Colorado Christian at RMAC Championships
Saturday, Oct. 23 
Golden, CO (Applewood Golf Course)

• The men's race begins at 11:30 a.m. with the women's competition slated for 10:40 a.m.
• It will be a 8K course for the men and a 6K race for the women

Follow Along:
Meet Information
Meet Results

Weather Report

Everything will align on Saturday morning for good racing conditions. The sky will be mostly cloudy with temps in the 50s during race time. 

Lewis Crossover Recap

Men - The sixth ranked Colorado Christian men's cross country team made quite the national statement two weeks. The Cougars topped six nationally ranked teams as they won the 24-team event. Ryder Searle, Trent Cochran and Josh Pierantoni all finished in the top 10 to lead the team. It was the second team title this season for the program after winning the JK Gold Classic the first week of the season

Women - The Cougars claimed a third place finish in Romeoville, IL as the program beat six nationally ranked teams. In a field stack with numerous nationally ranked teams, the tied-21st Cougars knocked off a handful of top 30 teams. They beat No. 18 Walsh, No. 19 Minnesota Duluth, No. 21 Cal State San Marcos, No. 24 Wayne State, No. 26 Saginaw Valley State and No. 27 Biola. Paige Tack (22:21.80) and Shannon King (22:33.3) were the top two runners for the team with freshman Alysia Wagner placing 15th overall in the 6K race with a time of 22:43.0. 

Fort Hays State Tiger Open Recap

Men - The program raced six individuals in the Black Race as well as one individual competing in the Gold Race. Matthew Olech ran as an individual during the Gold Race and he registered the best time for the Cougars as he clocked a 25:32.7. Pierce Tapp had the best time for the team in the Black Race on the 8K course (27:39.1)

Women - Competing in the black race, the Cougars placed ninth as a team. Ana Muehlbauer had the best time on the 5K course as she clipped the tape in 19:45.7.

Runner of the Week

For his efforts at the Lewis Crossover, Searle was named the league's Runner of the Week. It is the first time a men's cross country athlete at Colorado Christian earned the conference's weekly honor. 

The Colorado Christian Start List

Recent History at the RMAC Championships 
 

Nationally and Regionally Ranked

This week the men are listed in the 5th position while the women sit in the 21st spot. In the South Central Region, they are ranked third and sixth respectively. (USTFCCCA Poll)

RMAC Preseason Polls

2021 RMAC Men's Preseason Poll
(1st Place Votes in Parenthesis)

1. Colorado School of Mines (14) – 196
2. Adams State (1) – 178
3. Western Colorado – 163
4. Colorado Christian – 157
5. UCCS – 146
6. Colorado Mesa – 126
7. CSU Pueblo – 116
8. Black Hills State – 97
9. Fort Lewis – 93
10. MSU Denver – 87
11. Chadron State – 61
12. South Dakota Mines – 48
13. New Mexico Highlands – 46
14. Westminster – 37
15. Regis - 24

2021 RMAC Women's Preseason Poll
(1st Place Votes in Parenthesis)

1. Colorado School of Mines (8) – 188
2. Adams State (6) – 185
3. Western Colorado (1) – 170
4. UCCS – 155
5. Colorado Christian – 127
6. CSU Pueblo – 116
7. MSU Denver – 110
8. Black Hills State – 101
9. Colorado Mesa – 99
10. Fort Lewis – 87
11. Westminster – 81
12. Chadron State – 54
13. New Mexico Highlands – 48
14. South Dakota Mines – 32
15. Regis - 22

Head Coach – Jon Poag

Jon Poag is entering his seventh season at the helm of the school's cross country and track/field program.

The 2019 cross country season was one of the best team seasons in school history. Under Poag's guidance the men's team placed 17th at the NCAA Division II National Championships in their first appearance in the event. The women's squad earned a top 25 national ranking and placed a school best fifth place at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships. Both the men's and women's teams each produced three all-region performers during the campaign.

Even during a strange and chaotic 2020-21 school year, the programs reached great success. The men's cross country team ended the season with a third place finish at the RMAC Championships while garnering four all-conference performers. The squad earned a No. 5 national ranking in the final coaches poll. During the track and field season, five different athletes earned a trip to the NCAA Championships with Ryder Searle getting All American honors.

During his time at CCU, Poag oversaw the training and progression of CCU's most successful individual athlete in Evan Verbal. Verbal, who excelled in the 3000 meter steeplechase and 1500 meter race, became a three-time NCAA All-American. Jon also coached the 2018 cross-country teams to their best ever combined finishes at the NCAA South Central Regional races which saw senior Mandee Middleton and freshman Isaac Russo earn All-Region honors. Middleton became the second female runner from CCU to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country National Championship, placing 47th out of 264 competitors.

Poag competed and coached at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY. He coached as a full-time assistant in both the Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track and Field programs. During Track and Field, he was solely responsible for the training and development of student-athletes competing in events between 400 and 10,000 meters. Athletes under his tutelage combined to achieve over 15 NAIA All-American performances, more notably, two Individual NAIA National Titles and a NAIA National Championship Record in the 1000 meter event.

Outside of the collegiate system, Poag was the founder of a USATF registered track club called RTR Training Systems. This club was geared toward collaboration with post-collegiate athletes that had a desire to compete on the National and International level. One of the athletes from this initiative has, and continues to represent the US National Team in international competition.