NO. 1 LOBOS RUN AT REGIONAL

Top-ranked UNM doesn’t have to win, Franklin notes

It’s an NCAA meet, but as coach Joe Franklin says, the New Mexico women don’t have to win today in Provo, Utah.

PROVO, Utah — Joe Franklin calls today’s Mountain Region cross-country meet “the first round of the NCAA Tournament.” And in doing so, the Lobos’ coach detailed the difference between his and other sports.

The top-ranked Lobo women don’t have to come in first place today to advance and win a national title.

“The goal is not necessarily to go out and win the race,” said Franklin. “It’s to do all you need to do get to the national championship. … If we come back with a second- or third-place finish in the regional, that’s OK.”

Franklin mentioned how the regionals, including last year, have been Colorado’s moment — and No. 4-ranked Colorado is in today’s field — but on the biggest stage his Lobos were fastest.

With two national titles in the last three seasons, Franklin has a plan that is impossible to rebut.

There are two ways that the Lobo women, and men for that matter, can qualify for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 17 in Madison, Wis. One is an automatic bid. There are nine regions running throughout the country, and each region receives two automatic qualifiers.

For those teams that don’t finish among the top two, a selection committee will award 13 at-large bids to teams after considering regional finish and regular-season competition and wins, bringing the total number of teams competing at the NCAA Championships to 31 for each gender.

Franklin said the Lobo men’s goal is to “beat one of the really good teams that are going to make the NCAA Championships.”

The women’s race today is at 11 a.m. MT, followed by the men at noon.