RMAC Championship Meet
10:45 a.m. (W-6K)/ 11:35 a.m. (M-8K), Sat. Oct. 21| Washington Park | Denver, Colo.
DENVER, Colo. Western Colorado will head to Denver, Colo., to take part in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship Meet. The women will race at 10:45 a.m., followed by the men's race at 11:35 a.m.
Last season at the conference meet, the mountaineers' women placed fourth in the team standings. Returning from last season's fourth-place team is Allison Beasley earned an all-conference honor after placing ninth with a time of 22:06.50. Leah Taylor will also race for the Mountaineers after a 24th place finish last season, Gretchen Slattum will also return to Western Colorado's conference meet lineup.
On the men's side, the men finished in third place last season with 91 team points. Simon Kelati was the first Mountaineer to cross the finish line with a time of 24:57.50 (6th place), followed by Juan Diaz with a time of 25:41.70 for a 21st-place finish.
MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE MEET
The Mountaineers have had a strong season placing within the top three at their three races this season that had time scores, including the women placing third and the men's placing second at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival (Sept.29) in Fayetteville, Ark., earlier this season.
Going into this weekend, the women are ranked fourth nationally according to the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association, while the men are ranked seventh nationally.
Allison Beasley set a personal best in the 5,000-kilometer event at the Chile Pepper Festival with a time of 17:10.5. Leah Taylor, Gretchen Slattum and Lauren Willson have all been within the Mountaineers top-five as well this season. The spread between Western Colorado's first place finisher and fifth runner has been as narrow as 52 seconds.
Simon Kelati and Tyler Nord were the top two finishers for the men's team all season long. Michael Grabowski, Will Johnson, Aidan Scott, Albert Hesse and John Houdeshell have all been in the mix for the Mountaineers three, four and five runners this season. The Mountaineers narrowest spread between their first runner and fifth runner came in the Mountaineer Invite with a spread of 30 seconds.
UP NEXT
After the conference meet, the Mountaineers will take a week off before heading to Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 4 for the South-Central Regional Championships.
