The Mesa State football team, which finished second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, earned a bid to the 24-team NCAA Division II playoffs and will face host Abilene (Texas) Christian at Shotwell Stadium on Saturday in the first round.
The Mavericks (10-1) are making their third Division II playoff appearance, all during coach Joe Ramunno’s 10 seasons. Abilene Christian (9-2) will host its first playoff game in 30 years.
CU, DU in NCAA soccer field. The Colorado and Denver women’s soccer teams were awarded bids into the 64-team NCAA Division I tournament and will play first-round games Friday at Prentup Field in Boulder.
Colorado (9-7-4) will make its fifth consecutive tournament appearance. The Buffs face Western Athletic Conference champion Hawaii (15-4-2). Denver (13-4-4) will face Portland (15-3-0).
Mammoth signs Carlson. The Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League re-signed transition player Nick Carlson to a three-year deal. Carlson’s 14 goals and 29 points were career highs in 2006. But injuries limited him to eight games last season.
CU women earn cross country spot. The University of Colorado women’s cross country team was awarded an at-large bid to the NCAA championships, to be held Nov. 29 in Terre Haute, Ind. It will be the 16th consecutive year Colorado has sent its men’s and women’s teams to the championship race. The CU men earned an automatic bid after winning the Mountain Region championship Saturday.
The Colorado State women’s team also earned an automatic bid. Wyoming’s Mark Korir and Air Force’s Matt Williams earned individual at-large bids into the men’s race. Wyoming’s Gretchen Fagley-Johnson got a bid into the women’s race.
RMAC volleyball teams advance. The Fort Lewis, Metro State, Colorado-Colorado Springs and Mesa State women’s volleyball teams earned at-large bids to the NCAA Division II Tournament and will join RMAC champion Nebraska-Kearney in the Southwest Region, which begins play Friday in Kearney.
Girls hockey team wins. The Colorado Select Triple-A girls hockey team defeated the Anaheim Lady Ducks 6-2 to capture the under-16 championship of the Chill on the Hill tournament at The Edge Ice Arena in Littleton.
