Oklahoma State University Athletics
1999 Cowgirl Track & Field Outlook
June 21, 1999 | Track O
February 25, 1999
Following a disappointing 1998, the Cowgirl track & field squad is looking to rebound in 1999. With a strong recruiting class in place, the ground work has already been laid. A solid core group returns to go along with some of the top freshmen in the country and the Cowgirls' stable looks to be full.
Second-year head coach Catrina Acosta looks to continue the revitalization of the Cowgirl track & field program all the way to the top of the Big 12 Conference. Acosta has brought in help in the form of new sprints coach Shanon Atkinson and throws coach Ty Sevin.
We are looking to be in the top half of the Big 12; that's something we did a couple of years ago, and last season we took a couple of steps back, says Acosta. I think we are more than capable of being in the top half as a team in track & field.
As Acosta and the Cowgirls look to climb higher into the top three in the Big 12, she knows that it will get much tougher along the way.
If all of our kids contribute like I think they can, we should be able to be in the top half of the Big 12 pretty easily, says Acosta.
Sprints
With the return of junior two-time All-American Sherita Jackson, the Cowgirls' sprints squad will try to revert back to 1997 form. One of the top sprinters in the country, Jackson will try to improve on a fourth-place finish in the indoor 200m at nationals and an impressive Cowgirl career.
With an influx of top freshmen, this group looks to have exciting prospects for the 1998-99 season.
The sprint team has probably the best recruiting class we've had in the last couple of years, says Acosta. Stephani Duff, Tiffany Davis and Monique Davis all of these kids are very good in the short hurdles.
We should also have a very lively 4X100m relay team that should be very good, very competitive in the conference.
The Cowgirls will look to make their mark in the hurdles this season, something that's been their focus.
Traditionally, the Big 12 hasn't been as tough in the hurdle events. We tried to recruit more hurdlers because that was a place that we felt we could establish a niche and gain a lot of points.
Krystal Beamon returns as well. She is a former Big Eight Champion in the 4X400m relay and a semifinalist in the 55m in the Big 12.
NaTasha Santee is coming off a strong offseason and will be looked to for scoring in the 400m.
Distance
Coming off All-American honors during the 1998 cross country season, Hanna Smedstad will try to lead her track & field team to nationals just as she did for the cross country squad.
Hanna Smedstad is a champion and a very focused individual . She is a team leader that wants to do great things. She will do anything to help everyone else on the team, says Acosta.
The distance squad contains some very speedy people right now. We are just getting sparse when it comes to the 5,000m and 10,000m. We need more people in that area.
The Big 12 cross country Newcomer of the Year, Alexandra Lindquist has exploded onto the scene and is making a strong statement in 1999. She will be shooting for Big 12 titles in the 800m and 1,500m.
Andrene Thompson will once again be a strong contender in the 800m. She just missed Big 12 championships last season and should be right in the mix of things again this season.
She is such a gifted athlete, says Acosta. Andrene is someone who could go to the next level. I don't think she even realizes the amount of potential she has.
Others expected to contribute include Tamara Dingley and former NAIA Champion Melissa Haarhoff.
Throws
The emerging throws squad will be a major contributor on the scoreboard this season with a wealth of new talent.
Nancy Guillen has spent the last two years training in Europe and will throw the javelin and compete in the weight throw for the Cowgirls. Her ability could earn her a spot at the NCAA Championships as well.
Andrea Holloway, a freshman from Russell, Kan., broke the school record in the shot put in the fall in her first outing in a Cowgirls uniform.
Nancy Guillen is much more mature than anyone else, and she knows exactly what she wants, says Acosta. She is very much a leader. It's very hard to make someone a leader as a freshman, but she is an older student, and she is really getting after it.
Highly recruited throwers fill the 1999 roster, and two at the top of the list are Andrea Holloway and Vanessa Wilhelm. Andrea and Vanessa were highly recruited athletes. I think they will have tremendous potential at the national level as soon as they mature.
Nikki Roady and Karen Rademeyer should also put points on the board for the Cowgirls in 1999.
Jumps
Headlining this group is sophomore Megan Robbins who, as a true freshman walk-on, hit the provisional qualifying mark for the NCAAs a year ago. Even more will be expected from her this year as she shoots for not only a Big 12 Championship but a possible national championship.
Megan Robbins is a tremendous athlete; we are expecting her to step up and do amazing things, says Acosta. She is just a jump away from making some real noise around the country. She should qualify for nationals and anything can happen after that.
In the triple jump, Melinda Jackson should be a consistent scorer and could possibly make a run at a conference title.
Melinda is another person to keep your eye on. She will be a key for us this season, says Acosta.
High expectations surround Megan Toole as the senior from Edmond, Okla. returns and chases a Big 12 Championship in the high jump.
Megan Toole did an incredible job for us in the high jump last season, and we expect even more this season. She understands a little more about what this level is all about.
