26 New Mexico Track & Field athletes will continue their seasons at NCAA West Region Preliminaries next weekend in Fayetteville, Ark. after finishing the season ranked among the Top 48 in their respective events, with entries made official on Wednesday morning by the NCAA.
It’s the second season in a row in which more than 25 Lobo athletes make the cut after UNM sent 27 qualifiers to last year’s West Regionals. To make the cut, athletes must rank among the Top 48 in the region (or Top 24 relay squads) in their respective events after scratches, with the Top 12 athletes and relay squads advancing to NCAA Outdoor Championships June 10-13 in Eugene, Ore.
Last season, Habtom Samuel (5,000m; 10,000m), Pamela Kosgei (5,000m; 10,000m), Marion Jepngetich (5,000m), Judy Rono (1,500m), Mathew Kosgei (3,000m Steeplechase), Sophia McDonnell (3,000m Steeplechase) and the Women’s 4x400m Relay finished among the Top 12 in College Station, Texas to advance to NCAA Outdoor Championships. Samuel, Pamela Kosgei, Jepngetich and the UNM Women’s 4x400 have all qualified for regionals again and enter this weekend ranked among the Top 12 in the region in their respective events. Samuel leads the nation in the 5K (13:03.47) and ranks No. 1 in the West Region in the 10K (27:30.51), while Pamela Kosgei ranks second in the region in both, Jepngetich ranks No. 7 in the 5K and the UNM women’s 4x400m sits in 12th (3:31.87).
Of UNM’s 26 qualifiers, 13 are making a return trip to Regionals.
| 2026 NCAA WEST REGION PRELIMINARY QUALIFIERS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete/Relay | Event | Rank | Mark | Meet | Date |
| Taniya Looney | Women’s 100m | 8 | 11.05 | 2026 44 Farms Invitational | Apr. 9, 2026 |
| Women’s 200m | 19 | 22.81 | 2026 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships | May 14, 2026 | |
| Eva Ngom | Women’s 400m | 13 | 51.83 | Desert Heat Classic | May 2, 2026 |
| Lou-Anne Pouzancre | Women’s 400m | 46 | 52.70 | Desert Heat Classic | May 2, 2026 |
| Matthew Endrody | Men’s 1,500m | 16 | 3:37.66 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Jasmine Wood | Women’s 1,500m | 37 | 4:15.19 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Women’s 5,000m | 44 | 15:51.07 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 | |
| Collins Kiprotich | Men’s 5,000m | 17 | 13:25.37 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 |
| Joshua Abraham | Men’s 1,500m | 34 | 3:39.55 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 |
| Tilly Simpson | Women’s 1,500m | 24 | 4:12.32 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Women’s 5,000m | 21 | 15:34.23 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 | |
| Li-Mari Dekker | Women’s 1,500m | 43 | 4:15.90 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Habtom Samuel | Men’s 5,000m | 1 | 13:03.47 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Men’s 10,000m | 1 | 27:30.51 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 | |
| Iker Sanchez Lopez | Men’s 5,000m | 24 | 13:29.11 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Vincent Chirchir | Men’s 5,000m | 27 | 13:31.75 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Men’s 10,000m | 11 | 28:00.39 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 | |
| Evans Kiplagat | Men’s 5,000m | 37 | 13:36.31 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Men’s 10,000m | 10 | 27:59.71 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 | |
| Pamela Kosgei | Women’s 5,000m | 2 | 15:03.09 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Women’s 10,000m | 2 | 30:49.99 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 | |
| Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase | 2 | 9:44.25 | 2026 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships | May 14, 2026 | |
| Marion Jepngetich | Women’s 5,000m | 7 | 15:19.93 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| Mercy Kirarei | Women’s 5,000m | 24 | 15:38.36 | Payton Jordan Invitational | May 1, 2026 |
| Women’s 10,000m | 16 | 32:34.65 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 | |
| Christina Nisoli | Women’s 10,000m | 24 | 33:07.15 | Stanford Invitational | Apr. 3, 2026 |
| Adryana Shelby | Women’s 100m Hurdles | 17 | 13.19 | 2026 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships | May 14, 2026 |
| Levente Soos | Men’s 400m Hurdles | 36 | 50.89 | 2026 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships | May 14, 2026 |
| Kylie Feeney | Women’s 800m | 69 | 2:06.15 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 |
| New Mexico | Women’s 4x400m Relay | 20 | 3:31.87 | Desert Heat Classic | May 2, 2026 |
| Ajia Hughes | Women’s High Jump | 17 | 1.83m / 6-0 | Desert Heat Classic | May 2, 2026 |
| Women’s Triple Jump | 48 | 12.78m / 41-11.25 | 2026 Bryan Clay Invitational | Apr. 16, 2026 | |
| Arian Milicija | Men’s Pole Vault | 43 | 5.23m / 17-1.75 | 2026 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships | May 14, 2026 |
| Mackenzie Hurtubise | Women’s Pole Vault | 26 | 4.23m / 13-10.5 | 2026 Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships | May 14, 2026 |