UNM's Marion Jepngetich named Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Women's Student-Athlete of the Year

After winning her first NCAA title, New Mexico’s Marion Jepngetich was named the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Women’s Student-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Thursday via release. The sophomore from Uasin Gishu County, Kenya finished the women’s 5,000-meter final in 15 minutes and 13.01 seconds on June 13 at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Despite ...

By Jason Griffith for PeeDeeWire

Yahoo Sports reports that After winning her first NCAA title, New Mexico’s Marion Jepngetich was named the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Women’s Student-Athlete of the Year, the league announced Thursday via release.

The sophomore from Uasin Gishu County, Kenya finished the women’s 5,000-meter final in 15 minutes and 13.01 seconds on June 13 at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Despite finishing second to Alabama’s Doris Lemngole, Jepngetich was named the national champion after Lemngole was disqualified for a rules violation.

Jepngetich also claimed a Mountain West title in the outdoor 5K, finishing with a meet-best 15:22.06.

“I’m so happy, and I’m proud of myself,” she said in an interview with the Mountain West.

Air Force’s Texas Tanner was named the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Men’s Athlete of the Year after a season that saw him notch the second-best marks in NCAA history in the discus and hammer throw.