Lobos Net 11 PR's, 5 Probable Prelim Qualifiers at Don Kirby Tailwind Open

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Habtom Samuel’s NCAA qualifying time in the 10,000m and Lauren Fowler’s massive PR’s in both jumps and sprints highlighted UNM’s day of competition at the Don Kirby Tailwind Open at UNM Track & Field Complex, with 11 Lobos recording new lifetime bests and five more netting themselves probable NCAA Prelim qualifications in Friday’s competition.

The first competitor of the day, the freshman superstar Samuel ran a 29:00.59 time that converts to a 28:03.30 with elevation calculations – good for third-best in the nation. That time is a surefire qualifier for the Eritrean-born freshman, who entered this weekend ranked No. 2 in the nation in the 5,000m (13:13.34) and No. 42 in the 1500m (3:41.61). 

Samuel had already ran a 26:53.49 – a time that stands as No. 2 all-time in NCAA history – in his outdoor debut at Sound Running’s THE TEN on March 19, but needed a time at an NCAA-sanctioned meet to qualify for NCAA West Prelims in Fayetteville, Ark. (May 24-25) where he’ll race for a spot at NCAA Outdoor National Championships in Eugene, Ore. June 4-5. The top 48 declared athletes in the West Region qualify for the preliminary round.

Lauren Fowler won the women’s long jump with a lifetime (wind-aided) best of 6.42m in a field that saw three other Lobos put down new bests — Elizabeth White (6.38m) jumped a new outdoor PR while Zennia Gonzalez (6.02m) and Lilee Kaasch (5.69m) both also jumped lifetime bests to place third and seventh, respectively. In the triple jump, Kaasch notched a new collegiate best of 11.70mm to finish second ahead of Gonzalez (11.56m) in third.

Fowler also PR’d in the 100m with a 11.44 time that earned her second place ahead of Ophelia Pulley, who finished with a personal best of her own (12.25, 6th). Pulley also PR’d in the 200m (25.20), as did Rebecca Grieve, who led the way with a third-place finish (24.44).

Victor Akhalu improved on his UNM outdoor program record in the men’s 100m with a 10.24 time, one-hundredth of a second out of an event win. Behind him, Elijah Jefferson finished with a season-best 10.58 to place fourth. Jefferson followed with another season-best in the 200m, crossing in 21.26 to finish third overall as the lone Lobo competitor in the event.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Hanna Kiess (1:02.04) and Analisa Ibarra (1:03.65) added two more new personal bests — with Kiess’ being her third improvement in as many 400 hurdles races since making her debut in the event — to finish second and third, respectively.

In other field events, Maja Gebauer won the women’s pole vault with a 4.06m season best — and another surefire prelim qualifying mark that matches the outdoor program record — ahead of Alyssa Gregory (3.90m, 2nd). In the women’s javelin, Carlotta Duenninger led the way with a 36.10m mark that secured her fifth place and Alix Rule notched a new personal-best 30.37m mark for eighth.

NCAA PRELIM QUALIFIERS
After today’s competition, 19 Lobo athletes are ranked among the Top 48 marks in the West Region and thus currently stand as NCAA Preliminary qualifiers. Maja Gebauer (PV), Habtom Samuel (10,000m), Lauren Fowler (100m, LJ), Elizabeth White (LJ) and Victor Akhalu (100m) all put down marks that should hold through the rest of the season in today’s action.

ALL-TIME TOP 10’S
White’s best wind-legal jump was her final one (6.25m), a mark that moves her up to No. 4 on the UNM all-time list. She’s already the UNM indoor program record holder in the event with her 6.39m mark at MW Indoor Championships in 2023. Fowler jumped 6.21m on her her third attempt for her best wind-legal mark, good for fifth-best at UNM all-time. Her and Akhalu’s 100m times were wind-aided, so they do not count towards all-time Top 10’s even though they stand as significant PR’s. Akhalu holds the outdoor record in the event at UNM.

Samuel’s conversion (28:03.30) is well shy of his personal best set in March, but it’s still the second-fastest 10K time by a UNM men’s runner.

Geabuer’s 4.06m mark ties the previous outdoor record in 2011 from Margo Tucker. 4.06m has never not gotten a women’s pole vaulter to NCAA Prelims.

THE YEAR OF HABTOM
Since the 2023-24 season, Samuel has racked up accomplishments at a pace unseen by any true freshman in UNM history. He’ll add an NCAA Preliminary Qualification to an already lengthy list of accolades and achievements:

• 2023 Mountain West Athlete of the Year (XC)
• NCAA Runner of the Week (XC)
• USTFCCCA Mountain Region Athlete of the Year (XC)
• Mountain West Champion (XC)
• NCAA Mountain Region Champion (XC)
• NCAA Championship Runner-Up (XC)
• Mountain West Championship Record Holder (XC)
• UNM Program Record Holder – 5,000m, 3,000m, Mile (Indoor)
• Fastest collegiate mile ever ran at the Albuquerque Convention Center (3:59.12)
• 11th-Fastest 5,000m time in NCAA History (Indoor)
• Mountain West Championship Performer of the Meet (Indoor)
• Mountain West Championship Record Holder – 5,000m, 3,000m (Indoor)
• Mountain West Champion – 5,000m, 3,000m (Indoor)
• USTFCCCA First Team All-American – 5,000m, 3,000m (Indoor)
• No. 2 10,000m time in NCAA History (Outdoor)
• 2024 Mountain West Indoor Track Athlete of the Year