Edwards Lifts Cowgirls, Fincham-Dukes Sets OSU Record in Arkansas

Edwards Lifts Cowgirls, Fincham-Dukes Sets OSU Record in Arkansas

January 27, 2017 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Oklahoma State Cowgirls won the distance medley relay and jumped to the top of the conference with a time of 11:08.05, and England international Jacob Fincham-Dukes set a school record at the Razorback Invitational Friday.

Kaela Edwards capped off a huge comeback for the Cowgirl DMR team with a mile leg that would have been the second-best time in the world this year had she run it in an open event.

The Cowgirls were trailing by 10 seconds when Savannah Camacho handed the baton off to the NCAA's reigning mile champion Edwards. The Cowgirl senior went on to run a 4:31.22 to give OSU the win and put the Cowgirls at the top of the Big 12 by more than four seconds.

"It was a super hero effort from her tonight," coach Dave Smith said. "Unfortunately, we might be just a few seconds off from qualifying because of how fast the field is this year."

Chelsea Jarvis, Stephanie Ferrante, Camacho and Edwards made up the winning team and ran the third-fastest time in school history. It is the Cowgirls' third top-six mark in the DMR that has been recorded at the Randal Tyson Track Center in the past three seasons.

Sophomore jumper Fincham-Dukes set a school record in the long jump with his leap of 7.60m/24-11.25 feet for his fifth attempt in the final.

He finished fourth in the competition behind three All-Americans, including last year's NCAA outdoor runner-up KeAndre Bates of Florida.

Fincham-Dukes came into the year with the joint-fourth-best mark in OSU history and quickly moved up the list in 2017 before he claimed the No. 1 spot Friday in Arkansas. The mark moves him from 36th in the NCAA in 2017 to 18th.

"He had some good jumps in there that were barely foul and his last one looked like it could have been 7.8 meters or around there, but it got called foul," Smith said. "He's our school record-holder now and is making a case for being one of the best jumpers in the Big 12.

The first event to hit the airwaves Friday was a men's distance medley relay race that produced the three fastest times in the NCAA to date, including the Cowboy team's 9:33.93 that was good enough for second.

"We were just maybe a second off for each leg tonight," Smith said. "Josh did a great job to keep us in the front, and running a 3:59 is great for his first one of the year, but overall it may not have been enough to put us into the NCAA race."

The OSU quartet of Matthew Fayers, Brandon Singleton, Tre'Tez Kinnaird and Josh Thompson finished second behind Arkansas, but gave the Razorbacks a challenge on their home track with Thompson nearly putting the Cowboys at the top of the podium with a 3:59.49 mile leg.

Donovan Nunley and Cole Verble finished the first day of the heptathlon in eighth and 12th place, respectively, with three events to go on day two of the Invitational.

"They're both in a good place right now," Smith said. "Donovan had a monster high jump and this is a great field of athletes, so for them to be where they are is a step in the right direction."

Freshman multi-athlete Devre Newby finished 11th in her first pentathlon as a Cowgirl, scoring 3,022 points.

Kira White put her name on another top-10 list with her 25.02 in the 200-meter dash. The time earned her second in her heat and 34th overall in the event and put the Cowgirl freshman at ninth on the all-time list.

The Razorback Invitational continues tomorrow. The meet will be televised for the second time in two years beginning at 1 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. After one day, the Cowboys sit in eighth and the Cowgirls are ninth.

Razorback Invitational | Jan. 27, 2017 | Fayetteville, Ark.

Men's Results

200 Meters
24. Anthony Grogan Jr. – 22.17
25. Logan Daily – 22.27
26. Ty Smith – 22.36
27. Tanner Green – 22.40
28. Malik Givens – 22.40

Distance Medley Relay
2. Oklahoma State Team A – 9:33.93
M. Fayers, B. Singleton
T. Kinnaird, J. Thompson

Long Jump
4. Jacob Fincham-Dukes - 7.60m/24-11.25

Heptathlon
--. Cole Verble
12. 60 Meters – 7.49
11. Long Jump – 6.34m/20-9.75
10. Shot Put – 11.99m/37-8.5
11. High Jump – 1.76m/5-9.25
60 Meter Hurdles
Pole Vault
1,000 Meters

--. Donovan Nunley
11. 60 Meters – 7.33
6. Long Jump – 6.88m/22-7.00
8. Shot Put – 12.27m/40-3.25
4. High Jump – 1.91m/6-3.25
60 Meter Hurdles
Pole Vault
1,000 Meters

Women's Results

200 Meters
34. Kira White – 25.02
38. Summor Fields – 25.69
39. Stephanie Ferrante – 25.71
40. Lexie Lewis – 25.81
41. Kennedy Turner – 25.89
42. Megan Harris – 26.25

Distance Medley Relay
1. Oklahoma State Team A – 11:08.05
C. Jarvis, S. Ferrante
S. Camacho, K. Edwards
5. Oklahoma State Team B – 11:51.33
A. Hetherington, D. Coleman
K. Larson, J. Celis

Weight Throw
19. Ieva Zarankaite – 15.72m/51-7.00
21. Baylor Nelson – 15.29m/50-2.00
23. Jocelen Ruth – 14.38m/47-2.25

High Jump
8. Fenja Krohn – 1.63m/5-4.25

Pentathlon
11. Devre Newby: 3,022 pts.
13. 60 Meters Hurdles – 9.40
12. High Jump – 1.52m/4-11.75
12. Shot Put – 8.77m/28-9.25
11. Long Jump – 4.84m/15-10.25
11. 800 Meters - 2:38.93

Men's Team Scores
1. Texas A&M – 46 pts.
2. Florida – 28
3. Georgia – 24
4. Tennessee – 23
5. Arkansas – 22.5
5. LSU – 22.5
7. Mississippi – 16
8. Oklahoma State – 15
9. South Carolina – 11
10. Southern California – 8

Women's Team Scores
1. Georgia – 52
2. Arkansas – 44
3. Texas A&M – 39.33
4. LSU – 26.33
5. Southern California – 25
6. Mississippi – 21
7. Mississippi State – 14
8. Auburn – 11.33
9. Oklahoma State – 11
10. Tennessee - 8