UNM Sweeps Mountain West Cross Country Titles
The University of New Mexico men's and women's cross country teams both captured Mountain West Championship titles in Reno, Nevada.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Running
The UNM men's and women's cross country teams won the 2026 Mountain West Championships in Reno, Nevada, sweeping the day's team titles. The women's team scored 19 points and placed ten runners inside the top 20.
Why it matters
The sweep extends the Lobos' run of conference dominance, with the women's program winning three straight Mountain West titles and the men's program winning four straight. The results also set the stage for the UNM men's team to host the NCAA Mountain Regional Championship at home.
The UNM women's team has won 18 Mountain West titles in the last 19 years, and the men's team has won 10 titles since 2009. The top seven men's finishers were all Lobos, and the men's total of 15 points matched a school record for lowest team score.
The players
Pamela Kosgei
Kosgei is a University of New Mexico distance runner who won the individual women's Mountain West title and became the first woman to win three consecutive conference individual championships.
Evans Kiplagat
Kiplagat is a University of New Mexico distance runner who won the individual men's Mountain West title, leading the Lobos' sweep of the top seven men's finishing spots.
The details
Pamela Kosgei won the individual women's Mountain West title, becoming the first woman to win three consecutive individual conference titles. Evans Kiplagat took the individual men's crown as the Lobos swept the top spots in the men's race.
Timeline
Monday, November 2, 2026: UNM teams won the Mountain West Championships in Reno, Nevada.
Friday, November 13, 2026: UNM hosts the NCAA Mountain Regional Championship at the North Course in Albuquerque.
Season Trajectory
The sweep extends a run of dominance that has made UNM the defining program in Mountain West cross country, with the women winning 18 of the last 19 conference titles. The men's four straight titles and ten since 2009 position the Lobos as the team to beat heading into the NCAA Mountain Regional.
The NCAA Mountain Regional on November 13 will determine which teams advance to the national championship, so fans planning to attend can plan for a home race at the North Course. Fantasy and betting interest in individual runners like Kosgei and Kiplagat may shift as the regional approaches.
The takeaway
Sustained team success in cross country often rests on depth, as shown by the UNM men's top seven finishers all being Lobos. Following a team's full scoring lineup, not just its top individual, gives a clearer picture of how it will perform at regionals.
What happens next
The UNM men's cross country team will host the NCAA Mountain Regional Championship at the North Course on Friday, November 13, 2026.
Further reading
For more on distance racing, see the Running section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOB.
