Colorado Christian at RMAC Championships
Saturday, Nov. 6 
Lubbock, TX (LCU Cross Country Course)

• The women's race will begin at 9:00 a.m. (CDT) with the men's race scheduled for 10:15 a.m. (CDT)
• It will be a 10K course for the men and a 6K race for the women

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Meet Information
Meet Results
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The Quick Rundown

This is the last meet that is guaranteed for the programs. The top three teams from both the men's and women's races will earn automatic qualification into the NCAA National Championship race (Saturday, Nov. 20 in St. Leo, FL). A finish outside the top three does not automatically end the season as the NCAA Selection Committee will award 10 at-large spots into the National Championship event. There are eight NCAA Division II regionals being held this weekend across the country and each regional gets three automatic qualifiers (24 total). The last 10 spots are chosen from the selection committee. The complete list of 34 teams earning a bid into the National Championship meet will be announced on Monday, Nov. 8 on NCAA.com.

On Saturday, the first 25 runners crossing the finish line in each race will earn all-region honors. 

Weather Report

Sunny skies and warm(ish) temperatures will dominate race morning. A decent wind of 10-15 MPH will be blowing out of the southwest.

RMAC Championship (Golden, CO)

Men - The Cougars gave their development team an opportunity as they finished seventh. The team finish tied the second best showing in program history. Leading the way was freshman Matthew Olech who posted a time of 26:27.5 on the 8K course. He finished 36th overall. 

Women -  Resting their regular runners, Colorado Christian gave opportunity to a group of runners who normally don't factor into the team scoring. Kenzie Hartwig had the best finish on the team as she placed 65th with a time of 24:58.6 on the 6K course as the team placed 13th. 

The Colorado Christian Start List

* - Alternates

Recent History at the South Central Regional

* - Qualified for National Championships

Nationally and Regionally Ranked

This week the men are listed in the 8th position while the women sit in the 26th 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.