Freshman phenom: Pamela Kosgei dominates the 10k, takes national title

There was no drama. No wild finish. Like nearly every race she has run as a Lobo, Pamela Kosgei started with the pack.

Then she moved up to the front.

Then she took the lead.

Like that, the race was over.

New Mexico’s Kosgei dominated the women’s 10,000-meter final Thursday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, finishing in 31 minutes and 17.82 seconds to win her first national title at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

In doing so, the freshman from Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya, wrecked the previous 10k meet record (31:46.09) set by former Florida runner Parker Valby last year. She is the first Lobo to win the event since Weini Kelati did so in 2019, and scored 10 points (fifth place) for UNM in the women’s team standings.

Kosgei also secured a rare 10k sweep for the Lobos after UNM’s Ishmael Kipkurui and Habtom Samuel finished first and second, respectively, in Wednesday night’s men’s final.

“It (feels) so good,” Kosgei said in a post-race interview with ESPN. “I’m grateful — my teammates, the three of us, in the 10,000 they were first and second, and I was first. I thank my coach for the good training he gives us.”

After starting with the pack, Kosgei didn’t take long to move up to the front as North Carolina State’s Grace Hartman (31:32.15) set an initial pace well under the meet record. Hartman, Kosgei and Oregon’s Diana Cherotich went to break from the rest of the pack 14 laps in. Cherotich withdrew over midway through the race, leaving just Kosgei and Hartman to themselves.

Then, with seven laps remaining, Kosgei made her move on Hartman. The freshman moved outside and ahead of the frontrunner and with four laps left, it was clear Kosgei would have a better shot of potentially breaking the collegiate record than being caught.

She had to settle for a new meet record, casually dominating her way to the second individual title in as many days for UNM.

Up next? Saturday’s 5k final.

“I don’t like (to think about it),” Kosgei chuckled when asked about it by ESPN.

ELIMINATED: A handful of Lobos did not advance to Saturday’s finals:

• UNM’s 4x400 relay – Lou-Anne Pouzancre Hoyer, Hannah Kiess, Sofia Pineda and Rebecca Grieve ran a 3:32.38 in the semifinals, finishing 16th overall. The quartet set a new program record in the event this season, clocking a 3:31.72 earlier this month at the NCAA West First Round.

• Judy Rono ran a 4:13.35 in the 1,500 steeplechase semifinals, good for ninth in her heat and 18th overall. The freshman from Eldama Ravine, Kenya concludes her first season with the Lobos with a NCAA Championships appearance, a new program record (4:09.07) and league titles in the indoor and outdoor 800.

• Sophia McDonnell ran a 10:04.39 in the 3,000 steeplechase semifinals, finishing 11th in her heat and 21st overall. The sixth-year former Bradley transfer was making her first NCAA Championships appearance.