Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Track and Field To Compete In Kansas & Virginia
May 09, 2013 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
May 9, 2013
STILLWATER -
The Basics
The Oklahoma State track and field teams are splitting up this weekend, with some athletes going to the Ward Haylett Invite, in Manhattan Kan., and others going to the Virginia Challenge, in Charlottesville, Va. Both meets take place on Saturday, May 11.
How to Follow the Meets
Fans can follow the action live. Live results for the Virginia Challenge can be found at http://www.flashresults.com/2013_Meets/outdoor/05-10-VirginiaChallenge/. On Twitter, fans can follow @run4okstate for updates.
Meet Schedule
In Manhattan, the throwing events begin at 10 a.m. CT, and in Virginia, the running events begin at 6:10 p.m. CT., on Saturday.
Quoting Coach Dave Smith
On dealing with the pressure to qualify as the NCAA Regionals approach:
"This time of year, each race could be your last, so there's more pressure there. But, if you look at it another way, it's an opportunity to earn your way to the next level, so we try to look at it that way--trying to avoid looking at it as a `do or die' situation. Last year, we had quite a few athletes outperform their rankings and continue to advance. Hopefully, we can see it in that way."
On the outdoor qualifying process and how to determine if an athlete is safe:
"Outdoors is a little different, because in most conferences, there's no last chance meet. Most conferences are holding their championships this weekend. Most athletes won't be worried about running the fastest time this weekend, as much as tactics and team performance. There's only a couple conferences that have already held their championships. Also, the outdoor season is longer with more meets, so if you haven't already qualified, it's hard to jump in the rankings so late."
On the layoff between the Big 12 meet and regionals:
"I think the big thing right now is recovering from fatigue and stress brought on by finals week and the high-pressure situations of the Big 12 meet. Right now, we're not trying to get fit as much as just recovering. We're trying to maintain health and be race-ready in a couple weeks. Workouts get shorter, with less volume, but with a little more intensity. Not a whole lot of difference other than that."
Last Time Out
Natalja Piliusina won her third consecutive Big 12 outdoor 800 meter title, and sixth-straight 800 meter conference title overall, and a trio of Cowboys went 1-2-3 in the men's 5,000 meters for the Oklahoma State men's and women's track and field teams in the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Piliusina continued her incredible undefeated streak at conference meets with a blazing 2:03.99, which was just .39 short of a Big 12 meet record, and .56 short of a stadium record.
In the men's 5,000 meters, Kirubel Erassa (13:53.53), Girma Mecheso (13:54.62) and Tom Farrell (13:55.47) spent the entire race in the lead group of seven runners, until they separated themselves with two laps to go. On the final turn, Erassa was able to kick past his teammates and win the championship.
The surprise of the weekend had to be freshman thrower Chase Ealey. After throwing a personal best to finish sixth in the shot put on Saturday, she participated in the javelin on Sunday--an event she had not thrown since high school. It didn't matter. She launched a personal-best 44.82m/147-00, which was good enough for fifth place and four more team points.
Nick Miller won his second-straight Big 12 Championship in the men's hammer throw, and Caitlin Way took fourth in the women's hammer in day one of the Big 12 Outdoor Championships. Miller dominated the hammer throw as he has all season. His winning mark of 69.22m/227-01 won the championship by nearly seven meters, and was a stadium record. His other two marks would have won the event as well.
Cowboy Names To Know
The Oklahoma State men's track and field roster is headlined by nine athletes with a combined 30 All-America honors. The Cowboy standouts and their All-America showings:
(2012 Indoor Mile, 2013 Indoor Distance Medley Relay)
(2012 Outdoor Steeplechase)
(2012 Indoor Mile, 2013 Indoor 3,000 meters, 2013 Indoor Distance Medley Relay)
(2010 Cross Country, 2011 Outdoor 5,000 meters, 2011 Cross Country, 2012 Indoor 3,000 meters, 2012 Cross Country, 2013 Indoor 3,000 meters, 2013 Indoor Distance Medley Relay)
(2010 Cross Country, 2011 Outdoor 10,000 meters, 2012 Cross Country, 2013 Indor 5,000 meters)
(2012 Cross Country)
(2008 Cross Country, 2009 Outdoor 10,000 meters, 2009 Cross Country, 2010 Cross Country, 2012 Indoor 5,000 meters, 2012 Outdoor 5,000 meters, 2012 Outdoor 10,000 meters, 2012 Cross Country, 2013 Indoor 5,000 meters)
(2012 Outdoor Hammer Throw, 2013 Indoor Weight Throw)
(2013 Indoor Distance Medley Relay)
Cowgirl Names To Know
The unquestioned leader of the Oklahoma State women's track and field program is Natalja Piliusina, who has racked up six All-America honors during a career that will likely go down among the best ever for an OSU women's track and field athlete.
She is not, however, the only Cowgirl with All-America honors on her career résumé. The list:
(2011 Indoor Distance Medley Relay)
(2012 Outdoor Steeplechase)
Natalja Piliusina
(2011 Indoor Distance Medley Relay, 2011 Indoor Mile, 2011 Outdoor 800 Meters, 2012 Indoor 800 meters, 2012 Outdoor 1,500 meters, 2013 Indoor 800 Meters)
On Top of the World
Several OSU athletes have made their way into the top 75 in the world in their respecitve events.
On the men's side, Girma Mecheso vaulted to the No. 13 spot in the 10,000 meters, Tom Farrell (No. 48) is ranked in the 1,500 meters and Nick Miller is No. 63 in the hammer throw.
Natalja Piliusina leads the women's side with two top-30 rankings. She holds the No. 27 spot in the 800 meters, and the No. 11 spot in the 1,500 meters.
Girl Power
Caitlin Way and Chase Ealey are becoming forces to be reckoned with in the throwing events.
At the Pepsi Florida Relays, Ealey launched a personal-best shot put of 15.99m/52-05.5, which was the second-best mark in OSU history. She also threw the javelin for the first time all season at the Big 12 Champinships, and finished fifth.
At the indoor Big 12 Championships, Way scored in the weight throw for the Cowgirls, finishing seventh and earning All-Big 12 honors. Her hammer throw of 58.85m/193-01 won the John McDonnell Invite by more than seven meters, and was a new personal best. Her second-longest mark of the day would have won the event as well.
An Indoor Season For The Record Books
Both the men's and women's track and field programs made history during the 2013 indoor season, with the men taking eighth at the NCAA meet for their highest team finish since 1984 and the women taking fifth at the Big 12 Championships to match the highest team finish at the conference meet in program history.
Nick Miller won the Big 12 title in the weight throw and Natalja Piliusina won her third indoor 800 meter title.
Miller Breaking the Cowboy Mold
Oklahoma State has made its name in the distance events - not just recently, but for most of the program's history. Sophomore thrower Nick Miller has become the lead figure in bringing the Cowboys into the national discussion in something other than distance.
During his young career, Miller has already earned All-America recognition in the outdoor hammer throw and the indoor weight throw. He has also won Big 12 titles and owns the Oklahoma State school record in both events.
After his dominating performance at the John McDonnell Invite on April 13, Miller became the first-ever OSU field athlete to be named Big 12 Track and Field Athlete of the Week.
All She Does Is Win
Junior Natalja Piliusina has firmly established herself as the Big 12's most dominant force in the women's 800 meters. In fact, she has never lost that race at the conference meet, racking up conference crowns in the indoor 800 meters her freshman, sophomore and junior years and outdoor Big 12 titles in all
