COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West announced its 2024 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country All-Conference teams following the conclusion of the league’s championship on Friday, Nov. 1. The top-14 finishers in each race at the MW championships receive All-MW honors, as the top seven earn first-team recognition, while those placing eighth through 14th garnered second-team accolades.
The Conference also awarded the MW Athlete of the Year honors to the top finishers of the men’s and women’s championship races.
New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei was awarded the MW Athlete and Freshman of the Year honors on the women’s side after her first-place finish in the 6k, crossing the finish line in 19:36.2, the second-fastest time in Mountain West championship history. She became the second freshman to win the women’s individual title, joining Boise State’s Allie Ostrander, who won it in 2015 and represents New Mexico’s 10th individual champion.
On the men’s side, Habtom Samuel of New Mexico earned the MW Men’s Athlete of the Year award after winning the Conference individual title for a second consecutive year with time of 23:20.7. Samuel is the first MW athlete to claim the men’s individual title in back-to-back years since BYU’s Josh Rohatinsky in 2005 and 2006 while it is the Lobos’ seventh individual title overall.
New Mexico’s Vincent Chirchir earned MW Men’s Freshmen of the Year honors, finishing second overall with a time of 23:41.5.
As voted on by the league’s coaches, the MW Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year honors were given to New Mexico’s Darren Gauson.
Gauson, in his second year, earns the men’s honor for a second straight season after leading the Lobo men to their eighth team title in program history and first consecutive MW championship titles since New Mexico won six in a row from 2009-2014. Gauson picks up the women’s honor after the Lobos earned their 16th title all time.
WOMEN’S POSTSEASON AWARDS
All-Mountain West Cross Country First Team
Mercy Kirarei, New Mexico
Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico
Yasmin Marghini, Boise State
Quinn McConnell, Colorado State
Christina Nisoli, New Mexico
Kaiya Robertson, Boise State
Kylie Simshauser, Wyoming
All-Mountain West Cross Country Second Team
Natalie Bitetti, New Mexico
Klara Dess, New Mexico
Emily Jobes, Boise State
Kensey May, Colorado State
Sophia McDonnell, New Mexico
Ally Peterson, Air Force
Anna Petr, Colorado State
MW Women’s Athlete & Freshman of the Year: Pamela Kosgei, New Mexico
MW Women’s Coach of the Year: Darren Gauson, New Mexico
MEN’S POSTSEASON AWARDS
All-Mountain West Cross Country First Team
Vincent Chirchir, New Mexico
Collins Kiprotich, New Mexico
Joe Hudson, Boise State
Evans Kiplagat, New Mexico
Lukas Kiprop, New Mexico
Michael Mooney, Colorado State
Habtom, Samuel, New Mexico
All-Mountain West Cross Country Second Team
Zach Ayers, Air Force
Logan Garnica, Utah State
Cory Kennedy, Colorado State
Lars Mitchel, Colorado State
Jacob White, Wyoming
Dylan Van Der Hock, Wyoming
Rikus Van Niekerk, New Mexico
MW Men’s Athlete of the Year: Habtom Samuel, New Mexico
MW Men’s Freshman of the Year: Vincent Chirchir, New Mexico
MW Men’s Coach of the Year: Darren Gauson, New Mexico
