Peerman's Power Rankings: Exploring Habtom Samuel's feet of greatness

Harvard senior Graham Blanks is an exceptional athlete. In 2023, he won every cross country race he competed in, including the national championship. He then made the U.S. Olympic Team, coming in ninth in the men’s 5,000 meters in Paris this summer.

In 2024, he won all but one cross country race he competed in: The Oct. 19 pre-nationals in Madison, Wisconsin.

New Mexico’s super sophomore Habtom Samuel won that race, beating Blanks by nearly 7 seconds and setting an 8k course record in the process.

It’s no surprise all eyes would be on Blanks and Samuel at the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championship, which was being held on the same course as pre-nationals, though at a longer distance, 10k.

Blanks made his move with about a mile to go and would win his second consecutive title.

But the story of the race was Samuel, a runner-up for the second straight year. After another runner stepped on his foot, Samuel’s left shoe came off at about the midway point. He ran the final 5k with only one shoe. For those in the back of the room: HE RAN THE FINAL 5K WITH ONLY ONE SHOE.

Despite this, Samuel finished only 1.7 seconds behind Blanks, the most accomplished runner at the collegiate level today, and ahead of the 253 other competitors — each with two shoes — at the national championship.

I watched the race on television and when the commentators noted Samuel’s missing shoe, a few questions ran through my mind: Running with no shoes would be easier than just one shoe, right? Think about that uneven gait. How do you concentrate on the task at hand? It’s not like he — or anyone else — practices with just one shoe, anticipating this very situation. Does it hurt? After the race, pictures of Samuel’s bloodied left foot flooded social media and, while on crutches and doing post-race interviews, he said trainers had to “stitch” his injuries.

When Samuel’s shoe flew off, he said he asked the runner next to him whether he should go back and get it and the competitor advised him to keep running. So, he did.

“Tough as nails,” the TV analysts told Samuel in the post-race interview.

Even if he didn’t come in first, Samuel exhibited the sole of a champion.

He said in that post-race interview: “I’m happy I’m finishing the same as last year, runner-up. At the same time, I’m not really happy because this is the perfect time to be a champion.”

That’s the agony of de-feet.

(Hat tip to colleague Geoff Grammer for those puns).

Samuel, you’re a champion in Peerman’s Power Rankings, and you know what they say: If the shoe fits.

Puns aside, Samuel showed exceptional composure and heart on the course Saturday. With two shoes, no one’s beating him.

New Mexico should be proud the Eritrea native is sporting cherry red and silver (and the occasional turquoise). Samuel already has a 10k outdoor track championship to his name (in a race in which he recovered from a fall), and is a shoe-in to win many more titles.

More runners worth cheering

Pamela Kosgei, the phenomenal freshman on the UNM women’s cross country team, also came in second at the national championships. The first-year collegiate runner from Kenya hadn’t lost a race all year until Saturday.

Like Samuel, we’ll get to cheer on Kosgei in the track and field season, and, also like her teammate, it’ll likely be a surprise when she doesn’t cross the finish line first in any race the rest of her collegiate career.

The UNM women’s cross country team finished seventh and the men’s team ninth in Wisconsin.

Two top 10s is fantastic, but it’s only the beginning, says coach Darren Gauson.

“We’re gonna be returning three All-Americans on the men’s side, three All-Americans on the women’s side (and) the goal is to win two championships and to win individuals,” he said. “We love where we’re at.”

Also Saturday, New Mexico Highlands freshman Weldon Chebon earned All-America status by finishing 26th in the NCAA Division II Championships in Sacramento, California. This is the fourth consecutive year a cross-country runner from NMHU earned All-America; Andrew Amor did it in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Coach Bob DeVries’ Cowboy culture is taking hold.

Honorable mention

Highlands freshman running back Tevita Valeti was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Freshman Offensive Player of the Year after leading all NCAA Division II freshman running backs and finishing second among all RMAC backs with 880 rushing yards on a league-high 166 carries and eight touchdowns … The New Mexico State volleyball team lost two matches, 6-1, at UTEP in the regular season. But the Aggies upset their rivals in an epic 3-2 showdown on Saturday in the semifinals of the Conference USA tournament, which UTEP hosted. (Volleyball power Western Kentucky won the championship Sunday) … The NMSU football team (3-8) defeated Middle Tennessee 36-21 on Saturday for the team’s first road win of the year. Quarterback Parker Awad had a season-high 237 passing yards, while backup QB Brandon Nuñez threw two passes, both of which went for touchdowns … The New Mexico Junior College basketball teams continued their unbeaten streaks to start the season. The women (10-0) are ranked third and the men (8-0) seventh nationally … Cleveland running back Juan Muñoz gained 255 yards on 23 carries in the Storm’s uber impressive 56-20 shellacking of Centennial in the Class 6A semifinals on Friday. Muñoz was the star of the week in prep football. … Meanwhile, the team of the week in prep football award goes to the Melrose Buffaloes. The team from eastern New Mexico (just west of Clovis) won the state title Saturday, completing one of the most dominant 8-Man seasons on record, outscoring opponents 700-110.

Meet the editor

Lucas Peerman, Albuquerque Journal assistant managing editor for sports and features, normally visits with the public at a coffee house the last Wednesday of every month. However, since the last Wednesday in November is the day before Thanksgiving and the last Wednesday in December is Christmas, the final coffee meet-up of the year will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4 at Little Bear Coffee, 2632 Pennsylvania St NE. This is an opportunity to discuss in person what you’d like to see in a sports section, or to just talk sports. Longtime Journal writer and columnist Rick Wright will attend.