Oklahoma State University Athletics
Valentina Medina
April 19, 2003 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Medina was one of the more successful Cowgirls in 2001-02, in what was only her first season of eligibility. She was a major part of the Cowgirls nationally ranked cross country team, and enjoyed some individual success on the track in the spring.
Medina only got stronger as the cross country season progressed. She ran the 6k at the Chili Pepper in Fayetteville, Ark. in al time of 21:39. She bettered that time two weeks later at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships with a time of 21:25 and a 13th place finish. Her time of 21:22 at the Midwest Regional meet was even stronger and she came across the line in ninth.
That progression came to a screeching halt as she was one of the Cowgirls feeling ill before the NCAA meet in Greenville, S.C. Medina finished 130th with a time over 22 minutes. It was by far her worst race of the season, but head coach Catrina Acosta could not have been more pleased given the circumstances.
Medina recovered quickly and had a fine season in track and field. Her main events were the mile and the distance races.
In the mile run, Medina ran a time of 4:42.24 at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Lincoln, Neb. Her time would have set the new Big 12 meet record had she not finished third in the race, but it did qualify her for the 2002 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
At the NCAA meet in Fayetteville, Medina made another strong showing in the mile, but failed to qualify for the finals in what was an extremely fast preliminary round.
The Cowgirls struggled to find a place to compete for much of the outdoor track season due to weather conditions. When they did make it out to the track, Medina was tough to beat as usual. She ran an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 1,500-meter run of 4:23.85 at the Mt. SAC Relays.
At the 2002 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Medina was once again involved in the 1,500-meter run. She was one of three Cowgirls to qualify for the finals. Medina had another all conference performance by finishing eighth, but had to battle just to cross the line. She suffered an achiles injury during the race, and has been out ever since.
Medina figures to make an impact during the 2002 cross country season, but will be held out until she fully recovers about mid-way through the season. She will make sure she is heard from in the future.
