In a busy week for Lobo athletics, multiple sports were in action. Not only did the Lobos upend the Red Raiders, but multiple Lobos were given in-season honors.
Lobos Women’s Tennis Makes History at Mountain West Championships
The University of New Mexico women’s tennis team is making a splash in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) Championships. Katherin Jhang and Hsuan Huang were named All-Mountain West in singles, marking the second straight year for Jhang and the first time for Huang. Jhang becomes the first Lobo since 2022 to win back-to-back honors, while Huang adds to her doubles title from her freshman year in 2021.
The duo of Jhang and Leonie Hoppe also made history, becoming the first UNM doubles team to earn All-Mountain West since 2021. Jhang and Hoppe boast a combined record of 17-6 this year, including a dominant 14-3 record in the spring season.
Jhang has been a force on the court, going 16-10 overall and 9-5 in dual matches. Huang has also been impressive, securing several clinching wins and finishing the season with a 17-7 overall record.
On the heels of their individual success, the Lobos secured the program’s first outright MWC regular season title with a convincing 4-0 victory over Air Force. This win grants them a bye into the quarterfinals, where they’ll face either San Jose State or Boise State on Thursday.
Lobos Baseball Crushes Texas Tech, Look to Secure Tournament Spot
The New Mexico Lobos baseball team continues to defy expectations, this time with a dominant 17-3 win over Texas Tech on the road. This victory marks the third straight season the Lobos have split the season series with the Red Raiders.
The offensive onslaught was led by Will Asby, who crushed his ninth and tenth home runs of the year, including his third grand slam of the season – tying a single-season program record. Asby wasn’t alone, with Chase Weissenborn and Khalil Walker launching their first career home runs back-to-back. In total, six Lobos drove in runs, showcasing a well-rounded offensive attack.
Starting pitcher Josh Barnhouse set the tone, allowing just one run in the first before retiring eight of his next nine batters. The bullpen then took over, shutting out the Red Raiders over the final five innings. This win is a crucial one for the Lobos as they fight to secure a spot in the Mountain West Tournament. They’ll look to continue their hot streak when they return home for a weekend series against San Diego State.
Bastien Amat Selected for Prestigious Arnold Palmer Cup
New Mexico senior golfer Bastien Amat has received a prestigious honor, being selected to compete in the 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup. Amat will represent his home country of France on the International Team in this annual competition featuring top collegiate golfers from around the world.
Amat has enjoyed a stellar senior season, recording two victories and five top-five finishes in eleven events. His current stroke average of 70.15 is poised to be the second-lowest in UNM history. He’ll look to add to his accomplishments later this week as the Lobos begin their postseason run at the Mountain West Championship.
Habtom Samuel Named MW Track Athlete/Freshman of the Week for Fourth Time
Habtom Samuel, the Lobo’s freshman phenom, continues to rack up accolades. After clocking the nation’s third-fastest 10,000m race on Friday, Samuel was named the Mountain West Track Athlete/Freshman of the Week for a remarkable fourth time this season.
Samuel secured his NCAA Prelim Qualifying mark with a blistering 28:03.30 conversion in the 10,000m, ranking him second-fastest in the West Region. While not quite matching his personal best of 26:53.49 (second-fastest in NCAA history) set in March, it’s still the second-fastest 10K ever recorded by a Lobo runner.
This dominant performance follows Samuel’s standout showing last week, where he ran the nation’s second-fastest 5,000m (13:13.34) at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
This is the sixth weekly honor for the talented freshman from Keren, Eritrea. He secured two MW Athlete/Freshman of the Week awards during the 2023 cross country season before claiming both the individual championship and MW Athlete of the Year honors for both Cross Country and Indoor Track & Field.
Lobos Softball Completes Sweep of Utah State
The Lobo softball team capped off a successful weekend with a thrilling 6-5 victory over Utah State on Sunday, securing their first sweep of the Aggies since 1989. This also marks their first series sweep against a Mountain West opponent since 2016.
Freshmen played a pivotal role in the win, with Katherine Brunner leading the offensive charge with three RBIs and two hits. Overall, four Lobos tallied two hits each, contributing to a team total of 10.
The Aggies struck first with a run in the opening inning, but the Lobos responded swiftly, taking the lead in the bottom half thanks to Brunner’s two-run hit.
The game remained a tense back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging runs throughout. Key pitching performances by McKenna Guest (4.1 innings, 2 ER, 2 K) and Amber Linton (1.0 inning, 1 BB, 0 ER) proved crucial in securing the victory. Guest earned her second win of the series, while Linton notched her first save of the season.
With this win, the Lobos ride a four-game winning streak against Utah State, tying their all-time longest streak against the Aggies. They look to maintain their momentum as they travel to Boise State for their next Mountain West series starting Friday.