Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
NCAA Outdoor Championships
Kosgei Places Second in 10,000 Meters at NCAAs
June 10, 2010 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
June 10, 2010
EUGENE, Ore. – Oklahoma State senior John Kosgei put an exclamation point on his illustrious Cowboy career with a second-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Kosgei, running the 10,000 meters for only the third time in a Cowboy uniform, clocked a personal-best 28:55.93. The time improved on Kosgei's previous personal best by nearly 30 seconds.
On his way to earning All-American honors, Kosgei grabbed the No. 3 spot on OSU's school-record list for the 10,000 meters.
“The race started good and the pace was nice,” Kosgei said. “I enjoyed staying in the pack and with 2,000 or 3,000 meters to go, I started moving up.”
Liberty's Sam Chelanga, the collegiate record holder at the distance and 2009 NCAA Cross Country Champion, claimed the title with a 28:37.40.
As Chelanga broke from the pack early in the race, Kosgei sat back with the pack before delivering a strong finish to win a competitive race for second.
“You know, 10,000 meters is a long way to go and I knew I would I have a lot left in the end,” Kosgei said.
Kosgei closes out his Cowboy career as a three-time All-American, twice in cross country and once in track, and a three-time Big 12 Champion.
After missing much of last year's outdoor season with an injury, Kosgei won the 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter titles at this year's Big 12 Championships.
For his effort, he was named the Big 12 Outdoor Performer of the Year.
“It's sad to see him go,” Cowboy coach Dave Smith said. “I'm happy he got second, but I'm sad to see him go. He's been a great addition to our program. He's an ever better person than he is athlete and that's with being second at the national championships. He's just a great kid to have on the team and we're going to miss him.”
NCAA Outdoor Championships – OSU Results
10,000 Meter Run
2 John Kosgei 28:55.93 (8 team points)
Team Standings Through Four Events (Top 10)
1 Texas A&M 18 points
2 Florida 13 points
3 Arizona State 12 points
4 Washington 11 points
T5 Brown 10 points
T5 Liberty 10 points
T7 Oklahoma State 8 points
T7 Boise State 8 points
T7 Kansas 8 points
10 Texas Tech 6 points
