Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Vail an All-American at NCAA Championships
June 12, 2009 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
June 12, 2009
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Oklahoma State senior Ryan Vail wrapped up his competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Friday, finishing the men's 5,000-meter run in ninth place with a time of 14:11.78, giving him All-America honors for the second consecutive year.
“It was a real slow start to the race and I was expecting it to really take off the last 2K,” Vail said. “I stayed back with the pack and let other people dictate the tempo of the race. All my best races have come that way when I adjust and react to what the other runners do. Things were going well and that was all I had today.”
Vail also earned All-America honors in the event last year after finishing fifth. He is the first two-time outdoor All-American at OSU since Jon Wild accomplished the feat in 1995 and 1997. For his career, Vail is now a four-time All-American with two honors coming in cross country and two coming in outdoors.
During Vail's time at Oklahoma State, he has run the second-fastest 5,000-meter time (13.37.02), the ninth-fastest 3,000-meter time (8:03.51) and the sixth-fastest 1,500-meter time (3:44.22) in school history. Additionally, Vail was a first-team Academic All-American last year and has won nearly every academic award attainable as a cross country and track and field athlete.
“All the guys that are here now are here because of him and how he represents the program, both athletically and academically,” coach Dave Smith said. “German Fernandez has told me that he has learned to be a winner and to handle things when they go well and when they don't go well by watching Ryan. This whole team has taken on Ryan's personality. Ryan and his entire class have changed this program forever.”
Oklahoma State continues competition at the NCAA Championships Saturday at 1:21 p.m., when freshman Big 12 and Midwest Region Performer of the Year German Fernandez runs in the 1,500-meter final. Fernandez qualified for the final heat after winning his semifinal heat with a time of 3:41.39. All of Saturday's action will be televised live on CBS from noon to 2 p.m.
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Men's 5,000-Meter Run Final
1 Galen Rupp – Oregon - 14:04.12
2 David McNeill - Northern Arizona - 14:05.79
3 Chris Derrick – Stanford - 14:07.34
4 Brandon Bethke - Arizona State - 14:08.00
5 Elliott Heath – Stanford - 14:08.56
6 Hassan Mead – Minnesota - 14:09.87
7 Tyson David – Alabama - 14:10.75
8 Shadrack Biwott – Oregon - 14:11.45
9 Ryan Vail - Oklahoma State - 14:11.78
10 Michael Maag – Princeton - 14:14.67
11 Mark Steeds - Georgia State - 14:20.23
12 Alfred Kipchumba – Portland - 14:21.37
13 Ryan Sheridan – Iona - 14:21.60
14 Jean-Pierre Weerts – Auburn - 14:22.98
15 Emmanuel Bor – Alabama - 14:23.13
16 Matt Leeder - Florida State - 14:23.19
