Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Cross Country Prepares For Midwest Regional
November 12, 2014 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Nov. 12, 2014
STILLWATER, Okla. -
The Oklahoma State men's and women's cross country teams will travel to Peoria, Ill., on Friday to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional meet at Newman Golf Course.
FOLLOW THE MEET
Fans can view results following the conclusion of the race by following @run4okstate on Twitter. Final results will also be posted on www.okstate.com.
MEET SCHEDULE
The Cowgirls will take the starting line for their 6K race at 12 p.m. CT. Following the conclusion of the race, the Cowboys will hit the course for the 10K competition, set to begin at 1 p.m. CT.
LAST TIME OUT - BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kirubel Erassa's first individual conference title helped the Oklahoma State men's cross country team record its seventh-consecutive Big 12 Championship in Lawrence, Kan., on Nov. 10.
Despite sitting in fourth at the halfway mark of the men's 8K race, the Cowboys made a late charge to place seven runners in the top 12 and post a meet-leading team score of 27 points.
Erassa's first-place time of 24:08.3 led the way, and was supported by several of Oklahoma State's longest-tenured contenders, including juniors Fabian Clarkson (4th), Craig Nowak (9th) and Brian Gohlke (22nd), and seniors David Osborn (6th) and Shane Moskowitz (7th).
After finishing as the runner-up at last season's conference meet, Erassa will head into regional and national competition as an individual Big 12 champion for the first time in his career. His first-place finish marks his second in as many appearances this season after recording the top time at the Cowboy Jamboree.
Smith's lineup also displayed its depth with All-Big 12 performances from true freshman Cerake Geberkidane (11th) and newcomer Vegard Oelstad (12th). Redshirt freshmen Noah Gade and Luis Martinez also recorded strong individual performances, finishing 20th and 39th, respectively.
On the women's side, Monika Juodeskaite continued her stellar senior campaign with a sixth-place time of 20:22.2, marking her fourth-consecutive All-Big 12 performance. As a team, the Cowgirls finished fourth behind sixth-ranked Iowa State, ninth-ranked West Virginia and No. 28 Baylor, posting a team score of 130 points.
Kristine Helle (22nd) and Caileigh Glenn (32nd) rounded out the top three for the Cowgirls, who also recorded top-50 times from Natalie Baker, Gintare Zenkeviciute, Emily Helms and true freshman Molly Sughroue. Baker's mark of 21:33.1 helped the redshirt sophomore set a new personal best, improving her previous high by more than 20 seconds.
ASSISTANT COACH Bobby Lockhart – MEET COMMENTS
On the state of the team heading into Friday's meet:
“Going into the regional meet, we're ranked No. 1 [in the region], as we have been all year. The guys are ready to go. Big 12s were really our first test of seeing kind of where guys placed on the team, determining the team going into the regional championships, and deciding who we're going to race in our top seven spots at the national championships. The guys look good. They're actually doing a workout today and should be ready to go. With the women, we had an alright meet at the conference championships, but we're looking to bounce back. We've strung together a couple of good workouts, and they're looking really, really good, so we'll be looking to qualify both teams on Friday.”
On how the team's performance at the Big 12 Championships will relate to the regional meet:
“At regionals, it's really kind of the same thing [as Big 12s]. We might want to rest a couple of guys and give some others a shot. [David] Osborn had a huge performance. That's easily the best performance I've ever seen him have since he's been here. With Cerake, we sort of expected him to be up there, so I wouldn't say that's anything unexpected. He's incredibly talented and is a great runner. As far as the regional and who we're going to run, we'll just look for them to stay as relaxed as possible throughout the race and qualify for the national championships. If we can run as easy as possible and advance, that would be ideal.”
On what the team will see out of the course on Friday:
“The course is very spectator-friendly, which is nice for the coaches, but it's really just a number of loops up-and-down. There's a slight incline, which I think is a little deceptive, and there are some good climbs on it, but it's a course where you can get a good rhythm. We'll be able to see everything, which is nice for us, so we'll really get an idea of where we are in the race. It's a great course.”
On the cold weather expected during the meet:
“I don't think it will be an issue. It's obviously the same for everyone. Of course, we're not used to the cold weather, but it's not going to affect anyone's performance. They'll run the same. It's not an issue.”
EXTENDING HISTORY
Since 2008, the Oklahoma State men's cross country team has captured the most conference championships amongst teams in the six power conferences (ACC, Big East, Pac-12, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12). The Cowboys' seven Big 12 titles between 2008 and 2014 outnumber multiple cross country powerhouses, including Wisconsin (6), Arkansas (5), Colorado (4), Syracuse (4) and NC State (2).
IN THE RANKINGS
For the seventh-consecutive week, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) voted the Oklahoma State men's cross country team as the fourth-ranked team in the country, according to the organization's latest poll released on Nov. 4.
After taking the 2014 Big 12 Championship on Nov. 1, the Cowboys extend their place amongst the nation's top-five teams to 60-consecutive weeks. Oklahoma State's 329 votes trail only Pac-12 champion Colorado (360 votes), Oregon (340 votes) and ACC-champion Syracuse (334 votes).
In the women's polls, Oklahoma State dropped out of the rankings for the first time in 2014, ending the Cowgirls' six-week streak of holding a national ranking. OSU's fourth-place finish at last weekend's conference championships match its standing as the fourth-highest ranked team in the conference, as the Cowgirls trail No. 5 Iowa State, No. 7 West Virginia and No. 21 Baylor.
A LOOK BACK - 2013 NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL
Oklahoma State men's cross country, with one of its patented pack-running efforts, captured the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional Cross Country Championship, in Ames, Iowa, on Nov. 15, 2013.
With the 45-57 win over second-place Tulsa, the Cowboys earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
OSU ran comfortably as a pack in the lead group from start to finish of the 10K race, as Tom Farrell (30:36.3), Shadrack Kipchirchir (30:36.6), Craig Nowak (30:36.9), Kirubel Erassa (30:41.3) and Joseph Manilafasha (30:42.5) finished in places 7-11, respectively. The group was separated by a total of 7.2 seconds.
On the women's side, Monika Juodeskaite ran the 6K race in 20:34.4 to finish seventh overall. After taking away the finishers who ran on national qualifying teams, Juodeskaite was fourth, meaning she qualified as an individual. As a team, the OSU women finished third.
