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Lobos Lace Up for NCAA XC Championships

Lobos Lace Up for NCAA XC ChampionshipsLobos Lace Up for NCAA XC Championships

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – New Mexico Cross Country is set for the NCAA National Championship race at Panorama Farms on Saturday, with the 13th-ranked Lobo men competing as a team for the first time since 2014 and Nicola Jansen representing the UNM women as an individual qualifier.

Habtom Samuel, fresh off a Mountain Region individual title, enters Saturday’s race as one of the favorites to take it all in Charlottesville after entering the fall relatively unknown. The Eritrean-born freshman has won three of the four races he’s competed in this season (Roy Griak Invite, MW Championships, NCAA Mountain Regional) and placed third at the Nuttycombe Invitational amongst a field that included 22 ranked teams.

The UNM men started the season receiving zero votes and picked to finish sixth in the Mountain West and ninth in the Mountain Region. As of this week, the Lobos are conference champions and ranked No. 13 in the nation and No. 3 in the region. Head Coach Darren Gauson was named MW Coach of the Year in his first season at the helm, with Samuel earning MW Athlete of the Year and Evans Kiplagat named MW Freshman of the Year.

Meanwhile, Jansen is looking to keep building on a breakthrough season that culminated in individual runner-up finishes at MW Championships and Mountain Regionals — an All-American finish for the sophomore transfer by way of Bradley would make it 12 consecutive years that at least one UNM women’s runner finishes the season among the Top 40 in the nation.

The women’s 6K race begins at 8:20 a.m. MT in Charlottesville, Virginia, while the men’s race is set for 9:10 a.m.

Live results for both races will be available via the 2023 Cross Country schedule page on GoLobos.com, with live streaming available via ESPN+ and broadcast via ESPNU – the championship broadcast begins at 7:30 a.m. MT. Follow @UNMLoboTFXC on Instagram and @UNMLoboXCTF on X for live coverage, race content and more.

Coach Darren Gauson discusses the prospects for the first UNM men's team to make nationals since 2014 and Nicola Jansen's upcoming individual race.

LAST TIME OUT
Habtom Samuel won the NCAA Mountain Region individual championship and Evans Kiplagat and Lukas Kiprop finished third and fourth to lead a third-place finish for the Lobo men that puts them in contention for their first NCAA Championship appearance since 2014, with Nicola Jansen qualifying as an individual with a runner-up finish to lead the women to seventh in the team score.

Two weeks after being named MW Athlete of the Year following an individual win at conference championships, Samuel crossed the finish line in 28:57.6 in his first collegiate 10K, beating out top NAU runner Nico Young for his third individual win this season. Northern Arizona took the team title with 36 points, with the Lobos in third just eight points shy of second-place BYU (89 points).

“Habtom did a great job of controlling his energy and effort,” said UNM Head Coach Darren Gauson. “Lukas, Evans and Habtom pushed the last 1k and were able to separate themselves from the field — apart from Nico Young, who is obviously one of the best in the country.

“I thought our team did an excellent job of executing the game plan – we feel really good about an at-large bid and we’ll wait for the confirmation tomorrow.

Behind Samuel, Lukas Kiprop (29:00.0) and Evans Kiplagat (29:03.9) both packed into the Top Four to pick up All-Region honors and secure individual qualification for NCAA National Championships in Charlottesville, Va. next week.

Samuel is the first UNM men’s Mountain Region individual champ since 2004, with the three All-Region finishers being the most for the men since 2008. The Lobos’ third-place finish is their best since 2013.

Jansen finished as runner-up with a massive 29-second PR (19:25.1) to lead a seventh-place team finish for the Lobo women in a highly-competitive race, securing herself an individual spot at the National Championship race next week along with the men’s trio.

“I am so happy for the women’s team,” Gauson said. “I thought we had our best race of the season today — we really showed up and performed at our best.

“I’m delighted for Nicola — what a terrific performance,” he added. “To finish 2nd in the region is a great accomplishment.”

Lobos XC NCAA Championship Men’s Participants

Runner UNM PR (8k) Date Event
Habtom Samuel 22:57.7 10/27/23 MW Championships
Evans Kiplagat 23:15.7 10/27/23 MW Championships
Lukas Kiprop 23:23.3 10/27/23 MW Championships
Jonathan Carmin 23:42.1 10/27/23 MW Championships
Samuel Field 24:07.7 10/27/23 MW Championships
Thomas Termote 24:27.4 10/27/23 MW Championships
Matthew Larkin 24:56.1 10/27/23 MW Championships
Ethan Brouw* 25:05.0 10/27/23 MW Championships

 *Indicates alternate runner

A BIT OF HISTORY
Although the UNM women won NCAA titles in 2015 and 2017 and finished as in the Top 10 in the nation in each of the last 13 times the championship was held, the Lobo men are still seeking their first national championship.

The last time a UNM men’s squad qualified for Nationals in 2014, they finished 14th. The Lobo men’s best finish was 8th in 2009, the beginning of a six-year streak of NCAA Championship appearances that still stands as the longest for the men in program history.

FOLLOW THE RACES
Live results for both races will be available via the 2023 Cross Country schedule page on GoLobos.com, with live streaming available via ESPN+ and broadcast via ESPNU – the championship broadcast begins at 7:30 a.m. MT. Follow @UNMLoboTFXC on Instagram and @UNMLoboXCTF on X for live coverage, race content and more.