Lobos Find Cruising Altitude At Air Force, Sweep Individual And Team Titles 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photo courtesy University of New Mexico

As dominant as New Mexico has been at the Mountain West Conference meet in recent years, the Lobos achieved new landmark accomplishments on Friday at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

Habtom Samuel led a 15-point perfect score for the New Mexico men, which won its second straight conference title in dominant fashion. 

And the school's other national title contender, Pamela Kosgei, became the first freshman to win the conference title. The women's team scored 32 points and put five scorers in the top 11. 

It was the first New Mexico sweep of the Mountain West since 2011 and 2012. The women won for the 16th time in 17 years. 

Samuel became the first back-to-back men's champion since 2006. 

He won by more than 20 seconds, in 23:20.7, and was followed to the finish line by teammates Vincent Chirchir (23:41.5), Collins Kiprotich (23:52.6), Evan Kiplagat (24:09.9) and Lukas Kiprop (24:16.6). It was the first 15-point perfect score in Mountain West meet history. 

Samuel, Kiplagat and Kiprop are sophomores. Chirchir and Kiprotich are frehmen. 

Colorado State was second with 70 points and Wyoming was third with 80. 

Kosgei, like Samuel, won the NCAA Pre-Nationals meet at Wisconsin. She won her first Mountain West title by 45 seconds and crossed the line in 19:36.2 on the 6,000-meter layout. 

Boise State duo Yasmin Marghini and Kaiya Robertson finished second and third.

The Broncos finished second in the team standings with 52 points and Colorado State was third with 79.