Orediggers Claim Top Spot on RMAC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines has been selected as the favorite, heading into the 2021 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) men’s cross country season, the league announced Thursday. The Orediggers claim the top spot with 14 first-place votes and 196 points in the 2021 RMAC preseason poll, which is voted on by the league’s 15 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their team.
Because there was no NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship held during the 2020 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado School of Mines enters the 2021 campaign as the reigning national champion after capturing the 2019 title. The Orediggers captured all but one first-place vote in the RMAC preseason poll, beating the second-place team by 18 points. Mines captured the 2020 RMAC Cross Country championship after scoring 22 points and concluding the race with all eight runners among the top-15 finishers.
Adams State claims the second-place position with 178 points and one first-place vote. The Grizzlies completed the 2020 season with a fourth-place finish at the RMAC Championship, but were led by second-place individual finisher Isaiah Rodarte, who returns for his redshirt senior season with ASU. As a program, Adams State has tallied nine national titles since the 2003 season.
Western Colorado rounds out the top three, capturing 163 points and the third-place position. The Mountaineers claimed a second-place team finish at the 2020 RMAC Championship, completing the meet with 60 points and six runners finishing among the field’s top-25 competitors.
Colorado Christian sits in fourth place with 157 points, just ahead of fifth-place University of Colorado Colorado Springs with 146 points. Colorado Mesa is selected to finish sixth overall with 126 points, while Colorado State University Pueblo holds the seventh-place spot with 116 points.
Black Hills State claims eighth place with 97 points, followed by Fort Lewis in ninth place with 93 points and Metropolitan State University of Denver in 10th place with 87 points.
Chadron State stands in 11th with 61 points, ahead of 12th-place South Dakota Mines with 48 points. New Mexico Highlands (46 points), Westminster (37 points) and Regis (24 points) complete the 2021 preseason poll.
The 2021 RMAC cross country season gets underway Saturday, Sept. 3. This year’s 2021 RMAC Men’s Cross Country Championship is slated for Saturday, Oct. 23, at Applewood Golf Course in Golden, Colo., with Colorado School of Mines will serving as the host institution.
2021 RMAC Men’s Cross Country Preseason Poll
| Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Colorado School of Mines (14) |
196 |
| 2. Adams State (1) |
178 |
| 3. Western Colorado |
163 |
| 4. Colorado Christian |
157 |
| 5. University of Colorado Colorado Springs |
146 |
| 6. Colorado Mesa |
126 |
| 7. Colorado State University Pueblo |
116 |
| 8. Black Hills State |
97 |
| 9. Fort Lewis |
93 |
| 10. Metropolitan State University of Denver |
87 |
| 11. Chadron State |
61 |
| 12. South Dakota Mines |
48 |
| 13. New Mexico Highlands |
46 |
| 14. Westminster |
37 |
| 15. Regis |
24 |