PHOTO GALLERY: UNM Don Kirby Twilight, 4/25

This meet recap will be updated.

MEN’S 100-METER DASH
Cam Watts – 1st – 10.05 (10.08@)
• UNM Program Record
Melaki Gutierrez – 3rd – 10.34 (10.37@)
• PR, UNM No. 6 All-Time
Elijah Jefferson – 5th – 10.44 (10.47@)
• PR, UNM No. 9 All-Time
Brodie Young – 6th – 10.54 (10.57@)
• PR

Cam Watts improved on his UNM program record with a massive improvement to win the men’s 100m dash in 10.05 (10.08 converted) – he’s now run two-tenths of a second faster than the previous school record shared by Beejay Lee and Victor Akhalu (10.28) and moves up to No. 7 in the West Region and No. 18 in the nation. Melaki Gutierrez (1.37@) and Elijah Jefferson (10.47@) also clocked wind-legal times that moved them into the UNM All-Time Top 10 at No. 6 and No. 9, respectively.

In only his second outdoor 100m as a Lobo, Brodie Young finished sixth, improving on his season-opening time by .7 seconds for a new PB.

MEN’S 10,000-METER RUN
Habtom Samuel – 1st – 28:34.95 (27:38.51@)
• NCAA West Region Qualifying Mark, No. 2 on NCAA D-I Outdoor List
Ishmael Kipkurui – 2nd – 28:40.28 (27:43.66@)
• NCAA West Region Qualifying Mark, No. 3 on NCAA D-I Outdoor List

After running the two fastest 10,000m times in collegiate history to open the season, Samuel and Kipkurui both secured their NCAA qualifying marks in the event with their performances at elevation in the A.M. session. Samuel ran a 28:34.95 clocking that converts to 27:38.51 at sea level to cross first ahead of Kipkurui (28:40.28 / 27:43.66@) – those conversions put them at No. 2 and No. 3 in the nation and in the West Region to ensure they’ll race for a spot at NCAA Outdoor Championships in both the 5,000m and 10,000m.

WOMEN’S 10,000-METER RUN
Pamela Kosgei – 1st – 31:58.51 (30:55.37@)
• Converted PR, Converted NCAA No. 2 All-Time
Christina Nisoli – 2nd – 36:05.55 (34:54.28)
• Collegiate 10,000m Debut

Kosgei – who ran just .27 seconds shy of Parker Valby’s collegiate 5,000m record last weekend at Bryan Clay – secured her 10,000m in similar fashion to Samuel and Kipkurui with another staggering time at elevation. Kosgei finished in 31:58.52 for a converted PR of 30:55.37 that stands as a 8.35-second improvement from her 31:02.73 performance at Sound Running’s THE TEN (3/29) that was already the second-fastest in collegiate history.

That 30:55.37 conversion is the only collegiate mark within even 25 seconds of Parker Valby’s 30:50.43 collegiate record. Kosgei now leads the national performance list in both the 5,000m and 10,000m with No. 2 NCAA All-Time performances in both.

Behind her, Christina Nisoli ran a 36:05.55 (34:54.28 converted) in her first collegiate 10,000m race. That time puts her just outside of NCAA Regional Qualifying range at No. 59 in the West – she’ll likely get another attempt at a 10K qualifier at sea level when the Lobos head to Fresno for MWC Outdoor Championships.

MEN’S 3000-METER STEEPLECHASE
Evans Kiplagat – 1st – 9:08.56 (8:54.33@)
• Collegiate Steeplechase Debut, UNM #9 All-Time
Kipruto Koech – 2nd – 9:53.89 (9:38.49@)
• Collegiate Steeplechase Debut

Evans Kiplagat made his steeplechase debut with a converted time that ranks No. 9 among UNM performances all-time but coming up just shy of NCAA Regional Qualifying territory at No. 51 in the West Region. Behind him, freshman Kipruto Koech came second in 9:53.89 (9:38.49@).

WOMEN’S 3000-METER STEEPLECHASE
Millie Freeland – 1st – 11:28.45 (11:10.59@)
• Collegiate Steeplechase Debut
Katrina Endres – 2nd – 11:37.64 (11:19.55@)
• Collegiate Steeplechase Debut
Sylvia Schwedler – 3rd – 11:54.27 (11:35.74@)
• Collegiate Steeplechase Debut

True freshmen Freeland, Endres and Schwedler all made their collegiate debuts on the women’s side as well, clocking times that rank 15th, 18th and 22nd in the Mountain West this year after conversions.