COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – New Mexico distance runners Habtom Samuel and Pamela Kosgei are the 2025-26 Mountain West Male and Female Athlete of the Year, respectively. This is the first time in league history that one school has produced both award winners in the same year.

Established by the Mountain West Joint Council in May 2010, the MW Athlete of the Year Awards are bestowed annually to one male and one female student-athlete who achieved athletic excellence during the past academic year. In addition to superior athletic achievement, MW Athlete of the Year Award criteria require that nominees be in good academic standing throughout their season of competition and demonstrate good character and conduct on and off the playing field.

Samuel is the third New Mexico athlete to earn MW Male Athlete of the Year honors and first since Josh Kerr (track & field) in 2016-17.

A native of Keren, Eritrea, Samuel won four NCAA championships in 2025-26. He concluded the cross country season with a NCAA Men’s Cross Country title, setting a Mountain West record with a time of 28:33.9. In the indoor track & field season, Samuel became the first MW athlete to win the NCAA 5,000m title (13:36.58). He wrapped his junior year with a pair of titles at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, winning 5,000m (13:38.93) and 10,000m (27:51.31) titles. Samuel is just the sixth athlete to complete the distance double at the same championship in the 21st century.

In May, at the LA Track Fest, he set not only a collegiate record but also registered the fastest time in the world, running the 5,000m in 12:57.23.

Samuel, who earned 2025 USTFCCCA Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year in January, was recently named a semifinalist for The Bowerman, the highest individual honor in collegiate track & field, for the second time in his career.

Kosgei, who also earned MW Female Athlete of the Year honors last year, is the first back-to-back winner since 2016-17 when Boise State’s Allie Ostrander completed a three-peat.

The native of Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya, began her year with her second straight Mountain West Women’s Cross Country individual title, becoming just the fourth ever MW women’s cross country athlete to win back-to-back individual championships. Kosgei went on to lead New Mexico to a fourth-place team finish at the 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships. This was the Lobos third top-five finish in the last five seasons.

In the indoor track & field season, she won Mountain West titles in the 3,000m (8:58.58) and 5,000m (15:32.15), setting meet records for both events and earned MW Women’s Track Performer of the Meet. At the NCAA championship, Kosgei was the national runner-up in the 3,000m and finished third in the 5,000m. She was named the Mountain West Indoor Women’s Student-Athlete of the Year.

In May at the 2026 Mountain West Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Kosgei won her second straight 3,000m steeplechase championship (9:44.25) before finishing national runner-up in the 10,000m and fifth place in the 5,000m at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

MW MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR ALL-TIME LIST OF HONOREES
2025-26
Habtom Samuel, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country, New Mexico
Pamela Kosgei, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country, New Mexico
2024-25
Ashton Jeanty, Football, Boise State
Pamela Kosgei, Women’s Track & Field, New Mexico
2023-24
Trey Taylor, Football, Air Force
Mya Lesnar, Women’s Track & Field, Colorado State
2022-23
Sam Gilman, Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country, Air Force
Amelia Mazza-Downie, Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country, New Mexico
2021-22
Trey McBride, Football, Colorado State
Kristie Schoffield, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Boise State
2020-21
Avery Williams, Football, Boise State
Mahala Norris, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Air Force
2019-20
Malachi Flynn, Men’s Basketball, San Diego State
Weini Kelati, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, New Mexico
2018-19
Ryan Jensen, Baseball, Fresno State
Allie Ostrander, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, Boise State
2017-18
Rashaad Penny, Football, San Diego State
Allie Ostrander, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field, Boise State
2016-17
Josh Kerr, Men’s Track & Field, New Mexico
Allie Ostrander, Women’s Track & Field, Boise State
2015-16
Patrick Corona, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Air Force
Courtney Frerichs, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, New Mexico
2014-15
Garrett Grayson, Football, Colorado State
Emma Bates, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Boise State
2013-14
Derek Carr, Football, Fresno State
Emma Bates, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Boise State
2012-13
DJ Peterson, Baseball, New Mexico
Shanieka Thomas, Women’s Track & Field, San Diego State
2011-12
Kurt Felix, Men’s Track & Field, Boise State
Whitney Gipson, Women’s Track & Field, TCU
2010-11
Jimmer Fredette, Men’s Basketball, BYU
Danielle Minch, Women’s Volleyball, Colorado State
2009-10
Jerry Hughes, Football, TCU
Jodi Ewart, Women’s Golf, New Mexico