LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State cross country will travel to Seattle, Wash. on Saturday to compete in the 2016 Western Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships. The meet will take place at Jefferson Park Golf Course, with the women's race starting at 10 a.m. MT and the men's race starting at 11 a.m. MT.
 
"While it looks like it will be raining throughout our time in Seattle, it certainly won't dampen our excitement for the conference meet," said interim head coach Joseph Rath. "This is one of the two meets we have trained towards since this summer.  Both groups are ready to go. It's exciting that we are in the position to really compete with the top teams in the WAC this year.  Saturday can't come soon enough."
 
The Aggie women were picked by the league's coaches to finish second in the pre-championship poll. Reigning WAC Champions, Utah Valley, were picked to win with 48 points and six first place votes. NM State was next with 48 points, followed by Seattle U with 33 points and one first place vote. Grand Canyon and UT Rio Grande Valley were tied in fourth with 32 points apiece; UTRGV received a first place vote. UMKC was picked sixth with 21 points, CSU Bakersfield in seventh with 13 points and Chicago State in eighth with 7 points.
 
"Our women's team was ranked 2nd in the coaches poll, which is three spots higher than a year ago," said Rath. "Utah Valley is the definite favorite, but then the next four teams are pretty close to one another.  We will have to execute well to finish towards the top of the conference."
 
The Aggie men were pegged to finish tied for third with Seattle U in the pre-championship poll. Utah Valley was picked to repeat as champion with 36 points and six first place votes. UMKC was picked second with 28 points and a first place vote. NM State and Seattle U were tied in third with 24 points apiece. Grand Canyon was picked fifth with 17 points, UTRGV in sixth with 12 points and Chicago State in seventh with 6 points.
 
"Our men's team is tied for 3rd," said Rath. "Unlike in the women's race, the men's teams are a bit more separated.  Utah Valley, like with the women, are again the definite favorites.  UMKC will be a pretty tough second, and then us and Seattle U are pretty close."