The spring of 2025 will go down as one of the most memorable in Lobo history—and it’s still echoing with honors, records, and firsts.
Oriach Earns National Recognition After Dominant Season
Lobo slugger Jordy Oriach capped off a sensational season by being named to the NCBWA All-America Third Team, becoming the first University of New Mexico baseball player to earn All-America honors since Luis Gonzalez and Carl Stajduhar did it in 2017. Oriach is now the 28th All-American in program history.
A native of Haverhill, Mass., Oriach’s season was nothing short of electric. The junior finished with a .388 batting average, 83 hits, 25 doubles, 16 home runs, and 63 RBIs over 52 starts. He led the Mountain West in nearly every major offensive category—hits, doubles, total bases (160), runs scored, on-base percentage (.470), and slugging (.748). His defensive perfection (zero errors) made him a true two-way standout.
Nationally, Oriach’s numbers stood out just as much. He ranked No. 3 in doubles, No. 21 in hits, No. 29 in batting average, and No. 48 in RBIs per game. His contributions helped lift New Mexico to a 30-23 record and a nation-leading .339 team batting average, as well as NCAA-best totals in doubles (148) and doubles per game (2.85).
Student-Athletes Deliver Big in the Classroom
While UNM athletes shone on the field, they were just as dominant off of it.
In a record-setting academic performance, Lobo student-athletes posted a 3.54 GPA in the spring semester—the second-best ever for a non-COVID term—and combined with a 3.55 in the fall for the highest single-year GPA in school history.
Female student-athletes set the tone, turning in an incredible 3.72 GPA, highlighted by women’s golf, which posted a 4.04—the fifth time the program has hit 4.0 or higher. Softball (3.70) and women’s track & field (3.74) both notched program records while sweeping Mountain West team titles.
On the men’s side, UNM recorded a 3.38 GPA, the second-best in history. Football posted a program-best 3.36 GPA, a dramatic jump in the first semester under head coach Jason Eck, while men’s golf turned in a staggering 3.97 GPA, the highest among men’s teams.
In total, nine of UNM’s 14 programs recorded top-five GPAs for their teams, and 100 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA, with 339 reaching 3.0 or better.
Lobos Tennis Headed to ITA Kickoff Weekend
Fresh off a Mountain West tournament title, UNM men’s tennis has been selected for the prestigious ITA Kickoff Weekend, where they’ll head to UCLA as the No. 4 seed to face the host Bruins on January 25, 2026. Depending on results, the Lobos will take on either UC Santa Barbara or Pacific the following day.
It’s a continuation of a breakthrough season under first-year head coach Rob Bareford, who guided UNM to a 16-9 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance, including a gritty showing against No. 5 Stanford.
NCAA Track & Field Championships: Lobos Rewrite the Record Books
At the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, New Mexico established itself as a national powerhouse, combining for a school-record 56 points and earning top-10 finishes for both men and women—the only non-Power Five program in the nation to accomplish that feat in 2025.
Kosgei Makes History
Pamela Kosgei completed the rare 5K/10K double, becoming just the fifth woman in NCAA history to sweep both events. She held off a furious final lap from Boston’s Vera Sjoberg to claim the 5,000-meter title in 15:33.96, and was joined on the podium by teammate Marion Jepngetich, who placed fourth. Kosgei’s sweep is the first for a Lobo woman, and helped UNM finish 9th in the nation with 25 points—just shy of the 2019 program-best of 27.
Men Finish 5th; Samuel Leads the Nation
The Lobo men finished fifth overall, tying their best NCAA result (1967) and setting a new program scoring record with 31 points. Habtom Samuel delivered two second-place finishes in the 5K and 10K, tallying 16 points—more than all but 16 full teams in the country—and earning his ninth career First Team All-America honor, a new UNM record.
He was joined in the 5K final by Ishmael Kipkurui, who placed seventh, and Mathew Kosgei, who placed sixth in the 3,000m steeplechase with a UNM record 8:23.70.
It marks the first time in school history both Lobo teams have placed in the top 10 at the same NCAA Outdoor Championships—and UNM is now the only program in America to achieve that along with Top 10 finishes in both men’s and women’s cross country this academic year.