Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Track Earns At-Large Bids To NCAA Championships
June 02, 2009 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
June 2, 2009
STILLWATER, Okla. – The at-large additions to the NCAA Track and Field Championships were announced today and three athletes from Oklahoma State earned bids. As expected, women's 10,000-meter runner Tone Hjalmarsen was added to the field. She will be joined by Cowgirl triple jumper Baiba Blumbaha and Cowboy 5,000 meter runner Colby Lowe.
The three at-large selections bring the total number of Oklahoma State athletes at the NCAA Championships to six. Hjalmarsen, Blumbaha and Lowe will join women's discus thrower Merritt Dietz and men's runners German Fernandez (1,500 meters) and Ryan Vail (men's 5,000 meters) at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., June 10-13. Dietz, Fernandez and Vail all earned automatic bids into the field by virtue of their performances at the regional meet in Norman last weekend.
Hjalmarsen ran the 10,000 meters in 34:29.63 at the Stanford Invitational for a mark that ranks 28th on the national list this outdoor season. Her event is not one that is competed on the NCAA regional level, so she was not in action at last week's regional meet.
Blumbaha set a new school record in the triple jump with a leap of 13.02 meters last week to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Championships field. The Cowgirl senior's mark ranks 17th on the national list this season.
Lowe earned his at-large bid in the 5,000 meters with a 13:57.06 at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational on May 2. He nearly secured an automatic bid into the NCAA field with his eighth-place finish at the regional meet last week, where only the top five qualified automatically.
Hjalmarsen and Vail are making return trips to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, as Hjalmarsen placed 17th in the 5,000 meters at last year's national meet and Vail was a fifth-place finisher and All-American in the 5,000 meters last year. He also ran the 5,000 meters at the 2007 NCAA Championships, placing 17th. Each of the other OSU athletes are making their first-ever appearance at the outdoor national meet.
Oklahoma State at the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Men's 1,500m – German Fernandez
Men's 5,000m – Ryan Vail and Colby Lowe
Women's Discus Throw – Merritt Dietz
Women's Triple Jump – Baiba Blumbaha
Women's 10,000m – Tone Hjalmarsen
