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UNM TRACK & FIELD

UNM women's track claims second straight Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championship

Taniya Looney named Track Performer of the Meet after winning 100, 200 meter races

New Mexico's Taniya Looney (second from right) runs a 100-meter dash prelim Friday at the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Clovis, Calif.
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Make that a perfect 3-for-3 – or really, 6-for-6 – for the Lobos.

New Mexico women’s track and field won its second straight Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championship on Saturday, clinching a sweep of the league’s cross country, indoor track and outdoor track championships in the same academic year.

The Lobos finished with 190 points in the team standings to secure six straight women’s team championships. UNM had never won a women’s Mountain West outdoor title before last season, when it claimed its first under head coach Darren Gauson.

Colorado State (135.5) and Boise State (86) finished second and third, respectively.

“We were dynamic on the track today,” Gauson said in a post-meet interview. “ … Obviously we don’t do the throws, but we’re scoring a lot of points in pretty much every area. So it was a great championship for us.”

UNM clinched the title with a dominant showing in the women’s 5,000-meter final, one that saw three Lobos earn podium spots.

Marion Jepngetich highlighted the race with a first-place finish of 15 minutes and 22.06 seconds, setting a meet record by 17 seconds for her second Mountain West outdoor championship.

Mercy Kirarei (15:51.11) and Tilly Simpson (16:05.99) placed second and third, respectively.

Pamela Kosgei was a healthy scratch for the 5K final after winning a 3,000 steeplechase title Friday night. 

After locking up the team title, the Lobos went on to win a league championship in the women’s 4x400 relay (3:36.72) behind a dominating anchor leg from Eva Ngom. The freshman from Katy, Texas helped win her team’s fifth event title of the day after claiming one earlier in the open 400.

“I was just happy to bring it home for us,” Ngom said in a postrace interview.

UNM also got significant production Saturday from Taniya Looney, who was named Track Performer of the Meet after winning titles in the women’s 100 (11.09) and 200 (22.81). The Pittsburg State transfer’s win in the former event is the first of its kind in program history.

“I’m kinda speechless,” she said in a postrace interview. “I’m beyond blessed – I transferred from Division II and this is my first time winning any conference (championship).”

UNM MEN’S: Jepngetich wasn’t the only Lobo to set a meet record in the 5K.

UNM star Habtom Samuel finished the men’s 5K in 13:25.96, winning another Mountain West title and setting a meet record by 0.88 seconds.

The previous meet record was set last year by Ishmael Kipkurui, Samuel’s former teammate. Samuel said he realized he had a chance at the meet record halfway through the race and decided to go for it then.

“I (thought), ‘O.K., let me (make) a little push,’” he said in a postrace interview. “‘I have something left in my legs.’ I was just keeping my eye on the watch and just (chased).”

UNM’s men’s team also won a league title in the men’s 4x400 relay and finished with 107 points, good for fourth in the team standings.

Colorado State won the men’s outdoor championship with 200 points.

“We had eight guys in the top 20 of the region, so (we) were going to focus a little bit more (on the) national level for our men’s program,” Gauson said.

Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at . 

Mountain West champions

Women’s 100: Taniya Looney (22.81)

Women’s 200: Taniya Looney (11.09)

Women’s 400: Eva Ngom (51.98)

Women’s 3,000 steeplechase: Pamela Kosgei (9:44.25)

Women’s 5K: Marion Jepngetich (15:22.06) 

Women’s 10K: Christina Nisoli (34:12.20)

Men’s 10K: Evans Kiplagat (29:23.92)

Women’s long jump: Ajia Hughes (6.19 meters)

Women’s 4x400 relay: Sofia Pineda, Lou-Anne Pouzancre, Adyana Shelby, Eva Ngom (3:36.72)

Men’s 4x400 relay: Levente Soos, Valin Wittenburg, Jacob Cavanaugh, Kahari Wilbon (3:09.68)