Distance Stars Continue To Shake Up Collegiate Record Book

Habtom Samuel left no doubt.

Pamela Kosgei got close once again.

The New Mexico standouts continued their assault on the collegiate record book on Thursday night at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California. Samuel took down Abdihamid Nur’s three-year-old CR in the 5000 meters with his 13:05.87 clocking, while Pamela Kosgei added another No. 2 mark to her ledger with a 14:52.45 effort that barely missed 2024 The Bowerman winner Parker Valby’s year-old CR of 14:52.18.

Kosgei has been on a tear since she made her outdoor debut. In the past four weeks, Kosgei became the No. 2 performer in three different events: the 10,000 meters in 31:02.73, which she ran at the Sound Running TEN on March 29; the steeplechase in 9:15.93, which she ran at the Stanford Invitational on April 5; and then this 5000-meter sizzler on April 17.

Historic doesn’t begin to describe the 5000 meters on Thursday night, though – especially on the women’s side. Kosgei was one of five athletes who cracked the all-time top-10: BYU’s Lexy Halladay-Lowry went to No. 3 at 14:52.93; Florida’s Hilda Olemomoi went to No. 5 at 15:04.65; Georgetown’s Chloe Scirmgeour went to No. 6 at 15:05.40; and Stanford’s Sophia Kennedy went to No. 10 at 15:11.12.

Let’s not discount the men’s 5000-meter race: New Mexico’s Ishmael Kipkurui, who shattered the 10,000-meter CR at the TEN is now ranked fourth at 13:09.24 and California Baptist’s Valentin Soca improved his outdoor PR by more than 20 seconds to slot in at No. 7 in 13:13.10.

In non-NCAA DI action, Lynchburg’s Chasen Hunt set an NCAA DIII 5000-meter record with his 13:41.96 effort, while Oklahoma City’s Evert Silva tops the NAIA all-time chart at 13:27.76.

Don’t forget about when West Texas A&M’s William Amponsah and Iowa Western CC’s Juliana Sakat surged to immortality on the NCAA DII and NJCAA 10,000-meter all-time lists, respectively.

This is just a smattering of what happened in California so far.