Have some spare time coming up this weekend and want to catch some college cross country action? Here are the meets happening this weekend in Colorado and New Mexico and where all the local teams are headed:
Joe Vigil Open - Adams State University: Adams State, Regis, Colorado Christian, New Mexico Highlands, Fort Lewis
What to expect: a flat and fast course, multiple circuits of a golf course at 7500 feet of elevation. This meet also showcases a fairly large middle school and high school competition.
UCCS Rust Buster - UCCS, CSU-Pueblo, Johnson & Wales, Colorado College
What to expect: an almost flat criterium type of course with one significant hill on each lap, a hard-packed urban park trail at 6000 feet of elevation, and an occasional stubborn park patron who resuses to yield his position on the trail to runners.
CSU Open (Friday) - Colorado State, University of Northern Colorado, Colorado School of Mines (of course, it's a brother thing), Air Force, Western State
What to expect: a kind of gnarly course with rocky sections and lots of dust near Hughes Stadium at just a little over 5000 feet, some up and down. The college races start at 6 PM, but the parking gate opens at 3 PM for those wishing to enjoy a little tailgating. Please light your charcoal grill well away from and upwind of the course.
UNM Lobo Invite - University of New Mexico, New Mexico State
What to expect - a golf course at just under 5000 feet of elevation, with some rolling sections and alternating grass and dirt. This meet also showcases a large, and very competitive, high school competition. Oh, and use the port-o-lets, please, the neighbors have surveillance cameras in the alley ways.
Results will be posted here on Colorado Track XC/MileSplit New Mexico as soon as we get them.
What of the rest of the New Mexico and Colorado schools?
Western New Mexico is leaving the state to run at Northern Arizona.
Colorado's Buffaloes are going into hibernation (a behavior highly unusual for this species, but these are no ordinary Buffaloes) until the first weekend of October
Eastern New Mexico opens at Texas Tech next Friday
Colorado Mesa University is going for the big splash by opening at Cal-Riverside on Sept. 14