​As head of the Arizona Wildcats cross country program, Jay Koloseus constantly reminds athletes that to succeed in distance running requires lots of perseverance. “Everything with distance running is slow,” Koloseus said last week. “It’s a practice of patience.”The irony then is that for Arizona cross country, the program’s ascent in the sport has been anything but slow the past few years. The Arizona men were nationally ranked this month for the first time in 20 years, while the women’s team is anchored by one of the top young runners in collegiate distance running. The Wildcats have impressed in every meet this fall and head into the postseason with more to prove. Last Friday, Arizona competed at the Under Armor Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana, an event that serves as a precursor to next month’s NCAA Championship, which will also be held in Terre Haute. The Wildcats men finished sixth out of 44 schools, with two runners placing in the top 20 individually. On the women’s side, standout freshman Mercy Chepkemoi finished fifth overall, earning her Big 12 Runner of the Week honors.While Arizona left points on the table on both the men’s and women’s sides, the race served as another yardstick in Arizona’s climb towards the top level of cross country. “I came to Arizona to work with the best, that’s what (the athletic department) expects and that’s what I want to deliver,” Koloseus said. A runner’s paradiseKoloseus arrived in Tucson in the summer of 2025 after leading the Drake track and field / cross country program. As one of head coach Andrew Dubs’ first hires, Koloseus says he was given the keys to the cross country program with the goal of growing Arizona’s place in the sport. “When the opportunity presented itself to come to this climate, Arizona was always a place that I was interested in taking on,” Koloseus said. “And then remembering how good the team was when I myself was an athlete (at Syracuse), it was a no-brainer.” Koloseus nevertheless inherited a program that was coming out of tough times. It’s been more than a decade since either Arizona team finished near the top of the conference standings (the Arizona women won the 2013 Pac-12 championship). However, Arizona’s success is still recent enough where people remember it, Koloseus said.“That’s a big, big deal,” Koloseus said. “It’s also easy to point out, ‘Hey, we’re talking about you wanting to live in a good climate. Well, we’re at elevation here. We have 12 months of sunshine. If you want to be good, let us give you all the tools, and Arizona’s brand recognition is good enough to get that across, even to overseas athletes as well as domestic athletes.”Koloseus says he still has to pinch himself sometimes that he gets to ”wake up in paradise every day.“ “I was out for a run this morning, and I get to look at these mountains in perfect climate and know that I’m going to have this tomorrow a