Oklahoma State University Athletics
Men's Cross Country 2006 Season Outlook
October 06, 2006 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
“As a team, we have big goals going into this year,” said Smith. “We want to win the Big 12 Championships and we want to be a top-four team, nationally. We believe that we have the talent and the drive to do that.”
The Pokes' eighth-place finish in Terre Haute, Ind. came at the end of a season in which they started the season unranked. OSU garnered a spot at No.13 in the national polls after finishing first at the Midwest Regional Meet. Their eighth-place spot in the end-of-season poll was their highest since 1995. After graduating only one man off last year's squad, the Cowboys look poised to put themselves right into the mix of national contenders this year.
“We have a lot of experience this year,” said Smith. “That will be very important for us, especially towards the end of the season. Most of the guys from last year's top-ten team are back and they know what the pressure of the NCAA Championships feels like. They know how intense the competition is and they know where they need to be.”
Leading the way for the Pokes this season will be senior Joseph Gray, redshirt junior David Jankowski and redshirt sophomore Ryan Vail. The veteran trio played a major role in the team's success last year.
“We have three very solid leaders on this squad,” said Smith. “These guys have been rock solid for us. They lead on and off the course and the other guys want to follow them. They all have big-race experience and they are not shaken by pressure of the national stage.”
That veteran leadership will be vital in helping along one of the most talented recruiting classes in school history. True freshmen Tucker Weems, Jerhoemee Murray, Sean Fleming and Clay Mayes have shown that it will not be long before they make an impact on the OSU program.
“Having been able to watch them run for a while now, I can honestly say that this is the best freshman class that we have had since I came to Oklahoma State,” said Smith. “They are very focused and that is difficult for most freshmen. We have not ruled out the possibility of some of those guys running on our varsity team this year.”
But the young guys aren't the only ones making a name for this year's class. Michael Breshears, a senior transfer from Missouri State, is sure to have an immediate impact at OSU.
“Michael is a guy that has beaten us in the past,” said Smith. “He was the best runner on the team at Missouri State for the last few years and we believe that he will flourish in our system.”
That combination of young talent and veteran leadership could take the Cowboys right to where they left off last season – running with the elite teams in the country. Smith says that the mix of youth of experience has not taken anything away from the mindset of the team as they approach the season.
“The most important thing for us that we have going on right now is that we have this collective mentality of seriousness and really striving after these championships.”
