Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Track and Field Spotlight: Fabian Clarkson and Kate Kujawa
June 01, 2012 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
June 1, 2012
STILLWATER, Okla. – Of the seven Oklahoma State track and field athletes who advanced to the NCAA Championships, the two biggest surprises might be 3,000 meter steeplechase runners Fabian Clarkson for the Cowboys and Kate Kujawa for the Cowgirls.
Clarkson, a freshman from Berlin, Germany, has wowed the coaching staff this season with how well he has performed. He recently notched a runner-up finish at the Big 12 Championships after running an 8:46.72, which stands as the No. 6 steeplechase time in OSU history. That mark also ranks 16th in the NCAA this season.
Clarkson does have an experience edge over most freshmen. In Germany, the schooling lasts one extra year than in the United States, after which, the students are required to spend a year in the military or do a year of civil service, which Clarkson opted for the latter.
Even with the added years, track and field director Dave Smith admits he is still surprised how quickly Clarkson has evolved into one of the top steeplechase runners in the NCAA.
“Honestly, I thought two or three years down the road he might be a guy who fights his way into nationals,” Smith said. “Looking at the times he'd run in the past and the way he ran, I thought it was going to take a while for him to develop, but the one thing you can't measure in stats or you can't measure in watching a guy run down the track for 100 meters is how tough he's going to be when the race gets uncomfortable or painful. He's just incredibly tough.”
“He's tenacious, he's competitive, he never quits. I think he gets more out of his athletic ability than most people do just because of his mental toughness. He's as tenacious as a pit bull.”
Clarkson said he has enjoyed so much success in the event because his style of running fits well with the hurdles throughout the 3,000-meter race.
“I'm good at the steeple because I'm a runner that runs on strength than on rhythm,” Clarkson said. “The steeple breaks up the rhythm, and because I'm not used to having much of a rhythm anyway, I have that advantage because I'm stronger than most guys.”
Clarkson admitted he still has much room to improve, but also said he has progressed leaps and bounds already because of the similar coaching styles of Smith and his coaching back home, as well as the other members of the team who continually push him to get better.
“It was complete shock coming over here and seeing what the level competition is like here,” Clarkson said. “It's absolutely beyond anything I'm used to back home.
“It just pushes you so much further to be able to train with people who are on your level or higher than your level to see what's possible.”
Clarkson said he is going to take the NCAA Championships one race at a time. His next goal is to advance to the final race and move on from there.
“I'd like to have a smooth race, and if I can have a smooth race, I think I can make it into the final,” Clarkson said. “Once you're in the final, anything can happen. Getting into the final is my next big goal.”
Kujawa, a junior from Regina, Canada, has been an even bigger surprise for the OSU track team this season. Her first two years at OSU, she battled through injuries, but this year she has stayed healthy and has enjoyed a breakout year.
“It's a world of difference from last year,” Kujawa said. “I've had a rough couple of years with injuries, and it's hard to be confident when you're not doing well. Finally, I'm getting on that positive roll where the more good races you have, the more confident you get. The more confidence you have, the better you race, and that definitely makes a big difference.”
She is coming off of a runner-up finish at the Big 12 Championships as well. She followed that up at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds by running a personal record time of 10:25.01, which stands as the fifth-best effort in OSU history.
Smith said Kujawa had probably the best race of any OSU athlete at the regional meet. Despite the fact she was an underdog on paper, she went out with confidence, ran a tough race and advanced to the NCAA Championships.
“I am extremely proud of Kate,” Smith said. “This is what I'd hoped for when we signed her. I thought in a year or two she could be at this level, but she went through two years of struggle.
“Now, she races with confidence, she acts like she belongs. She's starting to herself as one of the best women in the Big 12 and one of the best women in the NCAA.”
The one thing Smith is looking for out of Kujawa going into nationals is to avoid having an attitude of just being happy to be there.
That just happens to be the only goal she has for herself going in.
“There's no pressure on me because I'm ranked at the very bottom,” Kujawa said. “I'm just going to go in and see if I can mix it up a little bit. A lot of girls are going to go in there thinking that they're just happy to be there and happy to make it and their season is pretty much over, and I'm just going to go in with a better attitude than people and see if I can make the final.”
The NCAA Championships will be held June 6-9 in Des Moines, Iowa, at Drake University. The men's 3,000 meter steeplechase semifinal race is slated for 7:25 p.m. on Thursday, with the final race set for Saturday at 11:52 a.m. The women's semifinal race is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, and the final is to be run at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
Players Mentioned
