Transfer’s runaway win leads No. 3 Lobos in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — Having sat out last year, University of New Mexico cross country sophomore Ednah Kurgat may have fallen off the radar in her sport. But she is making herself known again.
Kurgat emphatically won the women’s race at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Friday, and the third-ranked Lobo women may have found a fifth runner to complement their stellar top four en route to claiming the team title.
The UNM men added a 26thplace finish as both Lobo programs competed in their final meet before the championship season. The Lobos return to action in two weeks as they host the 2017 Mountain West championships at the UNM North Golf Course on Oct. 27.
Kurgat dominated a starstudded field for her secondstraight individual win and the team’s first win this season.
The sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya, and transfer from Liberty University covered the 6-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 23.2 seconds, and won by more than 16 seconds. Utah’s Grayson Murphy finished second in 19:39.4.
Kurgat is also the first Lobo to win back-to-back meets since teammate Alice Wright won the 2016 Mountain West and NCAA Mountain Region championships. Wright finished fourth on Friday in 19:45.1, over 15 seconds faster than her 2016 time, when she was runner-up.
Charlotte Prouse chipped in a superb seventh-place clocking of 19:54.3. Lobo Weini Kelati also scored at 15th and was the top finisher among freshman in 20:07.5. Alondra Negrón Texidor might have stepped into the No. 5 (the final scoring spot) role for UNM, rallying from 127th place at 2 kilometers and 98th at 4K before finishing 60th in 20:53.6.
Alexander Palm provided the Lobo men with a strong finish, covering the men’s 8-kilometer course in 24:02.7 to place 19th. Overall, the Lobo men finished with 651 points.
WOMEN’S SOCCER: At Air Force Academy, Colo., UNM (9-6, 4-3 Mountain West) fell 1-0 to the host Falcons (7-4-3, 4-0-3) despite an 11-5 edge in shots on goal. The loss dropped the Lobos into at least a tie for third, or fourth if UNLV won its late Friday game vs. Fresno State.
“Air Force played really well tonight and both teams created a lot of great chances,” UNM coach Heather Dyche said. “We need to capitalize on ours better heading into Sunday (vs. Colorado College, also in Colorado Springs).”
MEN’S SOCCER: The UNM men (7-3-1, 2-1-1 Conference USA) seek their fourth consecutive win tonight at 7 when they host UAB (3-4-3, 0-3-1) at the UNM Soccer Complex. The Lobos are 4-1 all time against the Blazers, their only loss coming as a ranked (No. 15) team in 2014 in Birmingham, Ala. UNM senior goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu is the reigning league Defensive Player of the Week after tallying eight saves for an .889 save percentage in two wins over the previous week.
VOLLEYBALL: UNM (10-9, 2-5 Mountain West) hosts Fresno State (8-11, 3-4) in its 10th annual “pink” match to raise breast cancer awareness today at 2 p.m. in Johnson Gym.
The Lobos may have a lineup shake-up, coach Jeff Nelson hinted Thursday after a 3-1 loss to visiting San Diego State that was UNM’s fourth defeat in five outings. SWIMMING/DIVING: In Denver, the Lobo women lost their seasonopening dual meet to host Denver 136-105. Junior Adriana Palomino won both the 200- (1:52.01) and 500yard freestyle (4:58.36) and was part of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay (1:34.70). UNM returns to action today vs. Air Force.