Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Look to Prove Themselves at NCAA Pre-Nationals
October 12, 2006 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
With approximately 94 teams competing, the meet will feature two university women's races with the field being divided equally between the two.
Each team is allowed to enter up to seven runners in either the blue or white races, while an open race will feature additional runners who travel with the respected teams.
For the Cowgirls, senior Mary Davies will look to lead a talented squad after coming off an impressive third-place finish at the Cowboy Jamboree, on Sept. 30.
Freshmen Tone Hjalmarsen and Hanna Holst have both taken advantage of scoring opportunities in their young careers. The duo will look to gain needed experience at the meet before gearing up for the postseason.
Junior Kim Blomkvist and sophomore Nina Andersson have both made solid returns this season and both will challenge for a scoring spot in OSU's lineup.
Returning for the first time this season, senior Eva Slavikova and junior Eva Tomankova will make their debuts at the meet. The two Czech Republic natives were part of OSU's top-five runners at last year's NCAA Championships and are expected to run on fresh legs this weekend.
In the open race, OSU will be represented by sophomores Brittany Mason, Maria Trejo and freshman Leah Schroeder.
Meet host Indiana State will announce the field of runners for each race on Friday.
THE LAVERN GIBSON COURSE
The course is located at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center, east of Terre Haute, and is rolling and challenging. The Pre-Nationals Meet will be the debut of a new 6,000-meter course for the women, which will also be used at this year's NCAA Championships.
LEADING UP TO NCAA PRE-NATIONALS
Oklahoma State captured its second consecutive victory at the 70th-annual Cowboy Jamboree, on Sept. 30.
The Cowgirls dominated the field of 136 runners, finishing four in the top 15, while scoring 49 points. Behind OSU, Wichita State (79), Texas Christian (81), Tulsa (149) and Kansas State (157) rounded out the top-five standings. The overall champion was Desiraye Osburn as she finished the 5k course in a time of 16:58.
Mary Davies had an impressive performance in the first meet of her senior campaign, leading the Cowgirl pack with a third-place finish in a time of 17:46.
Freshmen Hanna Holst and Tone Hjalmarsen continued to show their young-talent as they both scored in their second meet this season. Holst finished seventh in 18:05, while Hjalmarsen finished eighth in a time of 18:10. Sophomore Nina Andersson and junior Kim Blomkvist concluded the scoring for the Cowgirls as the duo finished eighth and 16th, respectively.
A LOOK AT OSU IN 2006
With a plethora of talent returning that includes five letterwinners, two All-Big 12 and four all-region runners, success is an expectation for fourth year head coach René Sepulveda, as he and the Cowgirls embark on the 2006 season.
After finishing in the top three at the conference meet in the two previous seasons, Sepulveda has been able to lead the program into not only one of the best in the conference, but also in the country.
OSU, which is projected to be ranked near the top 10 when the preseason rankings come out next week, is just one of three Big 12 teams that finished last season nationally ranked.
With a top five possibly set for the Cowgirls, the 2005 Midwest Region Coach of the Year hopes to find runners that could challenge and give added support to the hopeful returnees. Leading the pack of challengers, incoming freshmen Leah Schroeder and Tone Hjalmarsen are prime candidates to fill the void left by last year's departed seniors.
The talented recruiting class also includes freshmen Hanna Holst, Irene Masai and Stillwater native Breanna Tharp. Sepulveda said the young runners will help carry the success into the future of the program.
Having a strong group of returnees along with the talented newcomers, Sepulveda feels that he will be able to have enough potential to compete an “A team” and a “B team” each week.
Among the top returning runners, two-time NCAA qualifier junior Mary Davies is expected to carry on what has been an impressive young career at OSU.
Sophomore's Anissa Angelosante and Nina Andersson, who were two of the top young guns in the conference last season, are both candidates for postseason recognition. The duo will provide OSU with valuable experience leading up to the national meet.
Along with Davies, Andersson will help fuel a talented squad with postseason success as she also earned All-Big 12 and all-region honors.
Czech Republic natives, senior Eva Slavikova and junior Eva Tomankova will play a critical role as the Cowgirls search for their first conference championship.
The Cowgirls return plenty of depth including junior Kim Blomkvist and sophomore Brittany Mason. Blomkvist was a top five runner in 2004, but looks to re-gain confidence and challenge the expected top runners for a spot into the postseason.
DAVIES AMONGST THE BEST
Davies has proved to be one of the elite runners in the conference. She was the first runner in the history of the conference to capture titles in all three distance events (10k, 5k, 3,000-meter steeplechase) at the 2006 Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships. After a fall at the 200-meter mark at last year's NCAA Championships kept her from earning All-American status, the two-time All-Big 12 and all-region runner is a strong candidate for the postseason honors in 2006.
