For years, the University of New Mexico has established itself as one of the nation’s premier distance-running programs.
Now, the Lobos have achieved something no other school in Mountain West history has accomplished.
Habtom Samuel and Pamela Kosgei were named the 2025-26 Mountain West Male and Female Athletes of the Year, making New Mexico the first institution in the conference’s 27-year history to sweep both of its top individual athletic honors in the same season.
Their historic achievement is more
than a celebration of two outstanding athletes. It also demonstrates that New Mexico has set the standard for excellence in collegiate distance running.
He carried that momentum into the indoor season, becoming the first Mountain West athlete to win an NCAA indoor 5,000-meter championship, clocking 13:36.58.
Samuel saved perhaps his greatest accomplishment for the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he swept both the 5,000-meter (13:38.93) and 10,000-meter (27:51.31) national titles.
He became only the sixth athlete this century to win the prestigious distance double at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Earlier in May, Samuel delivered another memorable performance at the LA Track Fest, running a collegiate record of 12:57.23 in the 5,000 meters. At the time, it was also the fastest time in the world.
His outstanding season has earned him national recognition beyond the Mountain West. Samuel, named the USTFCCCA Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, is now one of three finalists for The Bowerman, the top individual award in collegiate track and field.
He is the first athlete from New Mexico to reach this stage.
“If you’re honored for working hard, honored with some kind of recognition, it’s really awesome,” Samuel said in a video interview with the Mountain West. “It shows the dedication and the hard work. I’m really blessed and really happy.
“This has been a really great season for me, for my teammates, for our program, for my coaches, for the people who are always around me, working hard.”
Kosgei continues remarkable rise.
While Samuel made history, Kosgei was just as impressive during another standout season. A native of Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya, she followed one of the greatest freshman campaigns in collegiate distance-running history with another All-American season, placing her among the nation’s elite.
Kosgei opened the year by successfully defending her Mountain West Cross Country individual championship, becoming only the fourth woman in conference history to win consecutive league titles.
Then helped lead the Lobos to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, marking New Mexico’s third top-five national finish over the past five seasons.
During the indoor season, Kosgei won Mountain West titles in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, setting meet records in both events.
Her performances earned her the Mountain West Women’s Track Performer of the Meet award.
She then finished as the NCAA runner-up in the 3,000 meters and placed third nationally in the 5,000 meters. She was also named the Mountain West Indoor Women’s Student-Athlete of the Year.
Her success continued outdoors, where she repeated as Mountain West champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and then finished second nationally in the 10,000 meters and fifth in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
By the end of the season, Kosgei had earned five All-America honors across cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. She once again proved herself among the country’s top distance runners.
“I try my best in everything,” Kosgei said after receiving the award. “I have gratitude for my coaches, my working hard and my teammates.”
Another chapter in New Mexico’s distance-running legacy
These honors add to an already remarkable streak for New Mexico’s track-and-field program.
Last season, Kosgei became the first Lobo woman ever named a Bowerman finalist. One year later, Samuel reached another milestone by becoming the first New Mexico athlete to advance to Bowerman finalist status.
The Lobos have now produced nine Mountain West Athletes of the Year, tying the most by any institution in conference history.
Although Air Force thrower Texas Tanner and New Mexico’s Marion Jepngetich were named Outdoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year by league coaches, Samuel and Kosgei claimed the conference’s highest overall individual honor after previously being recognized as the Mountain West Athletes of the Year in cross country and indoor track.
Their achievements highlight New Mexico as one of the top programs in collegiate distance running. Each year, New Mexico develops championship-caliber athletes who not only lead the Mountain West but also compete with and often defeat the best runners in the country.
With Samuel a Bowerman finalist and Kosgei still rising, the Lobos have once again shown that Albuquerque is among the best places for distance running in college track and field.
Championships, All-America honors, conference titles, and national records are all associated with New Mexico’s distance-running program. Still, Samuel and Kosgei have taken the Lobos to an even higher level.
Their historic sweep of the Mountain West’s top individual honors highlights not only their talent and hard work but also the championship culture in Albuquerque.
As Samuel prepares for a shot at The Bowerman and Kosgei continues to rise among the nation’s best, one thing is clear: the standard for distance running in the Mountain West starts with New Mexico.
