Oklahoma State University Athletics
Saturday, February 18
South Bend, Ind.
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Alex Wilson Invitational
Cowboy Quartet Secures NCAA Bid
February 18, 2017 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Oklahoma State Cowboy distance medley relay team picked up an NCAA-qualifying mark Saturday at the Alex Wilson Invitational crossing the line in 9:28.83.
The quartet of Craig Nowak, Brandon Singleton, Bradley Johnson and Josh Thompson won heat one and finished third overall in a field that produced four of the five best DMR times in the NCAA this season.
"We didn't decide to run the DMR until after Wednesday because we wanted to see how workouts went and had to make sure the guys would be able to bounce back," men's middle distance coach Bobby Lockhart said. "We're excited that we made the decision and the guys looked really good today."
It was the fourth Cowboy team to run under nine minutes and 30 seconds in the past four years and the third-fastest run in OSU history. All four of the fastest times in school history have come at the Alex Wilson Invitational.
With the qualifying time in hand, the Cowboys have now made it to the NCAA Championships in the DMR for the fifth consecutive year.
"We don't know who we're going to run at nationals yet," Lockhart said. "A lot can happen in three weeks and we have three sub-four minute milers and two good 800-meter guys that we could put in."
Nowak made his 2017 DMR debut in the opening 1,200-meter leg, replacing Matthew Fayers who ran the DMR earlier this season for the Cowboys.
"Fayers said his legs were still a little tired after running his 3:58 from last weekend," Lockhart said. "And Craig has just been on fire this year, we knew he'd be able to keep us in the race and hand off with the leaders after 1,200."
The 400-meter leg was run by the ever-present All-American Singleton who now has been a part of six of the 10 fastest DMR times in OSU history including the school record 9:26.60 from 2016.
"Singleton has been so reliable in the 400-meter leg for us over the years," Lockhart said. "He's constantly putting up 47-or 46-second legs and he had us right up there with LSU with his run today."
Johnson received the baton for the 800-meter leg and made the best of his season-debut in the DMR with a 1:49 split.
"Tre'Tez is still coming back, he ran in a good race last week, and Brad really hadn't gotten a chance to run a fast 800 this year, so we gave him the chance," Lockhart said. "We knew he was ready to do it, he just hadn't been in the right race, so to get him to do it today was great for the team and great for him."
The anchor Thompson clocked a 3:57 mile to give the Pokes a two-second win in heat one and a 24-second lead on the rest of the Big 12.
Thompson anchored the school-record setting DMR in 2016 in his first season with the Cowboys and has the No. 4 mile in the NCAA in 2017 heading into the postseason.
"Josh is a gamer," Lockhart said. "He's always ready to compete and we know he's always going to give us a chance to win in that mile leg. He's going to be a real contender for the NCAA mile."
It's postseason time in Stillwater now for the indoor track and field team. The Cowboys and Cowgirls travel to Ames, Iowa, next week for the Big 12 Indoor Championships Feb. 24-25 where last year the men's team won the conference title and the women's team finished second.
Alex Wilson Invitational | Feb. 18, 2017 | South Bend, Indiana
Men's Results
Distance Medley Relay
3. Oklahoma State Team A – 9:28.83
C. Nowak, B. Singleton,
B. Johnson, J. Thompson
The quartet of Craig Nowak, Brandon Singleton, Bradley Johnson and Josh Thompson won heat one and finished third overall in a field that produced four of the five best DMR times in the NCAA this season.
"We didn't decide to run the DMR until after Wednesday because we wanted to see how workouts went and had to make sure the guys would be able to bounce back," men's middle distance coach Bobby Lockhart said. "We're excited that we made the decision and the guys looked really good today."
It was the fourth Cowboy team to run under nine minutes and 30 seconds in the past four years and the third-fastest run in OSU history. All four of the fastest times in school history have come at the Alex Wilson Invitational.
With the qualifying time in hand, the Cowboys have now made it to the NCAA Championships in the DMR for the fifth consecutive year.
"We don't know who we're going to run at nationals yet," Lockhart said. "A lot can happen in three weeks and we have three sub-four minute milers and two good 800-meter guys that we could put in."
Nowak made his 2017 DMR debut in the opening 1,200-meter leg, replacing Matthew Fayers who ran the DMR earlier this season for the Cowboys.
"Fayers said his legs were still a little tired after running his 3:58 from last weekend," Lockhart said. "And Craig has just been on fire this year, we knew he'd be able to keep us in the race and hand off with the leaders after 1,200."
The 400-meter leg was run by the ever-present All-American Singleton who now has been a part of six of the 10 fastest DMR times in OSU history including the school record 9:26.60 from 2016.
"Singleton has been so reliable in the 400-meter leg for us over the years," Lockhart said. "He's constantly putting up 47-or 46-second legs and he had us right up there with LSU with his run today."
Johnson received the baton for the 800-meter leg and made the best of his season-debut in the DMR with a 1:49 split.
"Tre'Tez is still coming back, he ran in a good race last week, and Brad really hadn't gotten a chance to run a fast 800 this year, so we gave him the chance," Lockhart said. "We knew he was ready to do it, he just hadn't been in the right race, so to get him to do it today was great for the team and great for him."
The anchor Thompson clocked a 3:57 mile to give the Pokes a two-second win in heat one and a 24-second lead on the rest of the Big 12.
Thompson anchored the school-record setting DMR in 2016 in his first season with the Cowboys and has the No. 4 mile in the NCAA in 2017 heading into the postseason.
"Josh is a gamer," Lockhart said. "He's always ready to compete and we know he's always going to give us a chance to win in that mile leg. He's going to be a real contender for the NCAA mile."
It's postseason time in Stillwater now for the indoor track and field team. The Cowboys and Cowgirls travel to Ames, Iowa, next week for the Big 12 Indoor Championships Feb. 24-25 where last year the men's team won the conference title and the women's team finished second.
Alex Wilson Invitational | Feb. 18, 2017 | South Bend, Indiana
Men's Results
Distance Medley Relay
3. Oklahoma State Team A – 9:28.83
C. Nowak, B. Singleton,
B. Johnson, J. Thompson
Players Mentioned
Middle Distance
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Middle Distance
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Distance
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Sprints
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Distance
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