Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Hosts 2008 NCAA Midwest Cross Country Regional Championship
November 13, 2008 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
The Oklahoma State men's and women's cross country teams are set to host the 2008 NCAA Midwest regional Saturday at the OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Okla.
The No. 2 Cowboys are the highest-ranked team competing in the region and have the deepest and most explosive team in the field, but coach Dave Smith said the strategy is to run as a pack and not have the team expending too much energy trying to win individual titles.
“Based on the way we've run all year, I think any one of our top four guys could win individually,” Smith said. “We want to do enough to win the team title, but still have enough energy to make a run at the NCAA title next week.”
The women's team will also be in action and needs a strong performance at the regional to ensure its spot at the NCAA Championships.
“We want to finish in the top five,” coach Rene Sepulveda said. “We want to run much better that we raced at Big 12s.”
The event, which includes 28 schools in the men's race and 31 schools in the women's race, is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. with the 6,000-meter women's race, with the 10,000-meter men's race following at 11:45 a.m.
OSU Lineups
Seniors Ryan Vail and Matt Barnes-Smith, juniors David Chirchir and John Kosgei, sophomores Ryan Little and Clay Mayes and freshman German Fernandez will run for the men's team, while juniors Tone Hjalmarsen, Natalia Kovtun and Leah Schroeder, sophomore Mihaela Susa, and freshmen Victoria Fratczak, Kristen Gillespie and Brittani Johnson are scheduled to run for the women's team.
Notable omissions for the men's team are junior Daniel Watts and freshman Colby Lowe, who placed fifth at the Big 12 Championships.
Last Time Out
The Cowboys had an incredible outing at the Big 12 Championships, with freshman German Fernandez winning the individual crown by finishing the 8,000-meter course in 23:47.4. Three other Cowboys joined him in the top five to help claim the team title.
The Cowgirls also competed in the event, finishing the 6,000-meter race in 7th place with sophomore Mihaela Susa leading the way for Oklahoma State in 13th place.
OSU in the Polls
In the Week 6 Cross Country poll, the Oklahoma State men's team received a No. 1 ranking in the Midwest region, while the women's team was voted sixth.
The Cowboys retained their spot as one of the best teams in the country, earning a No. 2 ranking in the national poll while receiving three first-place votes. Oklahoma State trails only the defending national champions, the Oregon Ducks.
