Oklahoma State University Athletics
Vail Takes Third in 10k at USATF Championships
June 27, 2014 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
June 27, 2014
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Former Oklahoma State cross country and track and field standout Ryan Vail finished in the third place in the 10,000 meters Thursday at the 2014 USA Track and Field Championships, clocking a time of 28:26.02.
Vail, a five-time All-American at OSU who led the Cowboys to the 2009 NCAA Cross Country National Championship, improved on his sixth-place finish at last year's USATF Championships and finished behind only world standouts Galen Rupp and Chris Derrick.
The Gresham, Ore., native served as team captain of Oklahoma State's NCAA and Big 12-champion cross country team in 2009. Additionally, he was crowned Big 12 individual cross country champion that season, marking the third time in his career that he earned the title of Big 12 champion.
Former Cowboy Girma Mecheso, who was a key member of OSU's 2009 and 2010 NCAA cross country championship teams, also ran in 10,000 meters and placed 10th with a time of 29:11.54.
One athlete on OSU's 2014-15 roster ran at the event Thursday, with Chad Noelle finishing ninth in the preliminaries of the 1,500 meters. The Greene, N.Y., native clocked a time of 3:44.27 and earned a spot on the USA under 23 team which competes at the 2014 NACAC U23 Championships, held Aug. 8-10, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.
2014 USA Track & Field Championships - Hornet Stadium - Sacramento, California
10,000m
3. Ryan Vail - 28:26.02
10. Girma Mecheso - 29:11.54
1,500m
9. Chad Noelle - 3:44.27
