Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
NCAA Midwest Regional Championships
Cowboys Win Midwest Regional Championship; Cowgirls Finish Fifth
November 17, 2008 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
STILLWATER, Okla. - The No. 2 Oklahoma State men's cross country team took first place at the NCAA Midwest regional Saturday in Stillwater, Okla., as four Cowboys finished in the top seven.
Junior John Kosgei led the way for the Cowboys, finishing the 10,000-meter course in third place with a time of 31:19.75.
A trio of Cowboys crossed the line just after Kosgei, as freshman German Fernandez, senior Ryan Vail and junior David Chirchir took fifth, six and seventh, respectively, at about the 31:21.6 mark.
Senior Matt Barnes-Smith also ran well for Oklahoma State, finishing in 31:50.5, enough for 21st place.
"We did what we wanted to do," coach Dave Smith said. "We rested a couple guys that are in our top group and had the rest of the guys run as conservatively as possible. It was a little dicey at the end. Minnesota ran a great race. They're tough and they peak well at the end of the year every year. It was a little close there at the end, but it came out the way we hoped."
The Cowboys now set their sights on the NCAA Cross Country Championships, where they will face the nation's top competition, including the defending national championships, the No. 1 Oregon Ducks.
"They are the favorites for sure, but there's a lot of good teams out there," Smith said. "They are the favorites and they've got the target on their back and we're going after them."
The Oklahoma State women's cross country team also competed in the event, earning a fifth-place team finish.
"We should have finished fifth, and we did," coach Rene Sepulveda said. "It was a lot better performance than Big 12s. (Junior) Leah Schroeder ran very, very well, Victoria Fratczak, for a freshman, ran awesome and (freshman) Brittani Johnson really improved a lot. (Sophomore) Mihaela Susa did a good job of leading the team and she will be really close to making it to nationals. We will find out on Monday."
Susa had the best finish for the Cowgirls, finishing the 6,000-meter course in 10th place with a time of 21:13.95.
"I did everything I could and I hope, this year, I make nationals," Susa said. "This race was my best time and I have improved a lot."
Junior Tone Hjalmarsen, Fratczak, Schroeder and and junior Natalia Kovtun also ran well for the Cowgirls, finishing in 34th at 21:55.65, 41st at 22:11.60, 42nd at 22:12.45 and 57th at 22:32.55, respectively. NCAA Midwest Regional - Nov. 15, 2008 Oklahoma State Men (1st Place) 3 John Kosgei 31:19.75 5 German Fernandez 31:20.60 6 Ryan Vail 31:20.65 7 David Chirchir 31:20.65 21 Matt Barnes-Smith 31:50.50 38 Ryan Little 32:18.85 44 Clay Mayes 32:25.25 Oklahoma State Women (5th Place) 10 Mihaela Susa 21:13.95 34 Tone Hjalmarsen 21:55.65 41 Victoria Fratczak 22:11.60 42 Leah Schroeder 22:12.45 57 Natalia Kovtun 22:32.55 63 Brittani Johnson 22:38.85 92 Kristen Gillespie 22:58.90
The men's team returns to action on Nov. 24 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.
