Pamela Kosgei has been recognized as the Mountain West Female Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 academic year. The announcement was made by the league on Thursday, highlighting her achievements during a remarkable freshman season.
Kosgei's accomplishments include six Mountain West individual titles, five All-American trophies, and two outdoor national titles. She is the first athlete from the University of New Mexico to receive this honor since Amelia Mazza-Downie in 2022-23. Other Lobos who have previously won include Weini Kelati, Josh Kerr, and Courtney Frerichs.
In her debut season, Kosgei was named MW Cross Country Freshman & Athlete of the Year after leading her team to a title with a first-place finish. At the NCAA Cross Country Championships, she finished as national runner-up, contributing to her team's seventh-place finish nationally.
The Lobos achieved a historic sweep of MW Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field women's team titles in 2025, thanks in part to Kosgei's performance. She secured five individual titles across various events, amassing 50 points for her team.
Following the collegiate season, Kosgei qualified for the Kenyan senior national team ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. During the indoor season, she recorded one of the fastest times in collegiate history for the indoor 5,000m event.
Kosgei concluded an undefeated outdoor season with victories at NCAA DI Outdoor Championships in both the 5000m and 10,000m events. Her performance included setting meet records and achieving some of the fastest times ever recorded collegiately.
Her efforts helped New Mexico finish ninth overall in team scores at National Championships with a total of 25 points. The combined efforts of both men's and women's teams resulted in a record-breaking total score for UNM.
Earlier this summer, Kosgei became a finalist for The Bowerman award during her freshman year—a rare achievement shared by only three other women before her. She also received National Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors from USTFCCCA while maintaining a GPA of 3.33 as a public health major.
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