New Mexico's men beat No. 1 Oklahoma State at the Cowboy Jamboree; BYU's women win again
Pasanjo Kitonga won the 8 km in 23:24.4 in his cross country debut and the Lobos scored 28; BYU put six in the top ten for 32 points in the women's 6 km.
Oklahoma State came to its own Cowboy Jamboree on Saturday as the defending national champions and the top-ranked men's team in the country. They left second. New Mexico, ranked second, scored 28 points on the Greiner Family course in Stillwater to the Cowboys' 44, the Lobos' first team title at the meet.
Pasanjo Kitonga won the 8 km in 23:24.4 in his first cross country race, the tenth-fastest time in the Jamboree's history, level with Nico Young's 2022 mark. Collins Kiprotich was third in 23:36.0, Evans Kiplagat fifth and Joshua Abraham sixth, and the race was decided in the last kilometre: at 7 km the Lobos' scorers were 2-5-10-22-24 and in second place; at the line they were 1-3-5-6-13. New Mexico's first five finished within 37.8 seconds of each other. Three days later the Lobo men were ranked No. 1 for the first time in the programme's history.
The women's race went to No. 3 BYU for the second year running, 32 points to Oklahoma State's 64 and New Mexico's 70, with six Cougars in the top ten. Oklahoma State's Billah Jepkirui won the 6 km; Jane Hedengren was third in 19:32 after sharing the lead with New Mexico's Mercy Kirarei for 5 km, and Jenna Hutchins fifth in 19:56.9. New Mexico raced without Pamela Kosgei and Marion Jepngetich.
A September meet that changed the rankings. The course in Terre Haute will have the last word in November.
Sources: University of New Mexico Athletics; BYU Athletics; University of New Mexico Athletics.
