DENVER – Eleven days ago, Amanda Rego had to convince JJ Ramey that he had actually qualified for an at-large spot in the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
 
Noel Lopez believed MSU Denver's associate head coach when she gave him the news that he was in, but he hadn't been all that certain he'd be going either.
 
But, now that the Roadrunners' two-man contingent is in Joplin, Mo., to compete in Saturday's 10-kilometer race, which begins at 10:15 a.m. MST, they're ready to show what they can do.
 
"They haven't raced at Nationals before, and it's a huge honor, but they're not just happy to be here," Rego said. "And that's the mentality you have to have in races like this. Because there are always going to be some racers who are happy just to be on the line. But if Noel and JJ compete like they have all season, then they can do something pretty special."
 
It's the first time that MSU Denver will have competitors in the men's national championship race since 2015, when the team qualified and finished 20^th. The Roadrunners' last All-Americans in the sport came in 2013, when Nick Kadlec finished 20^th and Kirk Harvey was 27^th.
 
Once nine teams from the South Central Regional earned spots into the field – MSU Denver just missed, placing 10^th – the invitation for Lopez became automatic as the top individual finisher not on a qualifying team. Ramey was third on that list and – after just missing in the exact same position last year – he appeared to potentially be on the outside looking in.
 
But, the complicated formula used to determine qualifiers smiled upon him.
 
"JJ was super relieved," Rego said. "Last year it was gut-wrenching to be that close and not make it. He and Noel were both speechless when they found out. It's such a great feeling as a coach to have them both go together. We've known that this was a real thing that they could, and would, do eventually. But it's another thing to actually see it happen."
 
Though their qualifying performances at the South Central Regional may seem modest – Lopez placed 22^nd, Ramey 30^th – don't underestimate the quality of the best cross country region in Division II.
 
"Coming out of our region, if you're in the top 20 or 30, about half of that group typically ends up in the top 40 to 60 at Nationals," Rego said. "They have a great shot to be toward front of the race."
 
The top 40 individual finishers earn All-America status from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
 
Lopez and Ramey have taken turns trading spots as the Roadrunners' top finisher over the past two seasons. They are experienced racers who have a plan – typically running together – but can adjust their plan as necessary when the race is underway.
 
"They are both really intelligent racers who can do their own thing, and if they end up together towards the end then that's how it ends up," Rego said. "Sometimes your plan is to run with a teammate but in a big race like this, you may never see them. Ideally you'd like to be able to work together, but I trust them completely."
 
Lopez and Ramey are set to preview the course on Friday before running it for real on Saturday.
 
"It's a nice, grass course, a pretty typical Midwest cross country course," Rego said. "It's a big open field. It does have a lot of turns, and that makes it a little more challenging, and it has some hills. But it can be a fast course. They've run well on a fast course in Alabama, and on our course, which isn't historically fast, so they're ready for either kind of race.
 
"It's always good to preview the course so that you have a sense of where you are – in a 30-minute race it can be easy to feel lost sometimes, and knowing where you are helps you measure your effort."
 
The race is a significant one for the MSU Denver program, and a group of the Roadrunners' teammates plan to make the 10-hour drive to Joplin to support Lopez and Ramey.
 
"Having them qualify is a huge milestone," Rego said. "It's been eight years, so our hope is that it shows our younger guys what they're capable of doing next year – the goal then is to have the whole team qualify. It will be nice to have some fans there, and for them to see what it's like. Once they see guys they run with every single day on this stage, they start thinking, 'Why can't I be there, too?'"