Oklahoma State University Athletics
Marie Nilsson
April 19, 2003 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Success runs in the family as Nilsson’s father Henry was a three-time Swedish National Champion from 1966-68. Nilsson experienced similar success for the Cowgirls during the 2001 cross country season.
Nilsson ran consistently right next to fellow Cowgirl Valentina Medina. Nilsson had the edge at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships by finishing eighth and being selected as an all-conference performer. Her performance helped lead the Cowgirls to a runner-up finish behind Big 12 champion stalwart Colorado. It was the Cowgirls highest Big 12 finish since the inception of the conference in 1996.
Nilsson helped lead the Cowgirls to many more firsts in 2001. The biggest of all might have been the Cowgirls first Midwest Regional title. Nilsson was the third Cowgirl to cross the line at the meet by finishing in 12th place overall.
The regional championship meant Nilsson would get to compete against the top runners in the country. It would mark only the fourth time the Cowgirls would compete as a team in the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The team was only set up for disappointment as Nilsson and the rest of the squad suffered from the flu the week of the race.
Nilsson was the top Cowgirl to cross the line by finishing in 49th position. She led the Cowgirls to an 18th place finish at the meet, which only proved to head coach Catrna Acosta and the rest of the team just how strong they were in 2001. There is no telling where the team would have finished had everybody been healthy.
Nilsson put everything she had into the last race of the season. It showed too because she needed the entire track season to recover from what she was suffering from during the race.
Nilsson is hoping to make an even stronger showing in 2002 since she is no longer running in the shadow of Siri Alfheim, 2002 indoor national champion in the 5,000-meter run. She will get the chance to be the one Cowgirl everybody else is trying to beat.
