Cowgirls Finish 12th at NCAA Championships

June 11, 2016 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

Dybedokken runner-up in 5K; Loevnes, Edwards take All-America honors

EUGENE, Ore. – The Oklahoma State Cowgirl track and field team scored 24 points and finished 12th for its best finish in school history Saturday at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, thanks to three All-America performances from Aurora Dybedokken, Ingeborg Loevnes and Kaela Edwards to go along with Chase Ealey's record-breaking performance from Thursday.

Dybedokken came into the 5,000-meter final with the fastest time from the West Preliminary Rounds at 16:08.16, but topped her career best with a 16:00.81 and a runner-up finish at Hayward Field.

"She just ran a really patient, poised race, which has kind of become her trademark lately," coach Dave Smith said. "She just never panics. She was racing one of the best runners in NCAA history in Dom Scott, and I don't think Aurora realized until about 300 to go that maybe she could run with her."

The Cowgirl sophomore and Big 12 1,500-meter champion stayed toward the back of the pack for a majority of the 12 and-a-half-lap race.

"The thing about the 5K is I'm always a little bit nervous in the middle because I'm tired, I'm a little behind and I don't know how tired the others are," Dybedokken said. "It's good when the last two laps come around to feel that the other girls are falling off a bit and you still have it."

As the pace picked up, Dybedokken moved up into the lead group, then bolted toward the front of the pack with 400 meters to go and held off the field for second place at her first outdoor championship.

"The thing I'd been dreaming about all week was that when Dominique Scott took off, I would be with her," Dybedokken said. "But it was too stressful, I was a little bit behind and I never really got the chance to see how long I could go with her and how long I could hold on, but I'm glad none of the other girls held on to me, so I'm happy with my result."

2016 NCAA mile champion Edwards closed out her most successful outdoor season with a sixth-place finish in the 1,500-meter final and her first outdoor first-team All-America honor.

"She'd been battling an injury for the last five weeks, but she outdid what most people would do in her circumstance," Smith said.

She finished in 4:15.14, less than a second off her personal best set just two days ago in the national semifinal.

"I think Thursday took a lot more out of me than I thought," Edwards said. "It was fast and I thought I could go with them, but I just didn't have it. I guess that's what taking time off and not being 100 percent does, but I'm really happy to be here."

Though her collegiate season is in the books, Edwards' outdoor competition continues next month at the U.S. Trials where she will run in the 800, attempting to land a spot on the elite squad heading to Rio De Janeiro in August for the Olympic Games.

In the steeplechase final, Loevnes finished fourth in a school record time of 9:48.57. Loevnes got off to a slow start, but worked her way back into the top-10 after a mile, then passed seven women on the final two laps to finish fourth in the final race of her OSU career.

"A PR is a PR," Loevnes said. "I got fourth and it's better than what I was hoping, so it's a good race for me."

In two years under coach Dave Smith, Loevnes set the school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase twice, breaking the previous record by 18 seconds a year ago, then again Saturday.

She won the Big 12 indoor 3,000-meter title, then at the conference outdoor championships attempted to double in the steeplechase and 1,500-meter run, where she won the steeplechase title and took third in the 1,500 just 20 minutes later.

During the cross country season, Loevnes took All-America honors for the seventh-place Cowgirl team, and was the highest finisher for OSU at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships, where she took the Female Newcomer of the Year award.

"My time at OSU had been amazing," Loevnes said. "There are really no words to describe it. I would say it's been life-changing."

With the 12th place finish, the Cowgirls close the outdoor track and field season for Oklahoma State.

Arkansas outpaced defending champion Oregon for the team title, scoring 72.

Over the three seasons of cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field, the Cowgirls topped the Cowboys at each championship, finishing seventh at cross country,10th at indoors and 12th at outdoors. The Cowboys took 18th at cross country and 24th and 15th at indoors and outdoors, respectively, and won the Big 12 Indoor title in February.

NCAA Outdoor Championships | June 11, 2016 | Eugene, Ore.

Women's Results

1,500 Meter Final
6. Kaela Edwards – 4:15.14

3,000 Meter Steeplechase Final
4. Ingeborg Loevnes – 9:48.57

5,000 Meter Final
2. Aurora Dybedokken – 16:00.81

Women's Team Results
1. Arkansas – 72 pts.
2. Oregon – 62
3. Georgia – 41
4. Texas – 36
5. Texas A&M – 35
6. LSU – 31
7. Kansas State – 29
7. Stanford – 29
9. Southern California – 28
9. Florida – 28
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12. Oklahoma State – 24