Four Mountain West Squads; Four Individuals Qualify For 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships

NCAA Cross Country Championship Information

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mountain West will have four cross country teams and four individuals headed to the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri.

The New Mexico men and women won the NCAA Mountain Regional, sweeping the titles in the same year for the first time since 2010 to earn automatic bids to the 2025 NCAA championships. Both squads bested BYU with the No. 3 Lobo men earning 37 points and the No. 8 Lobo women upsetting the No. 1-ranked Cougars by two points. It was the Lobo men’s second regional title in program history, while it was the women’s seventh overall and first since 2022.

Three-time Mountain West Men’s Champion, New Mexico junior Habtom Samuel, took first with a time of 29:45.3 in Salt Lake City to capture his second regional title, the first from the Lobo men’s program to win multiple in a career. Samuel was one of three Lobos to finish in the top five, while the Mountain West occupied four of the top five spots. New Mexico junior Evans Kiplagat (30:05.4) and sophomore Vincent Chirchir (30:08.9) took second and fourth, respectively, and Air Force senior Jayden Nats (30:08.2) was the third-place finisher, helping the Air Force men earn an at-large bid, the Falcons’ 12th appearance in program history.

On the women’s side, back-to-back Mountain West Women’s Champion, sophomore Pamela Kosgei, finished as the runner-up in the 6k with a time 19:48.7 and freshman Judy Rono joined her in the top five in fifth place with a time of 20:11.1. Air Force senior India Jones (20:42.2) and junior Ella Johnson (20:42.4) took 11^th and 12^th, respectively, to earn automatic bids as top-four finishers not on the top two finishing teams at the regional.

The New Mexico men are headed to the NCAA Championships for the third straight year, and 10th time in program history. The Lobo women will be making their 17th NCAA Championship appearance in the last 18 seasons, which includes a pair of NCAA team titles in that span.

At the NCAA West Regional in Sacramento, California, the Boise State men and women recorded top-five team finishes in fourth and third, respectively.

Junior Meshack Kuyo (29.25.6) was the top men’s finisher in fourth place with senior Alex Thompson (29:33.0) taking eighth place, each earning an automatic bid to the national meet. Capturing the top women’s spot for the Broncos was senior Kaiya Robertson (19:44.4) with an eight-place finish. Her performance helped the Bronco women earn an at-large bid, announced on Saturday’s NCAA selection show, for the Broncos’ seventh NCAA Championship appearance and first since 2020.

The 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships will begin with the Women’s 6K, set for an 8:20 a.m. MT start followed by the Men’s 10K at 9:10 a.m. MT. Both races will be televised live on ESPNU and available to stream on ESPN+.