The RMAC is always the conference to look out for when it comes to cross-country in Division II. Being such a prestigious conference, high expectations are always placed on teams. Anything but a national meet appearance is seen as a letdown.
UCCS delivered this season, as both the women’s and men’s teams qualified for the national meet.
RMAC championship meet
At the RMAC championship meet, the men’s team finished fourth out of 13 teams.
Their best runner was Brett Davis, who came in 22nd overall.
The women’s finished second in the meet, nearly taking home the RMAC crown.
The women’s team had two runners finish in the top 10. Freshman Elizabeth McQuitty was the first to cross the finish line for the Mountain Lions, followed by senior Kseniya Nikanorov.
The RMAC championship meet was in Colorado Springs for the first time in 15 years. The Mountain Lions did not disappoint, as both teams had a strong showing headed into the regional meet.
NCAA South Central Meet
The South Central Meet took the Mountain Lions to Pueblo, where both teams had a good performance once again.
The women’s team finished in second, only being bested by Adams State.
Redshirt sophomore Madison Brosig was the first Mountain Lion across the finish line in ninth place. Right behind her was freshman Kate Henderson, who finished 10th.
The women’s second-place finish was enough to automatically qualify them for the national meet.
The men’s team would have to sweat it out, as their sixth-place finish would not be enough to automatically qualify them. They anxiously waited for an at-large bid.
The first one across the finish line for the team was redshirt junior Joseph Impellitteri with a 21st-place finish. Not far behind him was redshirt senior Logan Cole, who finished in 25th.
Just like packages during the holiday season, the at-large bid was delivered quickly, and the men’s team packed their bags for the national meet.
NCAA DII National Championship
The teams made the trip to nationals in Kenosha, Wisconsin, famous for… something?
Despite not bringing a national championship home, both teams put up good performances.
The men’s team finished 13th out of 34 teams with their best runner that day being Brett Davis, who finished in 54th.
The women’s team finished in sixth out of a possible 34 teams and had Kseniya Nikanorov finish in 38th, which was good for All-America honors, given to the runners inside the top 40.
Elizabeth McQuitty had a great performance but barely missed out on all-America honors with a 41st-place finish.
Final Thoughts
The teams did not bring home any hardware this year, but it is still a year to be proud of.
As mentioned, the RMAC is cutthroat when it comes to cross-country, and both teams were formidable forces in this competitive conference.
The coaches for this team both had their sights set on nationals at the beginning of the year, and the teams made it and performed well. Teams that can make national competitions and compete with the best of the best should never be taken for granted.
Editor’s Note: The Scribe’s editor-in-chief Joseph Impellitteri is a member of the men’s cross-country team.
Junior Brett Davis. Photo by Laura Eurich.