Colorado Christian at NCAA Championships
Saturday, Nov. 20
St. Leo, FL (Abby Course at St. Leo University)

• The women's race will begin at 8:30 a.m. (EDT) with the men's race scheduled for 9:45 a.m. (EDT)
• It will be a 10K course for the men and a 6K race for the women

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The Quick Rundown

The final cross country meet of the 2021 NCAA Division II season will feature 34 men's and women's teams. There are numerous teams from the RMAC who will be competing. Also competing both their men's and women's teams from the RMAC are Mines, Western Colorado, Adams State and UCCS. CSU Pueblo is competing in the women's race. The defending national team champions are both from the RMAC as Adams State won the women's race and Mines winning the men's race in 2019. 

The first 40 finishers will earn USTFCCCA All-American honors. The Cougars have not had a cross country All American. 

Welcome Back and Hello For The First Time

This is second trip to the NCAA National Championship race for the men's program. After nearly qualifying for the race in 2018, the Cougars earned an at-large qualification in 2019. During that race in Sacramento, CA the Cougars patience race plan lifted them to a 17th place team finish.

After being the first at-large team out of the NCAA National Championship race in 2019, the Cougars left no doubt this season. This season they were the third or fourth at-large team selected as the program is making their first trip to the National Championship race. 

Weather Report

As of the midweek weather report, the race day conditions are slated to be overcast with humidity in the low 70s and temperatures hovering around the low to mid-60s. 

South Central Regional Championships (Lubbock, TX)

Men - The Cougars earned automatic qualification into the NCAA National Championships with a third place finish at the regional championship race hosted by Lubbock Christian. The trio of Ryder Searle, Trent Cochran and Josh Pierantoni led the way as each earned all-region honors.  

Women - Colorado Christian battled their way to a fifth place finish which was plenty good enough to earn an at-large berth into the NCAA National Championship race. Paige Tack earned all-region accolades as she was the team's first finisher. 

The Colorado Christian Start List

* - Alternates

Nationally and Regionally Ranked

This week the men are listed in the 6th position while the women sit in the 16th spot. In the South Central Region, they are ranked third and ninth 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.