It was a busy week for University of New Mexico athletics, with standout performances spanning multiple sports — headlined by a historic cross country victory, a clutch football win at home, and standout performances from volleyball, women’s soccer, and golf.
Men’s Cross Country Makes History at Nuttycombe
The No. 3-ranked New Mexico men’s cross country team stole the national spotlight at the prestigious Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin. Powered by an electrifying performance from Habtom Samuel, the Lobos captured their first-ever men’s team title at the event — outpacing a field stacked with 17 nationally ranked programs.
Samuel, an Eritrean junior and last year’s NCAA runner-up, clocked a meet-record time of 22:58.0, beating the next finisher by 7.6 seconds and becoming the first athlete in meet history to break the 23-minute barrier. His victory anchored a 51-point team total, as all five Lobo scorers finished in the top 25: Collins Kiprotich (6th), Evans Kiplagat (9th), Vincent Chirchir (13th), and Mathew Kosgei (22nd).
With the win, New Mexico became the only men’s team to score under 100 points, holding off No. 5 Colorado’s 149-point effort. The result marked the fifth Nuttycombe trophy for the Lobos overall — but the first time the men stood atop the podium.
Samuel’s record-setting run also earned him USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week honors, while he and freshman standout Marion Jepngetich swept Mountain West weekly awards. Jepngetich finished 16th with a personal-best 20:10.6, leading the No. 5 Lobo women to a ninth-place finish against a stacked field of 30 top programs.
Despite running without All-American Pamela Kosgei, UNM’s women outscored nine ranked teams, including No. 6 Northern Arizona and No. 10 Colorado, showcasing depth across the lineup.
Football Grinds Out 24–22 Win Over Nevada
At University Stadium, the Lobos football team (4–3, 1–2 MW) relied on a relentless ground attack and a stingy defense to secure their first Mountain West win of the season with a 24–22 victory over Nevada.
New Mexico racked up 210 rushing yards, with D.J. McKinney and Scottre Humphrey each finding the end zone. After a fumble swung momentum to Nevada late in the first half, the Lobo defense — anchored by Jaxton Eck’s 11 tackles and a crucial fourth-down stop in the final minutes — kept the Wolf Pack at bay.
A 29-yard field goal from Luke Drzewiecki gave UNM breathing room entering the fourth quarter, and the offense sealed the deal with a gutsy fourth-and-1 conversion by Humphrey to run out the clock.
Volleyball Earns First MW Win; Canedo Honored
Back home at the Johnson Center, Lobo volleyball bounced back in style with a four-set victory over Grand Canyon (21–25, 25–13, 25–17, 30–28) — their first Mountain West win of the season.
Lauryn Payne led the way with 17 kills, while Addison France added 10 on .474 hitting. Libero Camila Canedo turned in a phenomenal defensive performance, tallying a career-high 30 digs — the most by any Mountain West player in a four-set match this season.
That effort earned Canedo the Old Trapper MW Defensive Player of the Week award, marking UNM’s fourth weekly conference honor this fall.
The Lobos improved to 9–10 overall (1–7 MW) and now head back on the road for matchups at Fresno State and San Jose State.
Women’s Soccer Holds Steady in MW Race
The Lobo women’s soccer team continued its strong conference campaign, earning a point in a scoreless draw at Utah State before falling narrowly to Boise State, 2–1, on Sunday.
Alysa Whelchel scored her team-leading fifth goal of the season in the loss, while Alyson Campbell made six saves to keep the Lobos within striking distance. UNM now stands at 7–3–5 overall (3–1–3 MW), tied for third place in the Mountain West standings with three matches to play.
Women’s Golf Closes Fall Slate in Texas
At the Jim West Challenge in San Marcos, the New Mexico women’s golf team wrapped up its fall season with a T-12th finish in a strong national field.
Sophomore Ava Cepeda led the Lobos with a final-round 1-under 71, finishing T-30th at 5-over for the tournament. Head coach Jill Trujillo praised her team’s consistency but noted room for improvement heading into the spring.
The Lobos will return to the course February 14–16 for the Alice and John Wallace Classic in Palm Desert, California.
Women’s Basketball Releases MW Schedule
The New Mexico women’s basketball program finalized its 2025–26 Mountain West schedule, highlighted by a nationally televised home game against Grand Canyon on FS1 (Jan. 17).
The Lobos open conference play Dec. 17 vs. Boise State and wrap up the regular season March 3 at home against Fresno State, balancing a travel-heavy January with key home stretches in February as they chase another postseason berth.