LAS VEGAS, Nev. – New Mexico's Pasanjo Kitonga was named the Mountain West Men’s Cross Country Athlete & Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, while fellow Lobo Mercy Kirarei earned her second MW Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honor this year. There was no selection for MW Women’s Freshman of the Week.
 
MEN’S ATHLETE & FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
PASANJO KITONGA, NEW MEXICO
Freshman, Isiolo County, Kenya/Leparua Secondary School

• Finished second at the Nuttycombe Invitational (Madison, Wisconsin)  with an 8K time of 22:30.8, just seven-tenths of a second behind individual champion Meshack Kipruto of Colorado.   
• Lowered his collegiate 8K personal best by 53.6 seconds.   
• Led No. 1 New Mexico to its second consecutive Nuttycombe title with 59 points, beating No. 6 Colorado by 34.   
• Helped UNM defeat 20 nationally ranked opponents, including nine other top-15 teams.   
• Advanced from 11th at 2K to fifth at 4K and first at 6K, covering the middle two kilometers in 5:31.5.

WOMEN’S ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
MERCY KIRAREI, NEW MEXICO
Senior, Eldoret, Kenya/Saramek Secondary School

• Placed third at the Nuttycombe Invitational with a 6K time of 19:21.8, finishing just 2.3 seconds behind the individual champion.  
• Improved her collegiate 6K personal best by 29.3 seconds.   
• Led the field at both the 2K and 4K checkpoints before securing a podium finish.   
• Paced No. 4 New Mexico to a fourth-place finish with 157 points, helping the Lobos beat 13 nationally ranked teams, including No. 5 Iowa State and No. 11 Stanford.