COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – New Mexico has swept this week’s Mountain West Cross Country awards with Habtom Samuel being named the Men’s Athlete of the Week, Collins Kiprotich earning Men’s Freshman of the Week and Pamela Kosgei picking up both the Women’s Athlete and Freshman of the Week honors for a second time this season.
Both Samuel and Kosgei were also named USTFCCCA National Athletes of the Week.
MEN’S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
HABTOM SAMUEL, New Mexico
Sophomore, Keren, Eritrea/Al Selef Al Salih
- Set the 8k course record at Wisconsin’s Pre-Championship meet, clocking in with a time of 22:34.6 to break Ky Anderson’s (Stanford) old mark of 23:09 by 34.4 seconds.
- Finished just over six seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher and 2023 NCAA Champion Graham Blanks
- Led No. 8 New Mexico to a fourth-place finish ahead of 15 nationally ranked teams.
MEN’S FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
COLLINS KIPROTICH, NEW MEXICO
Eldoret, Kenya/Friends Bwake Boys HC
- Finished 26th in a field that included 19 ranked teams at Wisconsin’s Pre-Nationals event, crossing the finish line in 23:15.7 as a critical third point scorer for the Lobos.
- Was key to the Lobos’ fourth-place ahead of 15 nationally ranked teams.
WOMEN’S ATHLETE & FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
PAMELA KOSGEI, NEW MEXICO
Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya/St. Agatha Mokpo Girls School
- Secured second individual event win in as many races, breaking the course record en route to a first-place finish in the 6k at this year’s NCAA Championship site in Madison.
- Her time of 18:59.1 was 18.1 second faster than the previous course record of 19:17.2 set by Florida’s Parker Valby in 2023.
- Recorded fastest single split of the race of 6:10.0 over the final 2,000 meters to go from seventh to first.
- Helped the 17th-ranked Lobos take sixth place, finishing ahead of five teams ranked above them and in a field that featured 10 ranked teams overall.
