UNM track: Pamela Kosgei, Marion Jepngetich advance to NCAA 5k final

Another race. Another remarkable finish from Pamela Kosgei.

New Mexico’s Kosgei won her heat in the women’s 5,000-meter semifinals Saturday at the NCAA West First Round, soaring down the final stretch to finish in 15 minutes and 51.20 seconds at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas.

In doing so, the freshman from Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya placed fifth overall and qualified for the 5k final at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (June 11-14) in Eugene, Oregon. She previously won the 10k semifinals outright Wednesday, breaking away over the final lap to clinch her first outdoor championships appearance.

There was, however, a little less drama Saturday.

After largely running with the middle of the pack, Kosgei made her move with six laps remaining, quickly catching up with her teammate, Marion Jepngetich, at the front. The two immediately broke from the pack and held steady down the stretch, with no other runners truly threatening them.

Then, with half a lap remaining, Kosgei kicked ahead of Jepngetich and soared down the final stretch to claim the second heat — and another championship appearance — for herself. In just one season with the Lobos, she has now claimed two outdoor championship berths, five Mountain West titles and the second-fastest 5,000 (14:52.45) in NCAA history.

For her part, Jepngetich finished in 15:52.44 to claim second place in the second heat, and seventh overall. Running in the first heat, Arkansas’ Paityn Noe (15:43.45) finished nearly two seconds under the previous facility record to finish first overall.

But Kosgei and Jepngetich weren’t the only ones to advance Saturday: UNM’s 4x400 relay team of Lou-Anne Pouzancre Hoyer, Sofia Pineda, Hanna Kiess and Rebecca Grieve qualified for the NCAA Championships, running a 3:31.72 to finish third in their heat and seventh overall.

The Lobos’ time Saturday was well under the previous program record (3:38.85) set in 2023.

Judy Rono also placed eighth overall in the 1,500 with a 4:09.07 in the 1,500 quarterfinals to advance while Sophia McDonnell moved on with a 9:57.14 in the 3,000 steeplechase quarterfinals; both Rono, a freshman from Eldama Ravine, Kenya, and McDonnell, a senior transfer from Bradley, are set for their first outdoor NCAA Championships appearances.

The Lobos that did not advance beyond Saturday:

• Grieve missed the cut in the 400 quarterfinals, running a 52.66 to finish 17th overall.
• Kiess did not qualify in the 400 hurdles, also finishing 17th overall with a 57.70. But the walk-on from Rio Rancho lowered her previous personal best of 58.03 and the program record; the previous record (58.30) was originally set in 1984 by Shannon Vessup.
• Alice Seguin (16:17.83, 18th), Nicola Jansen (16:24.72, 23rd) and Brigid Hanley (16:40.37) all missed the cut in the 5k.

NCAA qualifiers

Between its men’s and women’s teams, UNM is sending 11 athletes across eight events to the NCAA Championships. The full list of Lobos that qualified this week:

Men (3)

5,000m: Habtom Samuel, Ishmael Kipkurui

10,000m: Habtom Samuel, Ishmael Kipkurui

3,000m steeplechase: Matthew Kosgei

Women (8)

5,000m: Pamela Kosgei, Marion Jepngetich

10,000m: Pamela Kosgei

3,000m steeplechase: Sophia McDonnell

1,500m: Judy Rono

4x400m relay: Lou-Anne Pouzancre Hoyer, Sofia Pineda, Hanna Kiess, Rebecca Grieve