COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Last week, 13 nationally ranked cross country teams took the starting line at the 2025 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Cross Country Championship, displaying the league’s strength to kick off the championship season. In two weeks, two additional teams will be crowned RMAC Champions at the 2025 Men’s and Women’s Soccer Tournament.

This week, 26 teams and 20 individuals representing the RMAC were featured in their respective sports’ national rankings, showcasing the conference’s competitive depth and national prominence across all sports.

RMAC Women’s Cross Country continues to lead the league with seven nationally ranked teams, while Men’s Cross Country follows closely with six teams in their respective national rankings. Women’s Soccer and Men’s Wrestling each have three teams ranked, and Football and Men’s Basketball each have two teams ranked. Volleyball, Men’s Soccer, and Women’s Basketball each feature one nationally ranked team. Individually, 13 men’s wrestlers, 5 women’s cross country runners, and 2 men’s cross country runners were featured in the respective individual rankings for each sport.
 
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
RMAC Women’s Cross Country has seven teams in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, the most of any Division II conference. 

After winning its first-ever RMAC Women’s Cross Country Championship, Colorado School of Mines retained its No. 1 position, while the University of Colorado Colorado Springs moved to No. 3 after a strong second-place finish. Adams State University is No. 6, and Western Colorado University is No. 8 to round out the top 10. Colorado Mesa University is No. 15, Fort Lewis College is No. 23, and Colorado State University Pueblo is No. 26. 

Individually, the RMAC has five women’s runners among the top 25 performances in Division II. Colorado School of Mines’ Grace Strongman, the RMAC Women's Individual Champion and most recent USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week, has the second-best time in Division II of 20:06.7, while her teammate, Emily LeMena, has the fifth-best mark with a time of 20:19.3. Adams State’s Tristan Spence has the third-best mark in Division II, with a time of 20:14.9. Fort Lewis’ Hannah Hartwell has the 16^th-best time of 20:45.1, and Western Colorado’s Allison Beasley has the 23^rd-best time of 20:55.1. 

Select RMAC teams will compete at the 2025 NCAA Division II South Central Cross Country Regional Championship in Pueblo, Colorado to earn a spot in the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championship. 

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
There are six RMAC Men’s Cross Country teams ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division II Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll, the most of any Division II conference in the men’s rankings. 

After winning the RMAC Men’s Cross Country Championship, Adams State took the position as the top-ranked RMAC team with a No. 2 ranking. Colorado School of Mines follows closely in the No. 3 spot, while Colorado Christian University and Western Colorado are ranked No. 6 and No. 8, respectively, to round out the top 10. UCCS (No. 15), and Fort Lewis (No. 24) are the remaining teams ranked. 

Two RMAC men’s runners have marks among the nation’s top 25. Colorado Christian’s Matthew Storer has the 18^th-best time of 23:47.3. Colorado School of Mines’ Paul Knight, the 2025 RMAC Men’s Individual Champion, has the 22^nd-best time of 23:50.3.

Entries for the 2025 NCAA Division II South Central Cross Country Regional Championship in Pueblo, Colorado close on November 3, and several RMAC teams will be competing to qualify for the 2025 NCAA Division II National Championship.

WOMEN’S SOCCER
The seventh edition of the women’s soccer national rankings from United Soccer Coaches features three RMAC squads. The RMAC Women’s Soccer Championship will take place November 7-15 at the campus sites of the highest seeds. Colorado Mesa, UCCS, Colorado School of Mines, Fort Lewis, and Regis University have all clinched a spot in the tournament, while several teams will be competing for the remaining spots. 

Colorado School of Mines stayed in the top 10 this week with a No. 7 ranking. UCCS is No. 14, and Colorado Mesa is No. 20.

In the last weekend of conference play, Colorado School of Mines travels to New Mexico Highlands University on Friday, and hosts Adams State on Sunday. UCCS travels to Salt Lake City to face Westminster University, and Colorado Mesa hosts Regis on Sunday. 

MEN’S SOCCER
One RMAC Men’s Soccer team was ranked in this week’s national coaches' poll from United Soccer Coaches, and an additional two teams received votes in the poll. The RMAC Men’s Soccer Tournament will begin November 9 with the championship game set to take place on November 16. UCCS has clinched a spot in the RMAC Men’s Soccer Tournament, with several teams in contention for the remaining spots. 

Fort Lewis moved up to No. 13 ranking after being ranked No. 19 previously. Metropolitan State University of Denver and CSU Pueblo received votes in the poll. 

On Friday, MSU Denver hosts Westminster. On Sunday, Fort Lewis and UCCS hit the road to face Regis and Colorado School of Mines. 

VOLLEYBALL
Two RMAC Volleyball teams were featured in this week’s edition of the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA)/TARAFLEX Division II National Coaches’ Poll. The RMAC Volleyball Championship is November 18-22, with the highest seeds hosting the first round of matches. UCCS, MSU Denver, and Fort Lewis currently sit at the top of the conference standings after six weeks of conference play.

MSU Denver remained in the No. 12 spot this week, while UCCS received votes in the poll.

UCCS will travel to Durango, Colorado to face Fort Lewis on Thursday, and Colorado School of Mines on Friday in the RMAC Power Pod. MSU Denver hosts Colorado Mesa on Thursday before hosting South Dakota Mines on Saturday in their respective Power Pod.  

FOOTBALL
Two RMAC Football teams were ranked in this week’s American Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) Division II National Coaches’ Poll, and the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll. Competition intensifies for the RMAC Championship, with CSU Pueblo, Chadron State College, and Western Colorado remaining undefeated in league play.

In the AFCA Coaches’ Poll, Western Colorado was No. 6, CSU Pueblo was No. 7, and Chadron State received votes in the poll. In the D2Football.com Top 25; Western Colorado remained No. 5 and CSU Pueblo moved up one spot to No. 8.

This Saturday, Western Colorado hosts CSU Pueblo in a league matchup featuring two top 10 Division II teams battling to remain undefeated in league play, while Chadron State travels to Rapid City, South Dakota to face South Dakota Mines.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
In the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II Preseason Coaches' Poll, one team was ranked, and two received votes in the poll. 

Colorado Mesa will enter the 2025-26 season ranked No. 21. Adams State and UCCS received votes in the poll. 

Colorado Mesa and Adams State open their seasons by competing in D2CCA Tipoff Classics with Colorado Mesa traveling to Burnaby, British Columbia, and Adams State traveling to St. Joseph, Missouri. The Mavericks face Western Washington University on Friday, Simon FraserUniversity on Saturday, and Saint Martin's University on Sunday. Adams State plays against Northwest Missouri State University on Friday and Lubbock Christian University (Texas) on Saturday. 

MEN’S BASKETBALL
The preseason coaches’ poll from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) featured two RMAC Men’s Basketball teams ranked and one receiving votes. 

Colorado School of Mines is No. 10, Black Hills State University is No. 17, and Colorado Mesa received votes in the poll.

Colorado School of Mines opens its season next weekend in a D2CCA Tipoff Classic in Billings, Montana facing Central Missouri University, University of Nebraska-Kearney, and Angelo State University. On November 14-15, Colorado Mesa faces off against Dallas Baptist University and St. Edward's University in the D2 Conference Challenge. Black Hills State opens their season on November 16 against Sul Ross State University. 
 
MEN’S WRESTLING
The preseason edition of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Men’s Wrestling Top 25 featured three RMAC Men’s Wrestling teams, and 13 nationally ranked individuals in the top 15 individuals coaches' poll.
 
Adams State begins the 2025-26 season as the highest ranked RMAC team at No. 17. Colorado Mesa follows closely behind at No. 18 and Chadron State is No. 24. 
 
Individually, in the 125-pound weight class, Colorado Mesa ‘s Dayson Torgerson is No. 4, Adams State’s Isaiah Gamez is No. 6, and Chadron State’s Quade Smith is No. 14. Adams State’s Angel Flores (No. 8) and Chadron State’s Caleb Chaves (No. 14) are the two wrestlers ranked in the 141-pound division. In the 149-pound division, Colorado School of Mines’ Cody Thompson (No. 3) and Colorado Mesa’s Alex Castaneda (No. 13) appear in the rankings. Aaden Valdez from Adams State is ranked No. 4 in the 157-pound weight class, while Colorado Mesa’s Owen Cline is ranked No. 5. In the 165-pound weight class, New Mexico Highlands University’s Ivan Smith is ranked No. 7. Keegan Gehlhausen from Chadron State enters the season as the nation’s best wrestler in the 184-pound division. Colorado Mesa’s Gabe Carranza is the No. 10 wrestler in the 197-pound division. Laith Ibrahim, representing the Orediggers, is the No. 10 wrestler in the 285-pound weight class. 
 
Colorado Mesa faces off with Northeastern Junior College and Colorado Northwestern Community College on November 1. Chadron State’s season opener is November 8 at the Dakota Wesleyan University Open. Adams State opens their season on November 9 at the Colorado Mines Rookie Open. 
 
About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 67 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.