LAST TIME OUT (2026 MOUNTAIN WEST OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS)
New Mexico Women’s Track and Field repeated as Mountain West Women’s Outdoor Champions – the sixth Mountain West trophy for the Lobo women in a row across Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor – on the third and final day of competition May 17 at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium.
With 190 points in total, UNM outpaced its 153 women’s points in 2025 for the highest team score outdoors in program history as the Lobos topped the leaderboard once again. They’re the first women’s team to sweep XC, Indoor and Outdoor MW team titles in back-to-back years since BYU in 2004 and 2005.
They got 165 of those points on Saturday, with 10 in the 100m, 14 in the 200m, 12 in the 400m, 13 in the 800m, 18 in the 1,500m, 26 in the 5,000m, 3 in the 100 hurdles, 5 in the 400 hurdles, 8 in the 4x100m relay, 10 in the 4x400m relay, 8 in the high jump and 8 more in the triple jump.
The men finished fourth in the team standings with a total of 107 points, bringing in 88 on Saturday with 9 in the 400m, 8 in the 800m, 13 in the 1,500m, 18 in the 5,000m, 14 in the 400 hurdles, 2 in the 4x100m relay, 10 in the 4x400m relay, 8 in the pole vault and 6 in the triple jump.
Darren Gauson was also named MW Women’s Coach of the Year – his ninth men’s or women’s conference COTY award in three seasons at the helm. He’s now tied with BYU’s Mark Robinson for fifth-most of any Mountain West coach in conference history across XC, Indoor and Outdoor.
All in all, the Lobos won 11 conference individual titles over the weekend – Tina Nisoli (10,000m), Evans Kiplagat (10,000m), Pamela Kosgei (3,000m Steeplechase), Ajia Hughes (Long Jump), Men’s 4x400m Relay, Women’s 4x400m Relay, Eva Ngom (400m), Taniya Looney (100m, 200m), Habtom Samuel (5,000m) and Marion Jepngetich (5,000m).
EVA NGOM RULES THE 400M
Eva Ngom has enjoyed a massive breakout season outdoors in the 400m, becoming the first woman from New Mexico to run below 52 seconds outdoors in program history and cleaning up at Mountain West Championships with an individual win in the 400m before anchoring the winning 4x400m relay. She’ll contest both events in Fayetteville, where she ranks 13th in the region in the 400m.
ENDRODY HUNTING FOR RETURN TRIP TO THE BIG STAGE
After a breakout indoor season that culminated in double gold in the 800m and Mile at MW Indoor Championships and a sixth-place First Team All-American finish at NCAA Indoors in the Mile, Matthew Endrody returns for his second NCAA West Region Prelims to contest the 1,500m, in which he ranks 16th in the region and 29th in the nation.
HUGHES DOUBLE DIPPING
After a rangy showing at MW Outdoor Championships that saw her win the Long Jump and podium in both the Triple and High Jump, Ajia Hughes will compete in both the Triple and High Jump this weekend in Fayetteville.
Hughes qualified for NCAA Outdoor Championships in the High Jump last season when she was at Southern Utah, finishing 11th at West Regionals and going on to place ninth in the nation with a 1.84m clearance in Eugene. She's set both the UNM indoor and outdoor records in the high jump this season.
HABTOM LEADS THE WAY
Habtom Samuel remains undefeated this academic year against collegiate rivals across cross country, indoor and outdoor, winning the NCAA XC title and Indoor 5,000m along the way before running a new outdoor collegiate record in the 5,000m and No. 2 time in the nation in the 10,000m. He heads to Arkansas not only as the favorite to advance, but to win both events in Eugene after finishing as runner-up in both last year.
Just two days ago, Samuel ran the fastest 5,000m time in the world this year to win the Sound Running Track Fest -- a 12:57.23 performance that stands as a new NCAA and Eritrean national record.
HABTOM AND PAMELA BOTH MAKE THE CUT FOR BOWERMAN WATCHLIST
For the first time this outdoor season, Lobos are represented on both the men's and women's watch lists for The Bowerman, given annually to the top athlete in collegiate track & field at the conclusion of the year.
In the fourth update to the Watch List released this year, Pamela Kosgei returned to the list after dropping off following the third update. She was UNM's first finalist for The Bowerman in 2025 after sweeping the 5,000m and 10,000m titles at 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Samuel has been named to every watch list for the award so far this year dating back to the preseason, going on to win an XC national title and following up with his first indoor championships in the 5,000m. He has yet to lose a race to collegiate competition this academic year since finishing as runner-up in the 5,000m at NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2025.
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