Oklahoma State University Athletics
Jankowski Gives Strong Performance at NCAA Championships
June 09, 2006 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Jankowski finished 16th in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:38.25, capping a strong season for the Idaho Falls, Idaho, native and giving him a lift of confidence looking ahead to his junior campaign at OSU.
“I think tonight was a huge stepping stone toward next year,” said Jankowski. “Getting this kind of experience against the best runners in the country at this point is going to have a huge impact on me in the future.”
Cowboy assistant coach Dave Smith was very pleased with Jankowski's effort in the national spotlight.
“I am very happy with the way David ran tonight,” said Smith. “He has had such a good year and has really put a lot of work into getting to the point that he is at.”
“If you would have told me last year that Jankowski was going to be at the level he is at now, I would have been skeptical,” said Smith. “Now, we aren't even surprised when he does this well because we are just getting used to how good he is.”
Jankowski was the third and final Cowboy to compete in the national meet this week. On Wednesday, junior Joe Gray finished 20th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and redshirt freshman Ryan Vail finished 24th in the 5,000-meter run.
“We are very excited with the season that these guys have had, especially considering they will all be back next year,” said Smith. “It will be great to see them continue to get better as well as a group of other guys on the team that are right on the brink of being where these three are at.”
