Cowgirl Middle-Distance Takes Center Stage at Big 12 Championships

May 15, 2016 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Cowgirls flexed their middle-distance muscle by sending nine women into the finals of the 800-and 1,500-meter runs Saturday at the second day of the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Kaylee Dodd fought off Baylor's Olicia Williams in the first heat of the 800-meter prelim to take the No. 1 seed going into Sunday's final.

"The aim was to go in and win the heat," Dodd said. "I thought I might have to run a PR to make the final because we were trying to make the heat quick to get us all through, so I'm happy with it and feeling good about it."

Dodd outpaced the field with a 2:06.07, a new personal best and now 16th fastest time in the West Region.

Defending Big 12 outdoor champion Savannah Camacho and 2015 Big 12 Indoor champion Clara Nichols advanced to the final too, with Camacho qualifying by winning heat three and Nichols getting through on time.

"It's so good for us to get so many girls through," Dodd said. "Everyone has been working hard, and I think people are kind of getting scared of us because of how dominant we are in the mid-distance right now."

Abbie Hetherington continued her breakout sophomore season by landing a spot in the final, and true freshman Kaytlyn Larson set a near two-second personal best with her automatic qualifying time in the 800.

"I'm just happy to be here – it was really unexpected," Larson said. "I'm looking forward to being out there with the other girls on my team. It's going to be five of us and three other girls. It'll be OSU against everyone else."

In the women's 1,500-meter prelim, OSU went 4-for-4 when Ingeborg Loevnes and Aurora Dybedokken advanced automatically, and Anna Boyert and Jennifer Celis made it through on time.

The Cowgirls came into the day with the five best 1,500-meter times in the conference and five Big 12 top-10 times in the 800.

"I would say we got the job done," women's assistant coach Teran Mixon said. "It's really good to have all the orange out there. People are starting to take notice and that's really positive for us and the program going forward."

OSU put two on the podium Saturday in the women's shot put and men's long jump finals.

Chase Ealey picked up her second all-conference honor of the weekend and 11th of her career with a 17.32m/56-10.00 foot throw in the shot put.

True freshman Jacob Fincham-Dukes claimed his second honor of the season by finishing seventh in the long jump.

On the men's side, Josh Thompson swept his way into Sunday finals when he won both of his heats in the 800-and 1,500-meter prelims, securing the top-times in both events in the process.

Fellow newcomer Tre'Tez Kinnaird was the third-best finisher in the 800-meter prelim. He was the Big 12 Indoor champion back in February, and has the No. 3 time in the conference this year behind a pair of Texas Tech runners, who also made the final.

"I just wanted to get safely through to the final and save up as much energy as I could," Kinnaird said. "I kind of made a few tactical errors, but you learn from that and I'll correct it in the final to hopefully win my second Big 12 title."

Craig Nowak scored a two-second personal best in the 1,500-prelim, running in heat three. He won the heat and picked up the No. 2 time in the prelim behind Thompson.

"I'm pretty happy with that," Nowak said. "It was probably the easiest PR I've ever had with not having to kick too hard on the last stretch. I was just trying to get the job done and save as much as I can for tomorrow."

Matthew Fayers also got through to the 1,500-meter final, finishing seventh overall and third in Nowak's heat.

With a time of 10.26 in just his second open race of the season, All-American John Teeters secured himself a spot in the 100-meter final. Teeters won his heat and his time was the third fastest of the day.

Sunday's Big 12 100-meter final is shaping up to be the fastest race outside of the NCAA Championships this season, with three men ranked in the top-eight of the NCAA in the event challenging for the conference crown.

Teeters went on to qualify for the 200-meter final on time with his 21.02 in the second heat of the prelim.

The third and final day of the 2016 Big 12 Outdoor Championships starts at 11 a.m. with the women's discus throw. The running finals, scheduled to begin at 4:30 with the 4X100-meter relays, will be streamed live on foxsportsgo.com.

2016 Big 12 Outdoor Championships | May 14, 2016 | Fort Worth, Texas

Women's Results

200 Meter Prelim
17. Megan Harris – 24.78
18. Stephanie Ferrante – 25.47

400 Meter Prelim
15. Amira Coleman – 56.53
18. Danielle Coleman – 57.24
20. Stephanie Ferrante – 57.41
21. Summor Fields – 57.56

800 Meter Prelim
1. Kaylee Dodd – 2:06.07Q
3. Savannah Camacho – 2:08.19Q
5. Abbie Hetherington – 2:07.31Q
6. Kaytlyn Larson – 2:08.49Q
8. Clara Nichols – 2:07.54q
13. Molly Sughroue – 2:10.09

1,500 Meter Prelim
4. Ingeborg Loevnes – 4:22.45Q
6. Aurora Dybedokken – 4:22.57Q
7. Jennifer Celis – 4:23.54q
8. Anna Boyert – 4:23.89q

400 Meter Hurdles
11. Sarah Robinson – 1:01.54
13. Kennedy Turner – 1:04.75

Long Jump
17. Viktoriia Sadokhina – 5.11m/16-9.25 (+2.4)

Shot Put
2. Chase Ealey – 17.32m/56-10.00
11. Katie Kehl – 13.79m/45-3.00

Heptathlon (FINAL)
9. Triana Browne-Hearrell: 4,538 pts.
9. 100m Hurdles – 15.82
8. High Jump – 1.46m/4-9.5
8. Shot Put – 9.82m/32-2.75
2. 200 Meters – 25.06
10. Long Jump – 4.94m/16-2.50
4. Javelin Throw – 32.45m/106-5
5. 800 Meters – 2:24.79

Men's Results

100 Meter Prelim
3. John Teeters – 10.26 (+3.3)Q
11. Arlando Brewer-Johnson – 10.45 (+3.3)
12. Malik Givens – 10.56 (+3.3)
15. Sharod Selph – 10.63 (+1.2)

200 Meter Prelim
5. John Teeters – 21.02 (+1.5)q
13. Arlando Brewer-Johnson – 21.59 (+.9)
14. Tyler Jackson – 21.62 (+.5)
15. Anthony Grogan Jr. – 21.77 (+1.3)

400 Meter Prelim
16. Tyler Jackson – 48.39
18. Brandon Singleton – 49.03
21. Tanner Green – 49.38

800 Meter Prelim
1. Josh Thompson – 1:49.97Q
3. Tre'Tez Kinnaird - 1:50.31Q
11. Ryan Wheatley – 1:51.16

1,500 Meter Prelim
1. Josh Thompson – 3:44.29Q
2. Craig Nowak – 3:44.77Q
7. Matthew Fayers – 3:45.93q
10. Brigham Hedges – 3:49.07

Long Jump
7. Jacob Fincham-Dukes – 7.39m/24-3.00 (+2.4)
10. Arlando Brewer-Johnson – 7.01m/23-0.00
12. Simon Imagbe – 6.89m/22-7.25

Decathlon (FINAL)
10. Cole Verble: 5,907 pts.
10. 100 Meters – 11.82
7. Long Jump – 6.40m/21.00
8. Shot Put – 11.25m/36-11.00
6. High Jump – 1.81m/5-11.25
10. 400 Meters – 55.28
10. 110 Meter Hurdles – 17.87 (+3.7)
5. Discus Throw – 34.69m/113-10
4. Pole Vault – 4.30m/14-1.25
9. Javelin Throw – 41.79m/137-01
8. 1,500 Meters – 5:11.43

Men's Team Scores
1. Oklahoma – 54 pts.
2. Kansas State – 46
3. Kansas – 45
4. Texas – 35
5. Iowa State – 30
6. Oklahoma State – 24
6. Texas Tech – 24
7. TCU – 10
9. Baylor – 5

Women's Team Scores
1. Oklahoma – 46.5 pts.
2. Kansas State – 37
3. Texas Tech – 33
4. Iowa State – 29
5. Kansas – 26
6. Texas – 25.5
7. Baylor – 16
7. Oklahoma State – 16
9. TCU – 3
10. West Virginia – 2