DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis College men's and women's cross country teams will open postseason competition on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the 2026 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Championships in Rapid City, South Dakota. Hosted by South Dakota Mines at Hart Ranch, the championship meet will bring together some of the nation's top NCAA Division II programs as the Skyhawks look to build on a pair of fifth-place conference finishes from a season ago.

The championships mark the first step in the postseason for Fort Lewis, which will turn its attention to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships on Nov. 21 in Lubbock, Texas, following Saturday's races.

Looking Back: 2025 RMAC Championships

Both Fort Lewis squads finished fifth at the 2025 RMAC Championships, held at Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Oct. 25.

The Skyhawk women, ranked No. 26 nationally entering the meet, totaled 161 points to finish fifth in the 15-team field. Fort Lewis outpaced nationally ranked Colorado Mesa and CSU Pueblo, which finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Senior Hannah Hartwell led the charge with a fourth-place finish in 20:45.47, earning First Team All-RMAC honors for the second consecutive season.

Colorado School of Mines captured the women's team championship with 28 points, followed by UCCS (68), Adams State (84), and Western Colorado (92). Mines' Grace Strongman earned the individual title with a course-record time of 20:06.67.

On the men's side, No. 21 Fort Lewis totaled 173 points to finish fifth, relying on a tightly packed scoring group led by freshman Evan Morozowich. Morozowich placed 30th in 25:30.49, followed by Cesar Diaz in 32nd (25:33.16), Cooper Filmore in 39th (25:45.05), Brody Hubbard in 43rd (25:53.09), and Crewe Resendez in 44th (25:54.56).

Adams State claimed the men's conference championship with 32 points, narrowly defeating Colorado School of Mines (41). Western Colorado followed in third (58), while UCCS finished fourth (122). Mines' Paul Knight, a Durango native, claimed the individual title in 23:50.43.

Around the RMAC: Nationally Ranked Competition

The RMAC continues to establish itself as one of the strongest cross country conferences in NCAA Division II, with nationally ranked programs throughout both championship fields.

In the Oct. 28 USTFCCCA national polls, eight RMAC women's programs earned top-30 recognition, while Adams State maintained the nation's No. 1 ranking. The Grizzlies received all eight first-place votes, with defending conference champion Colorado School of Mines ranked third and UCCS holding steady at No. 7.

On the men's side, the conference features another deep championship field. Colorado School of Mines, Adams State, and Western Colorado have been among the nation's leading programs throughout the season, while UCCS enters the championships ranked No. 14 nationally and sixth in the South Central Region.

Fort Lewis has also been a consistent presence in the national rankings. In the Oct. 14 poll, both Skyhawk squads were ranked No. 13 nationally, with the women making a seven-position jump from No. 20 and the men remaining among the nation's top 15. At that point, the conference boasted seven nationally ranked men's programs and eight ranked women's programs.

South Central Region Outlook

The strength of the RMAC extends into the NCAA Division II South Central Region, where conference programs occupy many of the leading positions.

The latest verified regional rankings, released Oct. 27, place UCCS fourth on the women's side and sixth on the men's side. With Adams State, Colorado School of Mines, Western Colorado, and several other RMAC programs competing at a national level, Saturday's championships will provide an important opportunity to measure conference competition ahead of the regional meet.

The Skyhawks will have two weeks following the RMAC Championships to prepare for the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 21, hosted in Lubbock, Texas, at the LCU Cross-Country Course.

Up Next

Following Saturday's conference championships, Fort Lewis will compete at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21, in Lubbock, Texas. The NCAA Division II National Championships are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas.