Kelati is first female athlete to capture back-to-back regional titles since 2011-12, leading Lobos to 1-2 finish with Kurgat, but BYU has enough depth to capture first women’s championship since 2003

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

SALT LAKE CITY – The Brigham Young University women’s cross country team and New Mexico junior Weini Kelati have already done enough to show they’re title contenders on a national level.

But just in case some forgot how impressive they can be, reminders were provided Friday at the NCAA Division 1 Mountain Regional.

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BYU’s women earned their first regional championship in 16 years and Kelati repeated as the Mountain champion, only this time by nearly a minute, on a perfect day for running on the 6-kilometer course at Rose Park Golf Course.

Both BYU, the West Coast Conference Champion, and New Mexico, the Mountain West Conference champ, earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind., with No. 3 BYU tallying 70 points and No. 10 New Mexico with 83.

Air Force, the third-place finisher with 107 points, and fourth-place Colorado, with 113 are expected to receive at-large bids. Fifth-place Utah (116) and sixth-place Northern Arizona (146) are also likely qualifiers for the 13 at-large bids awarded for the championship meet on the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.

BYU won even with resting top runners Whittni Orton, who won the WCC Championships two weeks ago in Los Angeles, and Anna Camp. Holding down the Cougars’ fort were seniors Erica Birk, who placed third in 19 minutes, 57.7 seconds, Courtney Wayment, who was fourth in 20:03.5, and Olivia Hoj, who was seventh in 20:07.9.

“Well, we knew that we had a job to do, and obviously we had to make it to nationals today,” said Birk, whose team is making its fifth straight appearance at nationals and 32nd overall.

“So we each had something that we were supposed to do, and I think that’s what each of us were thinking during the race.”

While seemingly avoiding to offer what the strategy was on an expected survive-and-advance type of day, Birk – looking after her energetic young son, Jack, after the race – did say, “I just stayed with Liv and Courtney. I felt like they really helped me remember what the purpose was of the day.”

Kelati’s purpose seemed to change as her race moved along. On what she termed an “easy” day, she made it look easy by clocking 18:58.7, winning by 57 seconds over runner-up and teammate Ednah Kurgat.

“I surprised myself,” said Kelati, who also won the regional title last year, when it was in Provo, Utah, “because this wasn’t the plan.”

In the second loop of the course, Kelati broke away from the front pack and from Kurgat, taking a eye-popping lead. Though she ran fast, she also appeared to be cruising.

“I wanted to come here and just take it easy and get ready for next week,” Kelati said. “But the course was pretty flat and I felt like, ‘I’m slowing down. Why has everyone disappeared?’”

Kelati became the first female to win consecutive Mountain Regional titles since UTEP’s Risper Kimaiyo in 2011 and 2012. She also gave New Mexico its fourth individual regional title in a row and sixth in the past seven years, following Sammy Silva in 2013, Alice Wright in 2014 and 2016 and Kurgat in 2017, the year she won a national title.

Kelati appears at the top of her game and the right time of the season.

“It means a lot to me,” she said of winning the regional again. “That’s what I want to do, (be) progressing every year and doing better.”

Friday also marked the second consecutive year Kelati and Kurgat went 1-2 in the Mountain Regional. She ran 19:55.9 and later said times were not a factor Friday. Leading the Lobos to their 12th consecutive appearance at nationals and 14th overall was primary.

“Our biggest goal coming into here was to make it to nationals as a team,” Kurgat said. “So everybody was just trying to run as hard as possible to get the points to go to nationals.”

Top four individuals not on a qualifying team also advanced to the Division 1 championship. Montana State freshman Camila Noe, who ran second and third for much of Friday’s race, was the first of those qualifiers, placing fifth in 20:04.5. Noe is the school’s first female to advance to nationals since Heather Demorest in 2013.

Southern Utah junior Alison Pray, who has felt like she’s made a season-long upward progression, moved on, though only as individual this year, as her entire team went a year ago.

“I am so excited,” she said. “Honestly, I can’t explain it.”

But then she did explain it.

“I feel like I prepared myself all season,” Pray added. “I haven’t quite felt good in my other races, but I went in today so much more confident ... and went out so much harder.

“I decided that I was just going to take a risk and I was going to go with the big dogs, and if I die, I die. But if I can hold on, then I can hold on.”

UTEP senior Linda Cheruiyot earned her second consecutive nationals ticket by placing 11th in 20:17.1. And

Weber State senior Lexie Thompson became the first female from her school since Ellie Child in 2016 to advance to nationals after finishing 14th in 20:22.5.

Air Force’s likely second national finals appearance, and first since 2016, was led by juniors Maria Mettler (eighth, 20:08.1) and Mahala Norris (10th, 20:09.5).

Mettler credited her teammate for their success, as well as the entire team.

“As soon as I saw Mahala ... we work really well together and draw a lot of strength from each other,” Mettler said. “It was a little tough out there, but I think we grinded through it.”

Colorado, the defending national champion, will likely make its 11th consecutive finals appearance and 29th overall. Senior Sage Hurta led the Buffaloes with a ninth-place finish in 20:09.4.

Utah, the host school Friday, would be advancing to its third appearance in nationals in program history. The Utes were led by junior Poppy Tank (12th, 20:19.4) and senior Sarah Feeny (13th, 20:20.2).

And should Northern Arizona get an at-large selection, it would make its 16th nationals appearance in program history, but first since 2008. Senior Mikayla Malaspina was the top Lumberjacks runner, finishing 18th in 20:27.8.