Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU XC Notes: The Big 12 Championships
October 28, 2010 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Oct. 28, 2010
Complete Meet Notes in PDF Format 
The Basics
The Oklahoma State cross country program is set to host the 2010 Big 12 Championships Saturday at the OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater. It is the second time OSU has hosted the event and the first since 1997.
The action is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. with the women's 6,000-meter race, followed by the men's 8,000-meter race at 11 a.m. The top 15 runners in each race will be named to the All-Big 12 team, while the top team in each race will earn the Big 12 Championship.
The Cowboy cross country team is coming off its second-consecutive Big 12 Championship in 2009 and is aiming for its third-straight title Saturday. The women's squad finished 10th at last year's conference championships and looks forward to a big race this weekend after winning the Chile Pepper Festival its last time out.
OSU Lineups
There are 12 athletes registered to run for both the men's and women's teams, including the top competitors for each squad. Nine athletes from each group will be selected to compete Saturday morning.
Last Time Out
The Oklahoma State cross country program turned in another outstanding performance at the Chile Pepper Festival as the men's and women's teams both claimed team titles, and Colby Lowe finished first overall for the men's squad.
The No. 2-ranked men's team sealed its team championship as the first four across the line in the 10k race were all Cowboys. Lowe came in at 29:10.97, followed by Tom Farrell, German Fernandez and Girma Mecheso.
The No. 28-ranked women's squad also registered a big team win, finishing four-points ahead of second-place, No. 24-ranked Indiana due in large part fourth-place overall Mihaela Susa. Susa was followed by Felicity Milton at sixth and Natalja Piliusina at 11th to help seal the victory.
2009 in Review
The 2009 season was perhaps the best season in the history of Oklahoma State cross country for the men's team. The Cowboys captured their second Big 12 Championship in two years, and added their second NCAA Championship, their first since 1954. Senior Ryan Vail won the individual Big 12 championship and was joined in the top four by three of his teammates. OSU went on to win its fifth NCAA Regional Championship before winning the NCAA Championships.
The Cowgirls were led all season by star runner Mihaela Susa who narrowly missed out on notching her third straight All-Big 12 honor. Susa showed up strong at regionals to win her third straight All-Region honor and an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships.
OSU in the Polls
The USTFCCCA rankings have listed the Oklahoma State men's cross country team at the No. 2 spot in each 2010 poll. This week the Cowboys sit only a point behind top-ranked Stanford, with the teams splitting the 12 first-place votes. The men have been the No. 1 team Midwest region squad in each poll this year.
The Cowgirls began the year unranked, but have climbed to No. 27 overall and No. 3 in the Midwest after impressive performances in their first three meets.
