Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Big 12 Outdoor Championships
Cowboys Complete Distance Sweep at Big 12s
May 16, 2010 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
May 16, 2010
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Oklahoma State's Cowboy track team continued its domination in distance events at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships on Sunday at the Walton Track Complex.
Johnathan Stublaski claimed the championship in the 1,500 meters and John Kosgei won the 5,000 meters to go along with his 10,000 meter title Thursday.
It marks the second-consecutive season the Cowboys have won the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. German Fernandez won the 1,500 and 5,000 meters last year while Ryan Vail picked up the 10,000 meter title.
Kosgei won his second Big 12 title of the weekend, finishing the 5,000 meters in 14:05.96. The Eldoret, Kenya, native crossed the line ahead of Colorado's Richard Medina, who clocked a 14:07.23, to earn 10 team points.
In his only action of the Big 12 Championships, sophomore Colby Lowe clocked a 14:07.98 in the 5,000 meters for a third-place finish. The Southlake, Texas, native earned six team points for the Cowboys.
“John and Colby both did an amazing job,” OSU coach Dave Smith said. “They followed my instructions exactly. John ran the last 400 meters in 56 seconds. That's the heart of a fifth-year senior and I'm proud of that.”
In his first Big 12 Outdoor Championships after missing last year's event with an injury, Kosgei claimed titles at both of the events he entered.
“I'm so happy,” Kosgei said. “Winning both events feels really good. I saved a lot of energy from the 10,000 so I could run well today. In the last 100 meters or so, I had a lot left so I made up my mind I would really kick in that last part.”
Stublaski won his first conference title in 3:43.31 and picked up 10 team points for the Cowboys in the process.
“It felt good,” Stublaski said. “It went exactly how it did in the prelims. I sat back and with 400 to go, I saw Tom pass me. I had that extra gear and was able to pass him for the win.”
Freshman teammate Tom Farrell finished less than a second behind Stublaski with a time of 3:44.02. The Carlisle, U.K., native grabbed eight team points with his second-place finish.
“That was awesome, it's a fantastic job by those guys,” Smith said. “It was a brilliant race strategy for both of them. Stublaski has come such a long way and Farrell is kind of the prodigy of the team being a freshman.”
Stublaski, an Eagan, Minn., native, continues an impressive outdoor season that has seen him routinely set personal bests. Going into the season, Stublaski had yet to claim an all-Big 12 honor.
Farrell's time will be fast enough to qualify him for the NCAA Regional Championships as well.
OSU's other three team points came at the hands of freshman Taylor Monaghan. The Tulsa, Okla., native clocked a personal best with a 9:07.06 in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
“Taylor is a freshman who came in somewhat unheralded and unrecruited,” Smith said. “To make all-Big 12 and run his lifetime best in the steeplechase at his first Big 12 Championships, that surprised a lot of people around the Big 12.”
The Cowboys scored 47 points and finished in ninth place despite entering in only four events. Kosgei scored 20 of those points and the Cowboys picked up 18 points in the 1,500 meters.
“For me, it was all about going out and scoring points for my team,” Kosgei said. “I love my team, so I did everything that I could to score points for them.”
With Monaghan's sixth-place finish in the steeplechase, the Cowboys claimed all-Big 12 honors in each of the four events they entered.
The Cowboys return to action May 27 at the NCAA Outdoor West Regional Championships in Austin, Texas.
Big 12 Outdoor Championships – OSU Results, Day Three
1,500 Meter Run
1 Johnathan Stublaski 3:43.31 (10 team points)
2 Tom Farrell 3:44.02 (8 team points)
3,000 Meter Steeplechase
6 Taylor Monaghan 9:07.06 (3 team points)
11 David Chirchir 9:12.85
5,000 Meter Run
1 John Kosgei 14:05.96 (10 team points)
3 Colby Lowe 14:07.98 (6 team points)
23 David Chirchir 14:46.61
31 Sean Fleming 14:59.53
33 Klaus Schmidt 15:25.25
34 Matthew Perez 15:39.43
Final Team Standings
1 Nebraska 118 points
2 Oklahoma 114 points
3 Texas A&M 110 points
4 Texas Tech 77 points
5 Baylor 63 points
6 Colorado 57 points
7 Texas 56 points
8 Kansas 53 points
9 Oklahoma State 47 points
10 Missouri 44 points
11 Kansas State 40 points
12 Iowa State 39 points
Players Mentioned
