LAS VEGAS (Aug. 26, 2026) – The men's and women's cross country teams were both picked to finish third by league coaches in the Mountain West Cross Country Preseason Poll released on Wednesday.

Mountain West cross country coaches ranked each men's and women's team, besides their own, to determine the rankings. The full MW release can be found here.

In the new-look Mountain West, Wyoming will face newcomers UC Davis and UTEP on the men's and women's side, along with Hawai'i joining as a full member on the women's XC side only.

The Cowgirls return several big names following redshirt seasons to create one of the most veteran teams in recent memory. Fifth-years Madelyn Blazo, Eowyn Dalbec and Hailey Uhre will look to lead an experienced group to a predicted best team finish since 2014.

Like the Cowgirls a year before, the men will be losing a substantial senior class. They return one scorer, Aidan Ramsey, from the MW Championships while adding 2026 NCAA Outdoor West qualifier Solomon Holden-Betts to the XC team.

The full poll can be seen below.
Mountain West Men's Cross Country Preseason Poll

Place	School (First-Place Votes)	Points
1	New Mexico (7)	49
2	Air Force (1)	43
3	Wyoming	37
4	Grand Canyon	27
5	Nevada	26
6	UC Davis	19
7	UTEP	14
8	San Jose State	9

 
Mountain West Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll

Place	School (First-Place Votes)	Points
1	New Mexico (9)	81
2	Air Force (1)	70
3	Wyoming	66
T4	Nevada	43
T4	UC Davis	43
T4	Hawai'i	43
7	Grand Canyon	42
8	UTEP	34
9	UNLV	17
10	San Jose State	11

 
Wyoming will kick off its 2026 season by hosting the Wyoming Invite at 6 p.m., Sept. 4, at the Little America Golf Course in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Stay up to date with Wyoming cross country by following @wyo_track on X and Instagram.