Marion Jepngetich Earns Second Place in NCAA 5K, Claims All-America Status

For the second consecutive year, Marion Jepngetich has secured first-team All-American honors. The University of New Mexico sophomore finished in second place in the women’s 5,000-meter final at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Jepngetich, hailing from Uasin Gishu County in Kenya, clocked a personal best of 15 minutes and 13.01 seconds, narrowly missing the top spot as Alabama’s Doris Lemngole finished first with a time of 15 minutes and 11.71 seconds.

Last year, Jepngetich finished fourth in the same event with a time of 15:35.14. Additionally, her teammate Pamela Kosgei, who won the NCAA outdoor 5K title the previous year, placed sixth in Saturday’s final with a time of 15:15.88. Jepngetich is now the second Lobo to achieve a runner-up finish in the national finals during these championships, following Iowa State’s Mercyline Kirwa, who overtook Kosgei in the last lap of the 10K race to secure a second-place finish.

The Lobos’ track program enjoyed a successful week overall, with the men’s team finishing 14th in the standings, accumulating 20 points, while the women’s team placed 17th with 19 points. This success was highlighted by Habtom Samuel, who won both the men’s 10K and 5K titles, marking a historic achievement in the program’s history. Samuel, a junior from Keren, Eritrea, concluded an impressive season with four national championships across cross country and track and field.

After the 5K final, Samuel confirmed his intention to return for his senior year, stating, “Definitely. I will come back next year.”