Cross Country Preparing For Cowboy Jamboree

September 27, 2011 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track

Sept. 27, 2011

STILLWATER, Okla. – The Oklahoma State cross country teams will showcase their talent to the home fans this weekend in their only home meet of the season, as OSU hosts the annual running of the Cowboy Jamboree on Saturday.

The Cowboy Jamboree, which is the oldest cross country meet in the nation, will be run at the OSU Cross Country Course in Stillwater. It will begin at 8 a.m. with the Women's JUCO/College 5,000-meter race, followed by the Men's JUCO/College 8,000 meter race at 8:35 a.m.

The University groups, featuring the host Cowboys and Cowgirls, will begin with the Women's 6,000-meter race at 9:15 a.m., followed by the Men's 8,000-meter race at 9:45 a.m.

The Jamboree is one of the most prestigious regular season cross country events in the nation. This year features 1,231 runners from more than 90 teams competing in the Men's and Women's University and College groups.

The OSU men and women look to repeat last season's dominant performance, which saw both teams take the team and individual titles.

The Cowboys took first place in the event, beating second-place Michigan by 82 points. Girma Mecheso finished in first place with a time of 23:46.17, which was more than 30 second better than the second-place finisher.

Four other Cowboys finished in the top 10 last year, as Colby Lowe, German Fernandez and Tom Farrell finished fourth-sixth respectively. Johnathan Stublaski crossed the finish line in 10th place to round out OSU's scoring five. All five runners earned All-America honors at the NCAA Championships last season.

Those same five will be running again this year, marking the final Jamboree for seniors Fernandez, Lowe, Mecheso and Stublaski.

The Cowboys will also feature another All-American with the addition of sophomore transfer Shadrack Kipchirchir. The Jamboree will be his first race as a Cowboy.

The Cowgirls also took first place as a team in last year's Jamboree, defeating second-place Kansas State by 22 points. Then-senior Mihaela Susa finished as the individual champion, completing the 6,000-meter race in 21:10.53. The women also had their scoring five finish in the top 10, as Victoria Fratczak, Natalja Piliusina and Felicity Milton finished fourth-sixth respectively, while Kate Kujawa recorded a ninth-place result.

This will be the final Jamboree for seniors Fratczak, Brandi Andrews, Laura Heaton, Kim Johnson and Teran Mixon.

The participating institutions are listed below.

UNIVERSITY MEN
Abilene Christian
Adams State
Arkansas
BRC/Adidas
Drury
East Central
Eastern New Mexico
Friends
Indiana
Iowa Central CC
Missouri Southern
Nebraska-Kearney
New Mexico State
North Texas
Northern Arizona
Oklahoma Baptist
Oklahoma Christian
Oklahoma State
Oral Roberts
Pittsburg State
TAMU-Commerce
Texas Christian
Texas Wesleyan
Texas-Permian Basin
Tulsa
UMKC
UTSA
Wayland Baptist
Western State

UNIVERSITY WOMEN
Abilene Christian
Adams State
Drury
Incarnate Word
Indiana
Missouri Southern
Nebraska-Kearney
New Mexico State
North Texas
Northern Arizona
Oklahoma State
Oral Roberts
Pittsburg State
Southwest Baptist
TAMU-Commerce
Texas Christian
Texas-Permian Basin
Tulsa
UMKC
UTSA
Western State

COLLEGE MEN
Allen County CC
Arkansas-Fort Smith
Butler County CC
Cameron
Coffeyville CC
Colby CC
Colorado College
Cowley County CC
Dodge City CC
El Paso CC
Evangel
Haskell Indian Nations
Incarnate Word
Kansas Wesleyan
Langston
Lubbock Christian
Missouri S&T
New Mexico Highlands
Odessa
Okla. Panhandle
Oklahoma Christian
Oklahoma Wesleyan
Our Lady of the Lake
Rogers State
Southern Nazarene
Southwest Baptist
Southwestern (Kan.)
Southwestern Christian
West Texas A&M

COLLEGE WOMEN
Allen County CC
Arkansas-Fort Smith
Butler County CC
Central Oklahoma
Coffeyville CC
Colby CC
Colorado College
Cowley County CC
Dodge City CC
East Central
Eastern New Mexico
El Paso CC
Evangel
Friends
Haskell Indian Nations
Iowa Central
Kansas Wesleyan
Langston
Lubbock Christian
Missouri S&T
New Mexico Highlands
Odessa
Okla. Panhandle
Oklahoma Baptist
Oklahoma Christian
Oklahoma Wesleyan
Our Lady of the Lake
Rogers State
Southeastern Oklahoma
Southern Nazarene
Southwestern (Kan.)
Southwestern Oklahoma
Texas Wesleyan
Wayland Baptist
West Texas A&M