Mountain Lions Named RMAC Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Preseason Favorites
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs earns the top spot in the 2023 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Outdoor Track and Field predicted order of finish, the league announced Wednesday. The RMAC poll is voted on by the league’s 13 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their program.
UCCS is predicted to finish first at this year’s RMAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships after claiming 138 points and seven first-place votes in the RMAC preseason poll. The Mountain Lions return to the track after claiming their second consecutive conference title and a 13th-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. UCCS finished the meet with nine All-Americans, including Dakota Abbott who returns after earning first-team honors in the triple jump. Afewerki Zeru returns to the Mountain Lions’ roster after winning a national title in the Men’s 5,000m event with a time of 13:52.72 at the NCAA Championships.
Colorado School of Mines claims the second spot in RMAC voting with 127 points and three first-place votes. The Orediggers finished second at the RMAC Outdoor Championships last season before placing ninth at the NCAA Championships. Dillon Powell returns after claiming a national title in the 10,000m (28: 44.97) and third in the 5,000m (13:55.03) at last year’s NCAA championships. Powell is also coming off of a title run in the 5,000m at this season’s NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 13:48.13. Also, Powell won the men’s individual title at the NCAA Cross Country Championships helping the Orediggers claim the team title.
Adams State checks in at third place with 122 points and two first-place votes. Awet Beraki returns for the Grizzlies after earning a pair of second-place finishes in the 5,000m and the 10,000m at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Grizzlies carry momentum into the outdoor track and field season after Miguel Coca claimed a national championship in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Colorado Mesa stands in fourth place with one first-place vote and 108 points after a sixth-place finish at last year’s RMAC Outdoor Championships. Elijah Williams returns to the track for the Mavericks after a third-place finish at last year’s RMAC Championships in the 100m race with a time of 10.53.
Colorado State University Pueblo checks in at fifth place with 105 points, while Western Colorado earns 96 points for sixth place. Chadron State secures seventh place with 75 points, followed by Black Hills State with 57 points. Metropolitan State University of Denver receives 54 points for ninth place, while Colorado Christian rounds out the top 10 with 49 points.
South Dakota Mines checks in at 11th place with 37 points, just ahead of Fort Lewis and Westminster which sit in a tie for 12th place with 23 points apiece.
2023 RMAC Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Predicted Order of Finish Poll
| Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. UCCS (7) |
138 |
| 2. Colorado School of Mines (3) |
127 |
| 3. Adams State (2) |
122 |
| 4. Colorado Mesa (1) |
108 |
| 5. CSU Pueblo |
105 |
| 6. Western Colorado |
96 |
| 7. Chadron State |
75 |
| 8. Black Hills State |
57 |
| 9. MSU Denver |
54 |
| 10. Colorado Christian |
49 |
| 11. South Dakota Mines |
37 |
| T12. Westminster |
23 |
| T12. Fort Lewis |
23 |