Lobos Win First MW Women's Outdoor Track & Field Team Title in Program History

CLOVIS, Calif. – New Mexico Track & Field completed a sweep of 2024-25 Mountain West Women’s Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Championships with their first outdoor MW team conference title in program history on Saturday night, scoring 153 team points in total.

The Lobo men came just shy of an outdoor title of their own after scoring 30 points in the 5,000m and holding off Colorado State in the 4x400m final, finishing second in the team score with 171.50 points – the highest-scoring team outing at conference championships since 2011 (177).

The women put some distance between themselves and the second-place Rams in the final two events of the night, scoring 30 points in the women’s 5,000m final before the Lobos won the Women’s 4x400m Relay by nearly two seconds (3:35.54) to tack on 10 more in the final event of the night.

Darren Gauson was named MW Women’s Coach of the Year for the third time this season after leading the Lobos to their first-ever outdoor title, with Mathew Kosgei earning MW Men’s Track Performer of the Meet honors after shattering the steeplechase meet record with a 8:25.56 finish yesterday and contributing five more points on Saturday night with a fourth-place finish in the men’s 5,000 final (13:39.35). Along with teammates Ishmael Kipkurui (1st, 13:26.84), Habtom Samuel (2nd, 13:30.49), Collins Kiprotich (5th, 13:40.93) and Vincent Chirchir (7th, 13:32.09), Kosgei was one of five Lobo men to finish under the previous 5,000m meet record of 13:46.67 set in 2021.

UNM’s women’s championship is the first Mountain West Conference outdoor women’s track and field title for New Mexico in the 25-year history of the league – the Lobos accomplished the championship with a powerful distance force, with 80 points coming from the 800m, 1500m, Steeplechase, 5,000m and 10,000m. The 5000 meters was the biggest point producer, as the Lobos got 30 points from just that event alone thanks to six Lobos that finished in the Top 8 – Pamela Kosgei (1st, 15:50.96), Marion Jepngetich (2nd, 15:53.29), Judy Rono (4th, 16:11.64), Nicola Jansen (5th, 16:16.59), Alice Seguin (7th, 16:19.77), Sophia McDonnell (8th, 16:23.16). Each of those runners also scored points in another event – Kosgei also won the steeplechase, Jepngetich finished second in the 1,500m, McDonnell finished third in the steeplechase, Jansen finished sixth in the 10,000m, Rono won the 800m and Seguin finished third in the 1,500m.

In total, UNM took home Mountain West gold in four events (10,000m, 5,000m, Steeplechase, 4×400 meter Relay) – of the 28 Lobo athletes who competed in the championship 20 were able to score for the team. The Lobos scored in 13 of the 21 events despite only producing 16 points in field events, with 12 points in the pole vault and two each from Zennia Gonzalez (Long Jump) and Mikyla Harkley (Triple Jump).

Pamela Kosgei remains undefeated in Mountain West title races, with individual wins in XC (2024), the indoor 3,000m and 5,000m (2025) and the steeplechase and 5,000m this weekend.

On the men’s side, UNM’s 171 points was the third-most in MWC Championship history, behind 185 points in 2014 and 177 points in 2011. The Lobos scored 159 of their 171 points on the track, only getting 12 points in two field events while scoring 90 points in the 800m, 1,500m, Steeplechase, 5,000m and 10,000m. Seven event titles led the way for the Lobos (100, 400 Hurdles, 1500, Steeplechase, 5000, 10,000, 4×400 meter Relay). Of the 26 men who traveled to the championship 20 were able to score for the team.

Habtom Samuel’s streak of eight consecutive wins in Mountain West Championship races across XC, Indoor and Outdoor was snapped as he finished second to teammate Collins Kiprotich in the 1,500m and to another teammate and fellow Bowerman Award Watchlist selection Ishmael Kipkurui in the 5,000m — he’ll compete in the 5,000m again along with his specialty distance the 10,000m in two weeks at NCAA West Region Preliminaries in College Station, Texas.

FULL UNM RESULTS FOR SATURDAY, MAY 17

Women’s Triple Jump Final
Mikyla Harkley – 7th, 12.13m (39-09.75)

Men’s Pole Vault Final
Arian Milicija – 4th, 4.96m (16-03.25)
Kyle Hatler – NH
Thomas Alrick – NH

Women’s 4x100m Relay Final
New Mexico (Sofia Pineda, Pietra Campbell Simoes, Zennia Gonzales, Laylah Lawson) – 9th, 47.04

Men’s 4x100m Relay Final
New Mexico (Cam Watts, Elijah Jefferson, Cameron Miller, Melaki Gutierrez) – 2nd, 40.25

Women’s 1,500m Final
Marion Jepngetich – 4th, 4:20.83
Alice Seguin – 6th, 4:21.39
Natalie Bitetti – 8th, 4:23.76
Hanna Bruckmayer – 12th, 4:30.58

Men’s 1,500m Final
Collins Kiprotich – 1st, 3:41.05
Habtom Samuel – 2nd, 3:41.07
Iker Sanchez Lopez – 5th, 3:45.61
Lukas Kiprop – 8th, 3:47.91
Joshua Abraham – 9th, 3:48.14

Women’s 100m Hurdles Final
Pietra Campbell Simoes – 8th, 13.69 (+0.2)

Men’s Triple Jump Final
Cameron Miller – 9th, 14.46m (47-05.25)

Women’s 400m Final
Rebecca Grieve – 3rd, 52.38
Louanne Pouzancre – 5th, 53.56

Men’s 400m Final
Brodie Young – 1st, 45.68
Kahari Wilbon – 6th, 47.08

Women’s 100m Final
Laylah Lawson – 8th, 11.66 (+1.1)

Men’s 100m Final
Cam Watts – 7th, 10.47 (+1.2)

Women’s 800m Final
Judy Rono – 1st, 2:03.91
Meadow Drebert – 6th, 2:09.98

Women’s 400m Hurdles Final
Hanna Kiess – 2nd, 58.03

Men’s 400m Hurdles Final
Levente Soos – 1st, 51.52
Jacob Cavanaugh – 2nd, 51.88

Women’s 200m Final
Laylah Lawson – 6th, 23.92 (+1.7)

Men’s 200m Final
Cam Watts – 4th, 20.94 (+1.3)
Elijah Jefferson – 6th, 21.13 (+1.3)

Women’s 5,000m Final
Pamela Kosgei – 1st, 15:45.13
Marion Jepngetich – 2nd, 15:51.48
Alice Seguin – 6th, 15:59.95
Brigid Hanley – 9th, 16:26.42
Nicola Jansen – 10th, 16:34.91
Sophia McDonnell – 12th, 16:41.87
Jasmine Wood – 14th, 16:48.94
Hanna Bruckmayer – 16th, 17:03.85
Natalie Bitetti – 17th, 17:08.22
Millie Freeland – 20th, 17:20.55

Men’s 5,000m Final
Ishmael Kipkurui – 1st, 13:26.84
Habtom Samuel – 2nd, 13:30.49
Evans Kiplagat – 9th, 13:56.79
Mathew Kosgei – 10th, 13:58.31
Collins Kiprotich – 12th, 14:03.98
Vincent Chirchir – 14th, 14:10.15
Iker Sanchez Lopez – 16th, 14:22.62
Rikus Van Niekerk – 18th, 14:35.99
Thomas Termote – 20th, 14:44.25
Jayden Hernandez – 23rd, 14:56.52

Women’s 4x400m Relay Final
New Mexico (Louanne Pouzancre, Hanna Kiess, Sofia Pineda, Rebecca Grieve) – 1st, 3:35.54

Men’s 4x400m Relay Final
New Mexico (Levente Soos, Kahari Wilbon, Jacob Cavanaugh, Matthew Endrody) – 1st, 3:13.68