Oklahoma State University Athletics
15th-ranked Cowgirls saddle up for Big 12 Championships
October 27, 2005 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
The Cowgirls have brought over the success they had last season, and will look to improve on a third-place finish from a year ago. OSU will carry a load of talent into the championships this weekend, which will include the five scorers and three All-Big 12 standouts they had in last years meet.
“Our five scorers from last year are all racing at the championships,” said head coach Rene Sepulveda. “It is good to have that experience run for us.”
The Pokes are coming off of an impressive victory at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, where sophomore Mary Davies led the team with a fifth-place finish.
Davies will look to repeat her All-Big 12 performance from a year ago. Along with Davies, seniors Michelle Prowse and Barbora Kuncova will bring their leadership, along with their 2004 All-Big 12 performances.
Kuncova, a native of Doubravice, Czech Republic, has been the catalyst for the Cowgirls this season, as she has been OSU's top finisher in three meets this season.
Senior Valentina Medina, who ran in the 2004 championships, has shown improvements this season by running in the Cowgirl's top-five in four different competitions.
OSU will then look for a strong finish from junior Eva Slavikova, who will compete in her first ever Big 12 Championship run. Slavikova, a transfer student from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, has had success in championship races as she was the 2004 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference cross country champion.
Other runners that will look to contribute to the team score will be sophomore Eva Tomankova, redshirt freshman Brittany Hill and freshmen Nina Andersson and Anissa Angelosante. Andersson and Angelosante have both ran consistently in their young careers, while Andersson has scored in two meets.
Tomankova, who has also ran well this season, played an important role in OSU's finish at the championships last season. Tomankova helped the Pokes clinch the third-place finish, as she stepped into the final scoring spot for the team.
The meet will be stacked with strong competition from the likes of defending national champion, Colorado, 20th-ranked Baylor and Missouri.
Baylor will host the meet with the gun sounding off at 11 a.m. at the Bear Run Cross Country Course. This marks the first time that Baylor has hosted a Big 12 Championship, and will also be the first ever collegiate race ran at the course.
