Western State's Julianne Payton has been named the RMAC preseason female runner of the year for 2009. Photo courtesy of www.wscathletics.com.
The DII collegiate preseason rankings are out and Colorado is once again the best-represented state in the nation.
In the RMAC, the conference's own preseason rankings are as follows:
Men
1. Adams State
2. Western State
3. Colorado Mines
4. Metro State
5. New Mexico Highlands
6. UCCS
7. Nebraska-Kearney
8. Fort Lewis
9. Western New Mexico
10. Regis
11. Colorado Christian
Women
1. Adams State
2. Western State
3. Mesa State
4. Metro State
5. UCCS
6. Colorado Mines
7. Nebraska-Kearney
8. Fort Lewis
9. Regis
10. New Mexico Highlands
11. Western New Mexico
12. Colorado Christian
13. CSU-Pueblo
Included on the RMAC preseason all-conference teams are for the men Aaron Braun, Adams State (Sr., Rocky Mountain HS), Reuben Chebon-Mwei, Adams State (Sr., Kapsabet, Kenya), Iain Donnan, Western State (Sr., Aberdeen, Scotland), Brian Medigovich, Adams State (Sr., San Luis Obispo, Ca.), Tyler Pennel, Western State (Jr., Golden HS), Ryan McNiff , Adams State (Jr., Los Alamos, NM), and Ben Zywicki, Colorado Mines (Jr., Rampart HS), and for the women Julianne Payton, Western State (Jr., Woodland Park HS), Alexis Skarda, Mesa State (So., Fairview HS), Janette Cary, Adams State (Sr., Centauri HS), Sofia Monroe, Adams State (Jr., Pueblo Centennial HS), Hillory Davis, Western State (Jr., Air Academy HS), Sarah Lyle, Western State (So., Smoky Hill HS), and Sydney Laws, Colorado Mines (Sr., Arvada West HS).
RMAC Rankings and Preseason All-Conference Document
In the USTFCCCA Division II Central region rankings for men, Colorado schools Adams State, Western State, and Colorado Mines go 1-2-3. Also appearing in the top 10 is Metro State at 6th.
The Division II Central Region rankings for women hint that things are perhaps even slightly more promising for the schools from Colorado. This time six Colorado teams have cracked the top ten, including Adams State at first, Western State at 3rd, Mesa State at 5th, Metro State at 7th, UCCS at 9th, and Fort Lewis at 10th.
At the level of national preseason rankings, things still come up nicely for our state. Adams State is ranked first on the women's side, while Western State comes in 6th and Mesa State 21st. The men are also well represented in the preseason national rankings. There, Adams State takes another first, followed by Western State in second, Mines in 8th, and Metro in 18th. The USTFCCCA national rankings can be accessed at: