Oklahoma State University Athletics
Senior Joseph Gray Poised to Lead Cowboys
October 04, 2006 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
OSU Media Relations
(This story originally ran in the Cowboy Kickoff football program on Sept. 16)
Oklahoma State's men's track and cross country teams have exciting futures ahead of them with bright young stars like Daniel Watts, Tucker Weems and Sean Fleming. But with Cowboy senior Joseph Gray leading the way, head coach Dick Weis' Pokes look poised to be one of the top programs in the country this season.
Gray, a Tacoma, Wash. native who transferred to OSU after his freshman year at University of Portland, is coming off a junior campaign in which he solidified his status as a star and a leader on a young Cowboy team. Gray finished 12th at the Big 12 Championships and garnered fourth-place honors at the Midwest Regional in the 2005 cross country season. He then captured a 41st-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. as the Pokes finished eighth as a team.
During the outdoor track season, Gray captured a fourth-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Stanford Invitational. He finished with a time of 8:47.92 in the event, beating his previous personal best by six seconds. Gray then finished fourth at the Big 12 Championships and the Midwest Regional Meet to earn a spot in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif., where he earned a 20th-place finish.
The big stage was nothing new to the Cowboy standout. In the summer of 2002, after completing his freshman year at Portland, Gray competed at the Pan American Junior National Athletics Championships in Barbados with the U.S. Junior National Track and Field Team.
Dave Smith, who is now in his fifth year as the Cowboy assistant coach, says it is Gray's work ethic that has propelled him into being the athlete that he is today.
“Joe has outworked so many people to get to this point in his career,” Smith said. “He might not be as athletic as some of the guys he competes against, but he is so successful because he out works, out desires and out competes those guys.”
Gray credits much of his hard work and success to the conditions at OSU, as well as the athletes and coaches in the Cowboy program.
“Training in the hot and humid weather in Stillwater has made me a lot tougher,” said Gray. “Also, being around guys that are at the same level as me and being able to train with them has helped make me better.”
“The coaches have done a lot as well. Dave (Smith) is such a good motivator and gets me to the point where I want to run my very best, and Coach Weis has been so good to me that I never want to let him down.”
With OSU's last two recruiting classes bringing in some of the best young talent in the country, Gray feels that he can have a part in helping the younger Cowboys develop at the college level.
“We have a lot of self-motivated young guys here that are going to be really good,” said Gray. “So I am not worried about teaching them by telling them how to work and train. I just want to lead by example and make sure that I am doing my work and making sure that they see that.”
Coming off a year in which the Pokes garnered a top-10 spot in the final cross country polls after starting the season unranked, Gray looks to lead the young Cowboy squad right back to the national stage.
“I definitely want to see us bring home a trophy from nationals,” said Gray. “If everybody can stay healthy and do their work, I think we have a great shot at doing that.”
