Oklahoma State University Athletics
Freshman Runners Settling In, Aiming High
September 26, 2008 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
by Sean Maguire
The Oklahoma State men's cross country team is one of the best in the country.
It has been to the national meet 14 times in the past 15 years and was voted No. 2 in the 2008 preseason USTFCCCA national poll and first in the Midwest Region.
The Cowboys return a pair of All-Americans in senior Ryan Vail and junior David Chirchir and five of their top seven runners from last year's team that took third at the 2007 NCAA Championships.
With such talented veterans in the fold, it is hard to believe that much of the hype leading up to the 2008 season has been directed toward OSU's incoming freshmen.
The excitement is due to the fact that coach Dave Smith signed the top recruiting class in the country, including German Fernandez, the 2008 Gatorade National Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year and top prep runner in the nation; Colby Lowe, a seven-time class 5A Texas state champion and Ryan Prentice, the 2007 champion in the 5,000 meters at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic National Championships. All three are considered some of the top runners in the country.
“I've been very impressed with all three of them,” Smith said. “I know it's hard for anybody to be able to make that transition from high school to the collegiate system, especially on a team that was third last year and returning most of the roster. All three of them have run better than any freshman we've ever had here before, so all three are doing really, really well.”
All three athletes chose Oklahoma State for similar reasons: coaching, team chemistry and the chance to win championships.
“I picked OSU because of the atmosphere,” Lowe said. “We've got a great bunch of guys here; great coaches. Every day is a new experience. We just come out here and learn from each other and have fun while doing it and get a lot of work done.”
Prentice had similar feelings as Lowe, saying his favorite part of Oklahoma State cross country is the personalities he gets to be around each day.
Now that the group has had the chance to settle in at Oklahoma State, they couldn't be happier with their decisions.
“I'm very glad I came here,” Fernandez said. “It has been the best choice I've ever made."
The coaches and the rest of the team are also glad that the group decided to sign with the Cowboys.
“They're great,” Smith said. “German will keep me on my toes. He's always stealing stuff from me and pulling little pranks. He's always up to some kind of mischief.
“Ryan Prentice is real quiet and you assume he's just shy and not doing anything, but every once in a while I'll hear some little smart-alecky remark coming from the group and realize it was Prentice under his breath. He's quick-witted.
“Colby's probably the least smart-alecky of the group. I think sometimes he just looks at these guys and shakes his head at some of the stuff they do and some of the pranks they're pulling, but he's a great guy to be around.
“I've had great individuals I've coached in the past that I've been really close to, but as a group, this is right up there with my favorite recruiting class I've ever brought in.”
In addition to the group's personalities and penchant for keeping things loose, this year's freshmen all have incredible talent that could impact the team as early as this season and for years to come.
“I wouldn't put any limits on their potential at all,” Smith said. “I think, as a group, the three of them, four years from now we could look back and think, ‘Wow, what a class that was – the class that got it all going and started winning championships; and got a string of them going,' maybe. That might not happen, but it wouldn't shock me.
“Over the next year or two, they'll become the nucleus of what we're trying to do. They'll become the structure we build the whole program around.”
Their talent shows up even more when it is paired with the hard work and diligent training that each of them stick by.
Smith said they are all serious about their training and their approach to it.
Much of that attitude, along with several other valuable traits and habits can be attributed to the veterans on the Oklahoma State cross country roster.
"I've learned a lot from the older guys,” Fernandez said. “The chemistry here is really good. We're always positive and we cheer each other up to run well and help each other. I learned that being a leader is not only telling people what to do, but hanging around with them; doing activities with each other away from the track; just being like a family."
Lowe added that the veterans have also taught them how to handle their school work and their busy schedule with cross country, which the coaches have taken notice of.
“We've had a pretty good group of leaders that have done a good job of going to dinners with them or going and hanging out in the dorms with them every once in a while and sort of shown them the ropes and taught them the way to do things right.” Smith said.
“I've been really impressed with all three of them with their approach to the academic side of things already. A lot of times, it's hard for freshmen to really crack down right away and get in study hall and go get tutors and stay on top of it in the first semester, but all three of them are doing a great job of that.”
Their attitude and talent, combined with the returning depth on the Cowboy roster helps the Cowboys set their goals high for the season.
Fernandez said he aims to finish in the top 10 at the national meet, while Smith said the Cowboys' team goals remain the same this year as they have the past three: winning the Big 12 and NCAA championships.
Whether the Cowboys meet those goals or not, one thing is certain: this freshman group of Fernandez, Lowe and Prentice will make huge strides for themselves and the Oklahoma State cross country program, and will have an impact for years to come.
