Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) announced on Wednesday the cross country coaches polls, with The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) men’s team picked to finish eighth and the women’s team picked to finish 10th at Saturday’s WAC Championships.
The UTRGV men earned 63 points, six ahead of Dixie State and eight behind Stephen F. Austin. California Baptist, the seventh-ranked team in the West Region, was a unanimous pick to win the WAC Championship, garnering 12 first place votes for 144 points. Utah Valley, the 10th-ranked team in the Mountain Region, received the remaining first place vote and 131 points to finish second. Grand Canyon placed third with 122 points, followed by three teams in the same region, the South Central, as UTRGV – Lamar (105 points), which is ranked ninth, Abilene Christian (97), which is ranked 13th, and Sam Houston (84), which is ranked 14th.
On the women’s side, UTRGV earned 51 points, seven ahead of Lamar and eight behind Sam Houston. California Baptist, the ninth-ranked team in the West, was picked to win the WAC Championship with eight first place votes and 139 points. Abilene Christian, the second-ranked team in the South Central, garnered three first place votes and 127 points, while Utah Valley, the ninth-ranked team in the Mountain, earned the other two first place votes and 125 points. New Mexico State, the 13th-ranked team in the Mountain, was picked fourth with 115 points, followed by Grand Canyon (99 points), Stephen F. Austin (76), Seattle U (74), and Dixie State (68).
The WAC Championships, hosted by California Baptist, get underway on Saturday at 11 a.m. with the men’s 8K followed by the women’s 6K at 12 p.m. Fans can watch in the United States on ESPN+ or internationally on the WAC Digital Network.
| WAC Rank | Men’s Team (First Place Votes) | Points | Regional Rank |
| 1. | California Baptist (12) | 144 | 7. (West) |
| 2. | Utah Valley (1) | 131 | 10. (Mountain) |
| 3. | Grand Canyon | 122 | |
| 4. | Lamar | 105 | 9. (South Central) |
| 5. | Abilene Christian | 97 | 13. (South Central) |
| 6. | Sam Houston | 84 | 14. (South Central) |
| 7. | Stephen F. Austin | 71 | |
| 8. | UTRGV | 63 | |
| 9. | Dixie State | 57 | |
| 10. | New Mexico State | 48 | |
| 11. | Tarleton | 41 | |
| 12. | Seattle U | 39 | |
| 13. | Chicago State | 12 | |
| WAC Rank | Women’s Team (First Place Votes) | Points | Regional Rank |
| 1. | California Baptist (8) | 139 | 9. (West) |
| 2. | Abilene Christian (3) | 127 | 2. (South Central) |
| 3. | Utah Valley (2) | 125 | 9. (Mountain) |
| 4. | New Mexico State | 115 | 13. (Mountain) |
| 5. | Grand Canyon | 99 | |
| 6. | Stephen F. Austin | 76 | |
| 7. | Seattle U | 74 | |
| 8. | Dixie State | 68 | |
| 9. | Sam Houston | 59 | |
| 10. | UTRGV | 51 | |
| 11. | Lamar | 44 | |
| 12. | Tarleton | 25 | |
| 13. | Chicago State | 12 |
