Oklahoma State University Athletics
Countdown To The Jamboree: Coach's Update
October 03, 2008 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
With the Cowboy Jamboree only one day away, the men's and women's coaches talk about this year's meet and what the Cowboy Jamboree has meant to them in their time at Oklahoma State.
Men's coach Dave Smith:
On his goals heading into Jamboree:
"This is the first race of the season for most of our guys so we keep the goals pretty simple. We want to win the race and defend our home course. Individually, each of the guys is really just trying to knock a bit of the rust off, see what the fitness levels are and most importantly, stay healthy."
On who he expects to contribute Saturday:
"We are racing 16 or 17 guys and really each of them could find himself in our top 7, so there are a lot of guys that could contribute. We have a fantastic core group of veterans that I have a great deal of confidence in. Vail, Chirchir, Watts and Barnes-Smith are all seasoned and have run this meet several times so they know what to expect. Their attitude and approach will set the tone for the younger guys and, with those guys in leadership roles, we as coaches have a lot less to worry about. I am probably most excited about watching some of the younger guys run. The red-shirt freshmen, Little, Mathis, Stublaski and Lusk all had great summers of training and look vastly improved from where they were this time last year, which is great news for us."
On how the Cowboys train for the Jamboree compared to another event:
"We don't really approach races much differently based on whether or not they are home or away. The bigger factor is the time of the year, the way the guys are feeling, and the goals for the particular meet. "
On what the Cowboy Jamboree means to him:
"The Jamboree is really a special meet due, in large part, to the rich history and strong tradition surrounding it. This is the 72nd consecutive running of the Jamboree, making it the longest continuously running cross country meet in the country. Many of the best teams in the history of the sport have run this meet over the years; national championship teams. The same is true for individuals. Countless All Americans, several national champions and many future Olympians have come through the Jamboree. There have been some classic battles over the years in terms of both team and individual competitions, and tradition like that gives extra meaning to the race. The guys also have a tremendous amount of pride in defending their home course at the Jamboree, which has been pretty tough to do. The meet has been so competitive that even our best teams, our top 10 NCAA teams, have struggled to win it. In fact, last year was the first time in over 10 years that we managed to pull off the win. The Jamboree is also invaluable from a technical aspect. Our guys have run this course many times. They know it well. They know what some of those elite runners have done at the Jamboree so they know how to measure themselves versus the greats from the past. They know, for example, that running a given time at the Jamboree tends to indicate a given finishing place range at the NCAA meet. The Jamboree is also extremely valuable to us as coaches because we gather a lot of information about where we are as a group from this race and we can make adjustments to our training accordingly."
On trying to use this event to lay the foundation for a strong year:
"Yeah, without a doubt. As cliché as it might sound, last year we really tried to focus on one race at a time and tried to build momentum with each step. I really believe that winning the Jamboree was the key first step to the third-place finish at the NCAA championships. We came out and competed really well and raced with an aggressive attitude. Winning over a very talented field gave us a huge shot of confidence and allowed us to take the next step in terms of expectation for the rest of the season. That win sent a message, mostly to ourselves, that we were ready to compete with the best in the NCAA. All of a sudden, a trophy finish (top four) at the NCAA meet became a real possibility. We are taking the same approach this year and want to set the tone at the Jamboree."
Women's coach Rene Sepulveda:
On his goals heading into the Jamboree:
"It's our first competition for the entire team. Our goal is for the freshmen and the upperclassmen to work together and gel as a team."
On who he is expecting to contribute Saturday:
"I expect Mihaela Susa, Tone Hjalmarsen, Natalia Kovtun, Leah Schroeder, Victoria Fratczak, Brittani Johnson and Kristen Gillespie to all be contributors."
On what the Cowboy Jamboree means to him:
"Since we have no home competitions in track, this is our only home event for our program. The team takes pride in our course and appreciates its importance to our program."
On what the meet means to the season:
"It's our first meet, for sure we're trying to lay foundation for rest of season."
On how the Cowgirls train for the Jamboree compared to another event:
"We train the same for each meet. Of course, we tend to run a little more on the course the week prior to Jamboree."
On the race Saturday:
"I feel that OSU has one of the best cross country courses in the country. Our team is excited to race against all the quality programs represented in the Jamboree, especially the top teams from the University of Indiana, Miami University Ohio, Northern Arizona, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Kansas, Missouri State, the University of Oklahoma, Kansas, TCU and Wichita State."
Men's coach Dave Smith:
On his goals heading into Jamboree:
"This is the first race of the season for most of our guys so we keep the goals pretty simple. We want to win the race and defend our home course. Individually, each of the guys is really just trying to knock a bit of the rust off, see what the fitness levels are and most importantly, stay healthy."
On who he expects to contribute Saturday:
"We are racing 16 or 17 guys and really each of them could find himself in our top 7, so there are a lot of guys that could contribute. We have a fantastic core group of veterans that I have a great deal of confidence in. Vail, Chirchir, Watts and Barnes-Smith are all seasoned and have run this meet several times so they know what to expect. Their attitude and approach will set the tone for the younger guys and, with those guys in leadership roles, we as coaches have a lot less to worry about. I am probably most excited about watching some of the younger guys run. The red-shirt freshmen, Little, Mathis, Stublaski and Lusk all had great summers of training and look vastly improved from where they were this time last year, which is great news for us."
On how the Cowboys train for the Jamboree compared to another event:
"We don't really approach races much differently based on whether or not they are home or away. The bigger factor is the time of the year, the way the guys are feeling, and the goals for the particular meet. "
On what the Cowboy Jamboree means to him:
"The Jamboree is really a special meet due, in large part, to the rich history and strong tradition surrounding it. This is the 72nd consecutive running of the Jamboree, making it the longest continuously running cross country meet in the country. Many of the best teams in the history of the sport have run this meet over the years; national championship teams. The same is true for individuals. Countless All Americans, several national champions and many future Olympians have come through the Jamboree. There have been some classic battles over the years in terms of both team and individual competitions, and tradition like that gives extra meaning to the race. The guys also have a tremendous amount of pride in defending their home course at the Jamboree, which has been pretty tough to do. The meet has been so competitive that even our best teams, our top 10 NCAA teams, have struggled to win it. In fact, last year was the first time in over 10 years that we managed to pull off the win. The Jamboree is also invaluable from a technical aspect. Our guys have run this course many times. They know it well. They know what some of those elite runners have done at the Jamboree so they know how to measure themselves versus the greats from the past. They know, for example, that running a given time at the Jamboree tends to indicate a given finishing place range at the NCAA meet. The Jamboree is also extremely valuable to us as coaches because we gather a lot of information about where we are as a group from this race and we can make adjustments to our training accordingly."
On trying to use this event to lay the foundation for a strong year:
"Yeah, without a doubt. As cliché as it might sound, last year we really tried to focus on one race at a time and tried to build momentum with each step. I really believe that winning the Jamboree was the key first step to the third-place finish at the NCAA championships. We came out and competed really well and raced with an aggressive attitude. Winning over a very talented field gave us a huge shot of confidence and allowed us to take the next step in terms of expectation for the rest of the season. That win sent a message, mostly to ourselves, that we were ready to compete with the best in the NCAA. All of a sudden, a trophy finish (top four) at the NCAA meet became a real possibility. We are taking the same approach this year and want to set the tone at the Jamboree."
Women's coach Rene Sepulveda:
On his goals heading into the Jamboree:
"It's our first competition for the entire team. Our goal is for the freshmen and the upperclassmen to work together and gel as a team."
On who he is expecting to contribute Saturday:
"I expect Mihaela Susa, Tone Hjalmarsen, Natalia Kovtun, Leah Schroeder, Victoria Fratczak, Brittani Johnson and Kristen Gillespie to all be contributors."
On what the Cowboy Jamboree means to him:
"Since we have no home competitions in track, this is our only home event for our program. The team takes pride in our course and appreciates its importance to our program."
On what the meet means to the season:
"It's our first meet, for sure we're trying to lay foundation for rest of season."
On how the Cowgirls train for the Jamboree compared to another event:
"We train the same for each meet. Of course, we tend to run a little more on the course the week prior to Jamboree."
On the race Saturday:
"I feel that OSU has one of the best cross country courses in the country. Our team is excited to race against all the quality programs represented in the Jamboree, especially the top teams from the University of Indiana, Miami University Ohio, Northern Arizona, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Kansas, Missouri State, the University of Oklahoma, Kansas, TCU and Wichita State."
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
