José State	12

 
 
Mountain West Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll

Place	School (First-Place Votes)	Points
1	New Mexico (9)	97
2	Colorado State (2)	88
3	Air Force	84
4	Boise State	70
5	Utah State	65
6	Wyoming	61
7	San Diego State	40
8	Nevada	37
9	Fresno State	30
10	UNLV	21
11	San José State	12

 
Pokes begin their 2024 season at the Wyoming Invite at 9 a.m. for the women and 9:30 a.m. for the men, Friday, at the Little America Golf Course in Cheyenne, Wyo.