Aug. 18, 2008
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The San Diego State women's cross country team has been picked to finish in eighth place in the Mountain West Conference, according to the league's preseason coaches poll released on Monday afternoon.
The Aztecs garnered 15 points and finished just seven points shy of tying TCU for seventh place. Colorado State was voted to win the conference championship with 62 total points and six first-place votes, while Brigham Young earned the final three first-place votes and tallied 59 overall points to finish in second.
Rounding out the poll was New Mexico in third (49 points), followed by Utah (4th, 40 pts.), Wyoming (5th, 35 pts.), Air Force (6th, 28 pts.), TCU (7th, 22 pts.), the Aztecs and UNLV (9th, 14 pts.).
SDSU returns 10 runners off last season's squad which finished in ninth place at the conference meet, which was scheduled to take place at Mission Bay. Fires in San Diego County, however, forced the relocation of the meet and the Aztecs traveled to Albuquerque, N.M., three days prior to the meet.
Overall, last year's Aztec group, which returns seniors Kristin Glen and Alyssa Robinson and juniors Darien Buc and Makenzie Mabry, posted a runner-up effort at the Big Wave Invitational and totaled four top-10 performances. The quartet will lead the Scarlet and Black into a 2008 campaign that includes a pair of meets in San Diego - the Aztec Invitational (Sept. 13) and MWC Championships (Nov. 1).
The season kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 30, when SDSU travels to Orange County for the Fullerton Season Opener beginning at 9:15 a.m. PT.
2008 MWC Cross Country Preseason Poll Pl. Team (1st place votes) Points 1. Colorado State (6) 62 2. Brigham Young (3) 59 3. New Mexico 49 4. Utah 40 5. Wyoming 35 6. Air Force 28 7. TCU 22 8. San Diego State 15 9. UNLV 14