The New Mexico Lobos men’s golf team commenced their participation in the inaugural NB3 Match Play on Tuesday, a four-school match play event designed for television broadcast on the Golf Channel. Competing at Twin Warriors Golf Club, the Lobos achieved a 3-2 victory over Stanford in their morning round. In the afternoon session, they faced Texas, resulting in a 2-2-1 tie.
Following two of the three matches in the round-robin format, New Mexico State currently leads the standings with 6.5 points. The Lobos are tied for second with Texas at 5.5 points, while Stanford sits in fourth place with 2.5 points. The final matches of the event are scheduled for Wednesday, with New Mexico set to compete against New Mexico State and Texas facing Stanford.
In the morning match against Stanford, the Lobos secured victories from three key players: Mesa Falleur, Alvaro Portillo, and Clark Sonnenberg. Falleur confidently led his match against TK Chantananuwat, winning with a score of 3 and 2. Portillo mirrored this performance, finishing his match 3 and 1 over Ethan Gao. Meanwhile, Sonnenberg, after trailing Logan Kim by one at the halfway mark, successfully turned the match around, clinching victory with a 3 and 1 score by winning five of the next eight holes.
During the afternoon match against Texas, the Lobos achieved wins from Carson Herron and Wyatt Provence, while Sonnenberg managed to halve his match. Herron established an early lead in his match against Daniel Bennett on the third hole and maintained it throughout, ultimately winning 3 and 2. Provence had a challenging start against Luke Potter but rebounded impressively, winning four of the next nine holes to also finish with a 3 and 2 victory. Despite not leading throughout his match against Jack Gilbert, Sonnenberg tied things up with a birdie on No. 17, contributing significantly to the team’s overall performance.
Head coach Jake Harrington expressed pride in his team’s efforts, stating, “I am proud of the guys and how we battled today. That morning match against Stanford was filled with ups and downs. The remarkable aspect was that players who struggled earlier contributed effectively in the afternoon match to secure a tie with Texas. To beat Stanford and tie Texas—two teams that are annual national competitors—made for a successful day for our team.”
The concluding matches of the NB3 Match Play are set to begin at 11 a.m. at Twin Warriors Golf Club. The live broadcast on the Golf Channel will air from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. MT.
In other athletic news, Pamela Kosgei from New Mexico has been recognized as the Mountain West Freshman and Athlete of the Week following a stellar performance during her collegiate debut race last week in Stillwater. This is the first weekly award for a UNM athlete in cross country this season.
Kosgei, a highly regarded international recruit from Kenya, made an immediate impact in her debut race, leading the UNM women’s team to victory at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree with an impressive finishing time of 19:50.0, which outpaced the next finisher by 43.5 seconds. Her performance contributed to the Lobos defeating No. 16 Oklahoma State, resulting in a team score of 34 points against the Cowgirls’ 40. Consequently, the UNM women’s team rose four spots to No. 17 in the USTFCCCA National Coaches’ Poll.
Kosgei took the lead shortly after the one-kilometer mark and maintained it throughout, recording exceptional splits of 3:17.5 and 3:13.8 over the final two kilometers. This accomplishment marks one of the fastest 6K times by a woman on OSU’s Greiner Cross Country Course since the NCAA Championships in 2022.
In the latest USTFCCCA rankings, the UNM men’s cross country team remains ranked No. 8 for the fourth consecutive poll since the preseason, while the women’s team holds steady at No. 17 after moving up from No. 21 the previous week. Additionally, the UNM men’s team achieved their highest-ever regional ranking at No. 2 in the Mountain Region, a position they last reached in 2010. The women’s team is currently ranked No. 4 in the Mountain Region.
Moving forward, the Lobos will take a week off before heading to Madison, Wisconsin, for the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals on October 19. This event will provide a preview of this year’s NCAA Championship Course among other nationally-ranked competition.
In further updates, the University of New Mexico Alumni Lettermen’s Association has announced that five individuals—Pepe Caballero (Tennis), Ruben Douglas (Basketball), Kailin Downs (Golf), Mike Solomon (Track & Field), and Jarrin Solomon (Track & Field)—will be inducted into the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor on November 1. Gary Hines (Wrestling) will be acknowledged as the 2024 Distinguished Service Award winner.
Additionally, the 2023-24 Coach of the Year award will honor Richard Pitino (Basketball), alongside Female Athlete of the Year Rachael Hathoot (Softball) and Male Athlete of the Year Habtom Samuel (Cross Country/Track & Field).
In women’s golf, the Lobos recently concluded the Ron Moore Intercollegiate at the University of Denver Golf Course, finishing 13th with a total score of 25-over. Maria Garcia excelled in the tournament, shooting a final round of 1-under 71, which earned her a T-5th finish at 5-under—marking her first top-five finish in her young career.
Lastly, the New Mexico women’s soccer team faced challenging competition against No. 12 Utah State, concluding the match with a 1-0 loss from a penalty kick. Despite having limited shots—three on goal in the final 45 minutes—the Lobos continue their journey in conference play.