Kipkurui, Samuel Advance to NCAA Outdoor 10K Finals on Day One at West Regionals

COLLEGE STATION, Texas –  Ishmael Kipkurui and Habtom Samuel went 1-2 in the Men’s 10,000m semifinal to punch their tickets to NCAA Outdoor Championships on New Mexico’s first day of NCAA West Regional Preliminary competition at Texas A&M’s E.B. Cushing Stadium on Wednesday, with three other Lobos – Cam Watts (100m), Brodie Young (400m) and Levente Soos (400 hurdles) all making it out of prelims in their respective events to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.

With Wednesday’s results, the Lobos have already surpassed their total of NCAA Outdoor Championship qualifiers from last season, when Habtom Samuel was the lone athlete representing UNM at national finals. Kipkurui and Samuel have now run nine of the 12 fastest 10,000m individual performances in UNM history — and three of the four fastest in collegiate history — between them.

Men’s Pole Vault Semifinal
Arian Milicija – NH

Men’s 1,500 Meters First Round (Heat 4)
8. Matthew Endrody – 3:52.01 (27^th overall)

True freshman Matthew Endrody finished eighth in his heat of the men’s 1,500m first round with a 3:52.01, putting an end to his first collegiate season. His personal best from this season (3:41.33) would have been the fastest time of the day – the top performer, Martin Barco of Washington, crossed in 3:44.91.

Men’s 100 Meters First Round (Heat 5)
2. Cam Watts – 10.40 (18^th overall)
•  QUALIFIED for Friday’s Quarterfinal

Watts kept his season – and his bid to become the first man from New Mexico to make it all the way to NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 100m dash since Beejay Lee in 2012 – alive with a second-place finish in his heat, clocking a 10.40 to secure automatic qualification to Friday’s Quarterfinals.

Men’s 400 Meters First Round (Heat 5)
1. Brodie Young – 46.19 (18^th overall)
• QUALIFIED for Friday’s Quarterfinal

Young bounced back from an injury that kept him out of Mountain West Men’s 400m Finals two weeks ago with a heat win and 46.19 finish in the fifth heat – the 18^th-fastest time of the day.

He’ll now advance to Friday’s Quarterfinal, looking to secure qualification for another NCAA Championships after making it all the way to NCAA Indoor Championships for the first time in his career in March.

Men’s 400 Hurdles First Round (Heat 4)
3. Levente Soos – 50.92 (17^th overall)
• QUALIFIED for Friday’s Quarterfinal

After winning his first Mountain West title in his last 400 hurdles race two weeks ago in Clovis, Calif., Soos dipped below the 51-second mark for only the second time in his career to nab the third spot in the fourth heat, crossing in 50.92 – the 17^th-fastest time of prelims.

Men’s 10,000 Meters Semifinal
1. Ishmael Kipkurui – 28:09.32
• QUALIFIED for NCAA Outdoor Championships
NCAA West Region Preliminary Meet Record
2. Habtom Samuel – 28:09.33
• QUALIFIED for NCAA Outdoor Championships
15. Vincent Chirchir – 28:39.89
19. Rikus Van Niekerk – 28:59.55
30. Evans Kiplagat – 29:17.77
45. Thomas Termote – 30:52.63

Entering this week with the No. 1 and No. 2 10,000m performances in collegiate history, Ishmael Kipkurui and Habtom Samuel fended off a late challenge from Washington State’s Evans Kurui as they both took more than 46 seconds off the previous facility record (28:55.56) and nearly nine seconds off the 28:17.98 meet record.

Among the other four Lobos in the field, Vincent Chirchir (28:39.89) finished three spots out of qualifying position in 15^th, with Rikus Van Niekerk (28:59.55) concluding his final collegiate season seven spots away in 19^th. Evans Kiplagat (29:17.77) and Thomas Termote (30:52.63) finished 30^th and 45^th, respectively.

UP NEXT
The first day of women’s competition gets underway for the Lobos tomorrow at Cushing Stadium, with Judy Rono up first in the Women’s 1,500m First Round (5:30 p.m. MT). All of this week’s competition in College Station will be available to stream via ESPN+. Head to GoLobos.com/FollowTrack for all of this week’s live results and streaming links and follow @UNMLoboXCTF on Instagram and X for live coverage, meet day content and more.

TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE