Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Big 12 Indoor Championships
Cowboys Notch Mark, Advance on Day One
February 26, 2010 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Feb. 26, 2010
AMES, Iowa – The Oklahoma State Cowboy track and field team completed its first day of competition on Friday at the Big 12 Championships with three Cowboys grabbing spots in their event's finals and Raul Botezan picking up another NCAA provisional qualifying mark.
Botezan clocked a 1.50.37 in the 800 meter run to qualify for Saturday's 800 meter finals. His time was .37 seconds lower than the NCAA provisional qualifying mark.
"The guys looked great," Cowboy coach Dave Smith said. "Raul won his heat and looked really good doing it. We hope he can win tomorrow."
The provisional mark was the second of the indoor season for the Cluj-Napoca, Romania, native, who also grabbed an NCAA provisional time in the mile at the Husky Classic on Feb. 12.
In the mile run preliminary competition, Cowboys German Fernandez and Johnathan Stublaski each qualified for Saturday's finals through their heats on Friday.
Fernandez, the defending Big 12 Champion and junior world record holder in the mile, qualified fifth with a time of 4:06.44. Stublaski notched a seventh-place qualifying time of 4:06.50.
"German is still not 100 percent, but he still ran tough," Smith said. "He had a tough travel day yesterday and didn't get much sleep last night, but he competed hard and got into the finals. I'm really proud of Johnathan Stublaski, who ran his lifetime best. He did a great job."
Freshman Thomas Farrell led the Cowboys across the line in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 14:12.62, which was good for a third-place finish and broke his indoor British junior record. Farrell's finish earned six points and put the Cowboys on the board in the team standings.
"That's the fastest he's ever had in the 5,000 in the indoors," Smith said. "That's a great job for him."
David Chirchir and Joseph Manilafasha finished 10th and 18, respectively, in the 5,000 meters.
In Friday's nightcap, the distance medley relay, the Cowboy squad of Sean Fleming, Botezan, Stublaski and Colby Lowe earned one team point with an eighth-place finish. The Cowboy DMR team clocked a time of 9:55.97.
Big 12 Championships – Day One OSU Results
Mile Run Prelims
5 German Fernandez 4:06.44Q
7 Johnathan Stublaski 4:06.50Q
1000 Meter Run Prelims
18 Brad McNiff 2:33.81
800 Meter Run Prelims
3 Raul Botezan 1.50.37Q*
5000 Meter Run Finals
3 Thomas Farrell 14:12.62 (6 team points)
10 David Chirchir 14:23.98
18 Joseph Manilafasha 14:56.65
Distance Medley Relay Finals
8 OSU (Sean Fleming, Raul Botezan, Johnathan Stublaski, Colby Lowe) 9:55.97 (1 team point)
Q- Qualified for tomorrow's finals
*- NCAA Provisional Qualifying Mark
