Oklahoma State University Athletics
Busy Weekend On Tap For OSU Track & Field
February 12, 2014 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Feb. 12, 2014
STILLWATER -
No. 10 Oklahoma State men's track and field and No. 24 women's track and field will be split between four different meets this weekend, Feb. 14 and 15.
The Basics
The two biggest groups of athletes will head to Seattle, Wash., for the Husky Classic, and Fayetteville, Ark., for the Tyson Invitational.
A smaller group of distance runners will go to Ames, Iowa, for the Iowa State Classic, and Kirubel Erassa has been invited to participate in one of the nation's premier indoor track & field meets, the Millrose Games, which will take place in New York City, at the Armory, which houses the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
How to Follow the Meets
Erassa's Wanamaker Mile will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network, Saturday, at 3 p.m., ET. Online, fans can follow the action live on Twitter by following @run4okstate for updates. Final results will be published on www.okstate.com.
Quoting Coach Dave Smith
On Kirubel Erassa's invitation to the Millrose Games:
“The Millrose is one of the premier indoor meets, not just in the U.S., but in the world. It has a long tradition of great times and successful athletes. Some of the best professional athletes, and collegiate athletes ready to take that next step, get selected to compete. Kirubel is excited and proud to compete against some of the world's best milers. It's a thrill for him and for us.”
On the great times usually achieved at the Husky Classic:
“The coaches and staff in Seattle are incredible. It's a massive meet with athletes from all over the world, and they still manage to do a great job of seeding the races. Part of the success is expectations. We have this meet circled, knowing we need great times. Also, the track is really fast. It's kind of the perfect storm.”
On the expectations for those at the Tyson Invite:
“The Tyson is another great meet with a great staff. It's great for throwers and sprinters, more than others. It's not unusual for some of the world's fastest sprint times to come out of the Tyson. It's great competition so if our guys compete, they will run personal bests.”
Sprinting Into The Record Books
Sophomore sprinter John Teeters broke the school record in the 60 meter dash at the Bob Sevigne Husker Invitational, in Lincoln, Neb., last Friday.
Teeters bolted down the track in 6.69 seconds, eclipsing Daniel McLemore's school record of 6.70, which was set in 2004. Teeters had been closing in on the record all season—running a 6.73 at the KSU Wildcat Invite, and then a 6.71 at the Razorback Invite.
Teeters' time made him the second-fastest qualifier for the 60 meter final, and moved him up to No. 20 in the NCAA in the event.
A Special Invitation
Oklahoma State's Kirubel Erassa has been invited to run in the Wanamaker Mile, perhaps the most prestigious event at one of the most prestigious indoor track & field meets in the U.S., the Millrose Games, at the Armory, in New York City.
Since 1926, the Wanamaker Mile has been a mainstay and highlight of the Millrose Games. Some of the most famous names in distance running have been crowned Wanamaker Mile champions, led by eight-time winner Bernard Lagat and seven-time victor Eamonn Coghlan. In 2013 at The Armory, Lopez Lomong set a meet and event record by timing 3:51.21.
Full Speed Ahead
The sprint events have not been a major factor for OSU track and field in recent years, but newly-hired Sprints Coach Diego Flaquer is changing that.
Under Flaquer, the OSU men's 60 meter record has been broken and the women's has been challenged this season. John Teeters ran a 6.69 at the Husker Invite, breaking the 10 year-old school record of 6.70, and at the KSU Wildcat Invite, Britney Presley ran a 7.65, just missing the school record of 7.63.
When Tyreek Hill, who clocked a 10.19 in the 100 meters and a 20.14 in the 200 meters in 2012, gets added to the mix this week, no OSU sprint record will be safe and OSU will be a force to be reckoned with in the sprint events. Hill's 200 meter time would have placed sixth at the 2012 London Olympic 200 meter final.
Last Year At The Husky Classic
Shadrack Kipchirchir shattered the OSU 5,000 meter indoor record with a blazing 13:38.57 at the 2013 Husky Classic. Raul Botezan became the fifth OSU male to run a sub-four minute mile in 2013, running a 3:57.79, the second-fastest mile in school history. Kirubel Erassa and Tom Farrell ran the second and third-fastest 3,000 meter times in school history.
On the women's side, Natalja Piliusina broke the OSU indoor women's mile record, running a 4:32.26. It was the No. 4 time in the NCAA, and earned her third place in the event. Monika Juodeskaite ran the seoncd-fastest 3,000 meters in school history, a 9:10.83, which crushed her old personal best by 35 seconds. She finished in 11th.
Last Time Out
Oklahoma State's John Teeters broke the school record in the 60 meter dash for the No. 11 OSU men's track and field team at the Bob Sevigne Husker Invitational, in Lincoln, Neb.
Teeters bolted down the track in 6.69 seconds, eclipsing Daniel McLemore's school record of 6.70, which was set in 2004. The next day, Teeters ran a 6.74 in the 60 meter final to take fourth.
In the men's weight throw, Nick Miller won the event yet again, with a launch of 21.77m/71-5.25. This is the third-straight meet in which Miller has won the weight throw.
For the No. 24 Cowgirls, Caitlin Way took 22nd in the weight throw, with a mark of 15.13m/49-7.75.
Itamar Levi took eighth place in the men's shot put to lead OSU track and field in day two of the Husker Invite. Levi's throw, a 17.34m/56-10.75 toss, was not only good enough for eighth place in the event, but also moved him up to No. 4 on OSU's all-time indoor shot put list.
In the women's shot put, Chase Ealey took sixth place, with a mark of 15.78m/51-9.25.
In The Rankings
The Oklahoma State men's track and field team has moved back into the nation's top 10, at No. 10, in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll.
Individually, John Teeters (6.69) moved up to No. 20 in the NCAA in the 60 meters after his school record-breaking run at last weekend's Sevigne Husker Invite. The trio who went 1-2-3 in the 3,000 meters in Fayetteville, Kirubel Erassa (7:54.05), Shane Moskowitz (7:57.79) and Chad Noelle (7:59.64), have the No. 7, No. 14 and No. 17 3,000 meter times in the nation.
Nick Miller's school record-setting weight throw of 21.94m/71-11.75 from the KSU Wildcat Invite ranks sixth in the nation, and the distance medley relay's time of 9:39.00 holds the No. 10 spot in the NCAA.
On the women's side, the Cowgirls stayed at No. 24, making it the third time the Cowgirls have been ranked in the top 25 since the inception of the USTFCCCA poll.
Individually, the Cowgirls have five athletes ranked in the NCAA top 50 in their respective events. Savannah Camacho (2:05.41) and Kaela Edwards (2:05.59) still lead the way, holding the nation's No. 3 and No. 6 spots, respectively, in the 800 meters.
Monika Juodeskaite (4:46.39) has the NCAA's No. 50 time in the mile, and Viktoriia Sadokhina (12.45m/40-10.25) is No. 46 in the nation in the triple jump. Chase Ealey is the newest Cowgirl to join the national rankings, debuting at No. 32 in the shot put, after throwing a season-best mark of 15.78m/51-9.25 in Lincoln.
A New Home
OSU track and field now has a new state-of-the-art facility to call home. The new complex was finished in the summer of 2013, and the teams have already started using it for practice. The complex is home to new locker rooms, a large team room and a large training room, among other brand new features for the teams to enjoy.
