MWC cross country coaches' poll released
9/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | General
Sept. 9, 2005
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU men's and women's cross country teams have been picked to finish fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Mountain West Conference, according to a vote by the league's head coaches. The Horned Frog men are paced by senior Kip Kangogo, who twice won the MWC individual title while attending BYU. The lead runner on the women's side is sophomore Calandra Stewart, a 2004 NCAA participant.
Air Force and BYU's men's cross country teams were selected as Mountain West Conference preseason co-champions. Both teams collected three first-place votes and 23 total points to capture the top spot in the men's poll, while Colorado State totaled 19 points for the third-place nod. TCU claimed fourth place with 11 points, followed by New Mexico (nine points) in fifth and Wyoming sixth (seven points).
The BYU women are favored to win their seventh consecutive MWC crown. For the sixth straight season, the Cougars received all possible first-place votes (eight) and gathered a perfect score of 64 to capture the top spot in the women's poll. Colorado State collected the other first-place vote and was predicted to finish second with 56 points. Wyoming claimed the third spot with 45 points, followed by Air Force (40 points) in fourth and New Mexico (34 points) fifth. TCU was picked to finish sixth with 29 points, with Utah collecting 25 to finish seventh. San Diego State (20) and UNLV (11) were selected eighth and ninth, respectively.
The BYU men collected their fifth conference crown in six years in 2004, while the BYU women won their sixth consecutive MWC title. The BYU and Air Force men's squads went on to finish fifth and 14th, respectively, at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Ind. The Cougar women garnered an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championship. This is TCU's inaugural season as a member of the Mountain West Conference.
Men's Cross Country Coaches' Poll
Team Points
T1. Air Force (3) 23
T1. BYU (3) 23
3. Colorado State 17
4. TCU 11
5. New Mexico 9
6. Wyoming 7
Women's Cross Country Coaches Poll
Team Points
1. BYU (8) 64
2. Colorado State (1) 56
3. Wyoming 45
4. Air Force 40
5. New Mexico 34
6. TCU 29
7. Utah 25
8. San Diego State 20
9. UNLV 11
