New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel was named USTFCCCA Co-National Men’s Athlete of the Week on April 20 after breaking his own collegiate outdoor 5,000-meter record at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The announcement was made by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
The recognition highlights Samuel’s strong performance in a competitive field, as he finished with a time of 13:03.47, surpassing his previous NCAA Outdoor 5K record. This award marks his fifth National Athlete of the Week honor and his fourth during this academic year.
Samuel shares this week’s distinction with Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum, who set a new outdoor 1,500-meter record at the Oregon Team Invitational in Eugene. Earlier this academic year, Samuel received similar honors for achievements in cross country and indoor track events.
During Saturday’s race in Azusa, Samuel surged ahead with a fast final kick—clocking 1:58 over the last two laps—to win against what was described as “the fastest field of the night.” He finished well ahead of Oklahoma State’s Deni Kipngetich (13:13.43) and BYU’s Tayvon Kitchen (13:16.27). The previous best national time heading into that weekend was Birnbaum’s 13:19.73.
Samuel is now considered a leading contender for both the 5K and 10K titles at June’s NCAA Outdoor Championships.
