UNM track: Three Lobos lock up spots at NCAA Championships

Three Lobos are officially championship-bound.

New Mexico’s Ishmael Kipkurui, Habtom Samuel and Matthew Kosgei all clinched spots in the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships with strong prelim finishes Friday at the NCAA West First Round in College Station, Texas.

Racing in separate heats in the men’s 5,000-meter semifinals, Kipkurui finished in 13 minutes and 28.25 seconds (fifth overall) and Samuel did so in 13 minutes and 32.41 seconds (seventh overall) at E.B. Cushing Stadium. Both finished well under the previous facility record (13:52.98) set by Arkansas’ Amon Kemboi in 2021; Portland’s Matt Strangio had the fastest time across both heats with a 13:25.98.

Samuel and Kipkurui are now qualified to compete in both the 5k and 10k finals at the NCAA Championships (June 11-14) in Eugene, Oregon. The former is set to defend his 10k title while Kipkurui — a freshman from Baringo County, Kenya — is making his outdoor championships debut.

Kosgei finished first overall in Friday’s 3,000 steeplechase semifinals, running a 8:25.41 to lower the previous facility record by 12 seconds. Like Kipkurui, the freshman from Tambach, Kenya is set to race at the NCAA Championships for the first time.

The list of Lobos who did not advance past Friday:

- Cam Watts’ remarkable season came to an end in the 100 quarterfinals, with the cornerback-turned-sprinter running a 10.18 to finish 17th overall. After switching over from football in February, the former Texas Tech transfer claimed Mountain West titles in the 60 and 100, setting a new program record (10.08) in the latter.

Watts has previously said he isn’t sure if he will pursue a future in football or track after this season.

“I just feel like I’m blessed … a lot of people would love to be in this position, and I just feel like you (have to) take advantage of it,” he told the Mountain West Network on May 17. “Whatever happens in the future, happens. And (I) just trust in God and the process to get me there, whether it’s track or football.”

- Brodie Young was also eliminated in the 400 quarterfinals, running a 46.94 to miss the cut by a hundredth of a second. The junior from Glasgow, Scotland finished 13th overall, and just a fraction of a second behind Texas A&M’s Cutter Zamzow (45.93).

- Levente Soos ran a 50.95 to finish 16th overall in the 400 hurdles quarterfinals, and did not make the cut.

- Cameron Miller did not advance in the triple jump, finishing with a day-best mark of 14.65 meters to place 42nd overall.

- Collins Kiprotich (13:41.38, 15th), Vincent Chirchir (13:42.80, 17th), Evans Kiplagat (13:50.94, 25th) and Iker Sanchez (14:01.27, 31st) did not make the cut in the 5k.

Saturday’s events

With the schedule flipping back to women’s events for the final day of the NCAA West First Round, the full list of Lobos competing Saturday:

• 1500m quarterfinals: Judy Rono
• 400m quarterfinals: Rebecca Grieve
• 3,000m steeplechase: Sophia McDonnell
• 400m hurdles: Hannah Kiess
• 5000m semifinals: Nicola Jansen, Alice Seguin, Pamela Kosgei, Brigid Hanley, Marion Jepngetich
• 4x400m relay: Lou-Anne Pouzancre Hoyer, Sofia Pineda, Hanna Kiess, Rebecca Grieve, Judy Rono (alternate), Sophia McDonnell (alternate)

ESPN+ is scheduled to broadcast all of Saturday’s races.