Judy Rono, Habtom Samuel Run All-Time 1,500m Marks on Day 2 at Bryan Clay
AZUSA, Calif. – New Mexico Track & Field collected nine new personal bests and three performances that rank among the Top 10 in school history in a full day of 1,500m racing at the Bryan Clay Invitational Friday at Azusa Pacific, with Judy Rono running the second-fastest 1,500m in school history and Habtom Samuel moving up to No. 4 on the UNM all-time list – both Mountain West-leading times – to lead the way.
MEN’S POLE VAULT (BEACH INVITATIONAL)
T-4. Kyle Hatler – 4.54m (14′ 10¾”)
The lone competitor of the day for UNM at the Beach Invitational, Hatler came short of his season best from last Friday in El Paso (4.81m) but finished tied for fourth on the day after clearing 4.54m (14′ 10¾”)
WOMEN’S OPEN “B” 1,500 METERS
36. Anya Belisle (H9) – 4:36.11
• PR
96. Mia Torrecillas (H12) – 4:40.49
Belisle beat her conversion from Albuquerque (4:38.45@) – her second personal best of the weekend after a big improvement in the 5K on Thursday – to finish 36th overall and sixth in her heat, while Mia Torrecillas crossed in 4:40.49 to finish 14th in her heat and 96th overall.
WOMEN’S INVITE 1,500 METERS
54. Nicola Jansen (H6) – 4:21.57 4:22.58
• PR
66. Li-Mari Dekker (H4) – 4:22.47 4:28.32 @
• PR
84. Natalie Bitetti (H5) – 4:24.09 4:25.49 @
• PR
103. Jasmine Wood (H1) – 4:25.46 4:24.70 @
• Raw PR
110. Sophia McDonnell (H6) – 4:26.33
WOMEN’S ELITE 1,500 METERS
9. Judy Rono (H1) – 4:11.45
• PR, UNM #2 All-Time
21. Alice Seguin (H1) – 4:15.63
• PR, UNM #8 All-Time
24. Marion Jepngetich (H1) – 4:22.30
Judy Rono (4:11.45) and Alice Seguin (4:15.63) both ran new personal bests that moved them up on the UNM All-Time List in the the first heat of the Women’s Elite sections to finish ninth and 21st overall, with Marion Jepngetich crossing in 4:22.30 to finish 24th overall in her first collegiate 1,500m.
Rono came just 1.13 seconds shy of matching Abbe Goldstein’s program record of 4:10.32 set at NCAA West Region Prelims in 2023 – Rono and Goldstein are the only two Lobo women to run below 4:12 in program history. It’s the second No. 2 UNM All-Time performance for the Kenyan freshman, who ran the fastest 800m since 1976 (2:03.98) and only the second under 2:04 for a new PR on Thursday.
Seguin moved up to No. 8 on the UNM list with a 4.39-second improvement on her converted best (4:20.02@) and a 10.47-second improvement from that raw time (4:26.10) – she and Rono now hold the two fastest times in the Mountain West.
MEN’S ELITE 1,500 METERS
11. Habtom Samuel (H2) – 3:38.60
• PR, UNM #4 All-Time
15. Collins Kiprotich (H2) – 3:41.47
• Raw PR
In the Men’s Elite Sections, Habtom Samuel led the way with a new lifetime best (3:38.60) – a time that now leads the Mountain West – to move up to No. 4 on the UNM All-Time List and finish 11th overall ahead of Collins Kiprotich’s raw PB (3:41.47) in 15th. Kiprotich posted a 3:38.21 conversion as an unattached athlete to open the season in Albuquerque, but secured his first official mark in the event today.
MEN’S INVITE 1,500 METERS
20. Matthew Endrody – 3:41.33
• Raw PR
56. Joshua Abraham – 3:44.25
• PR
61. Iker Sanchez – 3:44.72
70. Lukas Kiprop – 3:45.36
105. Thomas Termote – 3:48.78
• Collegiate 1,500m debut
115. Evans Kiplagat – 3:50.00
128. Rikus Van Niekerk – 3:53.31
In the Men’s Invite sections, Matthew Endrody matched his converted season best with a 3:41.33 time to finish 20th ahead of Joshua Abraham (3:44.25, 56th), Iker Sanchez (3:44.72, 61st), Lukas Kiprop (3:45.36, 70th), Thomas Termote (3:48.78, 105th), Evans Kiplagat (3:50.00, 115th) and Rikus Van Niekerk (3:53.31, 128th).
Abraham was the only Lobo among that group to beat his conversion from his season opener for a new personal best (3:44.25), with Endrody remaining just outside the UNM All-Time Top 10 (#11) after replicating his previous best at sea level. Thomas Termote posted a 3:48.78 in his first-ever collegiate 1,500m after huge improvements in the 10,000m (28:26.44) and 5,000m (13:38.99) in his previous two races.
WOMEN’S OPEN “A” 1,500 METERS
17. Meadow Drebert – 4:27.48
• PR
148. Millie Freeland – 4:40.28
• Raw PR
In the Women’s Open “A” races, Meadow Drebert collected her second PR of the weekend, shaving 2.27 seconds off her season best from the Mike Fanelli Classic two weeks prior with a 4:27.48 time, good for 17th. Millie Freeland improved on her raw best from the NM Spring Invitational (4:42.85) but came short of beating her conversion as she crossed in 4:40.28 to finish 148th.