Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Track & Field Prepares For USATF Championships
June 19, 2013 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
June 19, 2013
STILLWATER -
The Oklahoma State men's and women's track and field teams will send five athletes, along with OSU alum Ryan Vail, to the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, which will take place June 20-23.
On the men's side, the Cowboys will send two All-Americans, a junior national champion and a decorated alum to the meet.
Girma Mecheso, who was a first-team All-American in the 5,000 meters and made the second team in the 10,000 meters, will compete in the men's 10,000 meter final, which will take place Thursday, at 9 p.m.
He will be joined by former five-time All-American Ryan Vail. Vail and Mecheso have already ran in the same 10,000 meter race this season, and it was a memorable one. On April 28, at the Payton Jordan Invitational, Vail finished sixth with a 27:44.05, but Mecheso took 10th with a 27:52.38, smashing his old school record, and taking the No. 1 spot in the NCAA. The mark stood the entire season without being touched.
Another Cowboy All-American, Kirubel Erassa, will take the stage in the men's 1,500 meters. The first preliminaries for that race will be held on Thursday, at 5 p.m. Erassa was a second-team All-American in the outdoor 5,000 meters.
Craig Nowak rounds out the men's side for OSU. On Feb. 2, Nowak (24:47) won the junior 8,000 meters at the U.S. Cross Country Championships, in St. Louis.
On the women's side, Chase Ealey leads the way in the junior shot put, which will take place on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Ealey is currently ranked No. 3 among U.S. juniors with the 16.01m/52-6.50 she posted at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
Savannah Camacho will compete in the women's junior 800 meters, which will start with the first round of preliminaries on Thursday, at 12:30 p.m. Her personal best in the 800 stands at 2:07.
“This is all about individual performances,” OSU Coach Dave Smith said. “This is a chance to compete against the best athletes in the U.S.—not just collegiately, but overall. Everyone wants to make national or Olympic teams. For some of our athletes, this weekend is that chance. For others, it's a chance to compete against the best, and figure out how this works. It's an exciting weekend for everyone.”
Tomorrow's action in Des Moines begins at 10 a.m., with the junior decathlon 110 meter hurdles.
