Oklahoma State University Athletics
Meet Notes: Hurricane Festival
August 29, 2013 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Aug 29, 2013
STILLWATER -
Oklahoma State cross country is competing in its first meet of the 2013 campaign, the Hurricane Cross Country Festival, on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Mohawk Park in Tulsa, Okla.
How to Follow the Meet
Fans can follow the action live on Twitter, by following @run4okstate for updates.
Meet Schedule
On Saturday, the men's university four-mile race begins at 8 am, and the women's university two-mile race starts at 8:35 am.
Quoting Coach Dave Smith
On the mindset regarding entering the year as the nation's No. 1 team:
“Well, it's nice to be recognized. It shows that work we've done in the past few years hasn't gone unnoticed. People are respecting our program and seeing us as a team that will contend for national championships. On the other hand, it's just a ranking, and the last five preseason No. 1's didn't win the title, including us in 2011. It's good recognition, but we have a lot of work to do.”
On what he wants to see out of his younger, inexperienced runners in the first meet?
“Right now, this is the start of their audition for the national championships team. Over the next three meets, we'll be running people from our No. 5 guy down in different combinations to see who is ready to run in Big 12's, regionals and nationals. This used to be a low-key meet, but now this is really for the younger guys to build their case for being on the national championship team.”
On runners being too excited to get started:
“I don't think that's something we have to worry about a bunch. Everybody gets what we're doing. There's more urgency right now because this is a good team and everybody is trying to earn a spot, starting tomorrow. We've got 15, 16 guys who could be in our top seven at the end of the year, so intrasquad competition is healthy from a coaching standpoint. It allows guys to compete, and it makes the team better. But, it can be bad if you're the No. 8 guy. You could be a great athlete and runner, but not make the top seven.”
2013 Season Preview
OSU Cross Country doesn't rebuild, it reloads. OSU is gunning for an unprecedented fourth national championship in five years and sixth-straight Big 12 title, and they have the personnel to do it. The Cowboys lost some talent from the 2012 NCAA Championship squad, but still return three All-Americans and five returning scorer's from last year's championships overall, plus a crop of exciting transfers and underclassmen ready to contribute.
It's this returning talent that caught the eye of the USTFCCCA voters, who voted OSU the No. 1 men's team in the country in their preseason poll.
On the women's side, the Cowgirls could be poised for a breakout season.
OSU returns its top-six runners from last season's 26th-place team finish. All six women finished in the top 250, including Monika Juodeskaite (41st) and Natalja Piliusina (50th), who finished in the top 50.
The Cowgirls will also begin the season nationally ranked. The USTFCCCA poll has the Cowgirls pegged at No. 21 nationally, and No. 2 in the Midwest Region. The OSU women have yet to win a Big 12 team title, but as the highest ranked team from the conference entering the season, that could change in a hurry.
Last Time Out
The last time they competed, OSU men's cross country won the 2012 NCAA title.
Just as he did in all of 2012, Girma Mecheso led the Pokes, finishing in fifth place with a time of 29:14.8. That time - his best all season - placed him fourth all-time on OSU's 10,000-meter record list. It was also his best finish ever at the national championships.
Also running his best time of the season was Tom Farrell, who finished in ninth place with 9:26.3. Shadrack Kipchirchir (29:43.0) and Joseph Manilafasha (29:48.8) rounded out the top-25 by finishing in 18th and 24th place, respectively. It was the best individual finish for each runner in their careers at the NCAA Championships. All three were named All-Americans.
Shane Moskowitz and Kirubel Erassa also added to the team score, finishing 53rd and 104th, respectively.
It was the eighth straight year OSU finished in the top at the championships.
The OSU women finished in 26th as a team, improving on their 30th-place finish in 2011.
The Cowgirls were led by two near All-American performances from Monika Juodeskaite and Natalja Piliusina, who finished 41st and 50th, respectively.
Last Time At the Hurricane Festival
At the 2012 Hurricane Festival, the Cowboys swept their duels, going 4-0, and taking the top seven spots in the four-mile race. Taylor Monaghan won the race in 20:35. Brian Gohlke, Justin Vilhauer and Tommy Casey took spots 2-4, right on Monaghan's heels at 20:36. David Osborn, Kevin Colon and Nick Thorp rounded out the top seven, finishing in 20:37.
On the women's side, the Cowgirls were just as impressive, going 5-0 in their duels and claiming five of the top 10 individual finishes. Victoria Hanna led the way for the Pokes, finishing fourth in 11:19. That time tied her personal best, which ranks her eighth in the OSU two-mile record books. Janelle Martinez finished fifth in 11:20 and Kate Kujawa finished sixth in 11:26. Adela Hofmannova and Jackie Campos rounded out the top 10, with Hofmannova taking eighth in 11:33, and Campos finishing 10th, in 11:35.
Cowboy Names To Know
Cowboy cross country is headlined by three returners, who have combined for six total cross country All-American honors. Here are the athletes and their honors:
(2010 Cross Country, 2011 Cross Country, 2012 Cross Country)
Shadrack Kipchirchir
(2010 Cross Country, 2012 Cross Country)
(2012 Cross Country)
Shane Moskowitz and Kirubel Erassa bring more experience from last year's NCAA championships. Oregon transfer Chad Noelle, a sub-four miler and NCAA outdoor qualifier during the track and field season, Craig nowak, the Junior 8k U.S. Cross Country champion, and talented sophomore Charles Mathenge are among others looking to factor into the mix.
Cowgirl Names To Know
On the women's side, the Cowgirls landed the No. 2 preseason ranking in the Midwest region, after finishing as the Big 12 runner-up.
The key returners from last year's 26th-place finish at nationals are Monika Juodeskaite and Natalja Piliusina, who finished 41st and 50th, individually. Piliusina also has momentum from a record-breaking track and field season, where she won the NCAA title in the outdoor 1,500 meters.
Cream of the Crop
Both the men's and women's teams are ranked in the top 25 to begin the season.
After winning the 2012 NCAA Championship, OSU's third title in four years, the Cowboys landed the No.1 preseason ranking in both the Midwest Region and the nation.
The women's side enters the season ranked at No. 21. The Cowgirls are the highest ranked team out of the Big 12, and No. 2 in the Midwest Region.
