Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Big 12 Outdoor Championships
Cowgirls Finish Competition at Big 12 Championships
May 17, 2009 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
May 17, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Oklahoma State women's track and field team finished competition at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships Sunday, highlighted by Merritt Dietz's fifth-place finish in the shot put.
Dietz tossed the shot put a season-best 15.47 meters to earn the best Cowgirl finish of the day and add four points to the team total. Her fifth-place finish is made more impressive considering she was ranked as the 12th-best athlete entering the event.
The second best finish of the day came from Natalia Kovtun, who scored one team point in the 1,500 meters final, where she finished in eighth place with a time of 4:37.85.
The Cowgirls also had a successful day in the triple jump, where Clarissa Andrews become the seventh Cowgirl this season to earn an NCAA regional qualifying mark, leaping 12.39 meters, and Baiba Blumbaha just missed scoring, finishing in 10th place with a mark of 12.50 meters.
One of the most notable finishes of the day came from freshman Courtney Schultz, who finished the 5,000 meters in 10th place with a time of 17:18.02, beating her previous personal record by nearly 30 seconds.
“Courtney ran an amazing race today,” coach Rene Sepulveda. “She did an outstanding job for a freshman. She was close to scoring and she was also close to a regional mark.”
Oklahoma State standout Mihaela Susa was slated to run the 5,000 meters, but sat out to rest an injury before the Cowgirls next meet, the NCAA Midwest Regional.
The Cowgirls, who finished 11th in the team standings with 22 points, return to action on May 29, when they travel to Norman, Okla., to compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships (Day 3)
1,500-Meter Run Final
8 Natalia Kovtun 4:37.85 – 1 team pt.
5,000-Meter Run Final
10 Courtney Schultz 17:18.02
25 Kristen Gillespie 18:27.94
-- Victoria Fratczak DNF
-- Teran Mixon DNF
Triple Jump
10 Baiba Blumbaha 12.50m
11 Clarissa Andrews 12.39m
13 Mateja Posavec 12.08m
Shot Put
5 Merritt Dietz 15.47m – 4 team pts.
19 Katie Hamilton 13.01m
Final Team Standings
1 Texas A&M – 126.50 pts.
2 Texas Tech – 111 pts.
3 Nebraska – 109.50 pts.
4 Baylor – 84 pts.
5 Texas – 79 pts.
6 Oklahoma – 76 pts.
7 Missouri – 62 pts.
7 Iowa State – 62 pts.
9 Kansas State – 39 pts.
10 Kansas – 29 pts.
11 Oklahoma State – 22 pts.
12 Colorado – 19 pts.
