OSU Impresses at Stanford Invitational

April 01, 2017 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

Pokes pick up regional qualifying times

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Josh Thompson and Jacob Fincham-Dukes led the way for the Oklahoma State track and field team at the Stanford Invitational Friday, winning their respective events and recording NCAA qualifying marks.

"The guys were great today," coach Dave Smith said. "We had almost everyone get a qualifying mark, which was the aim for this meet."

Senior All-American Josh Thompson cruised to a win, and fellow Cowboy Craig Nowak finished fifth in an eventful invitational section of the 1,500-meter run.

Thompson's 3:41.80 was nearly the fastest time of the day despite a collision in lane one involving several athletes and a meet official that forced Thompson, Nowak and the remaining competitors toward the center of the track just before the bell lap.

"I'm just glad they avoided it," Smith said. "It could have been bad, but they got around it and ran well today."

The two Cowboys now have the top-two times in the Big 12 this season. Nowak's No. 2 time is just under four seconds faster than the third-best time in the conference.

The Cowboys have taken the Big 12's 1,500-meter title in each of the last three outdoor seasons. Nowak won the title in 2016, while Thompson advanced to the final with the fastest time of the prelims, but did not run.

Fincham-Dukes won his section of the long jump with an outdoor collegiate personal-best mark of 7.65m/25-1.25 feet.

The leap was the second-best in school history, the fourth-best mark in the NCAA West Region and second in the Big 12.

Although not official, the mark should send Fincham-Dukes to the West Preliminary Rounds for the second consecutive year. Last year, the England international made the prelim in Lawrence, Kansas, with a jump of 7.46m/24-5.75 feet and made his first NCAA Championship appearance during the 2017 indoor season.

A true freshman broke the nine-minute barrier in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as Ryan Smeeton clocked an 8:54.37 in what was supposed to be the slowest heat of the day.

Smeeton's time today put the Cowboy newcomer onto his first top-10 list as the No. 8 time in school history. The same time last year would have been enough for a place in the West Preliminary rounds and is currently in the top-15 in the west.

"What Ryan did was outstanding," Smith said. "For a true freshman to come out in his first ever 3K steeplechase and run the way he did is impressive."

The Cowgirls produced two marks under 4:21 in the 1,500-meter run, including Savannah Camacho's Big 12-leading 4:18.99.

Kaylee Dodd nearly cracked 4:20, but came up just short. Her time of 4:20.09, however, put her at the No. 2 spot in the conference behind Camacho, and is in the top-20 in the region.

Abbie Hetherington came into the weekend with the No. 1 800-meter time in the NCAA, but moved up to the 1,500 this weekend and gave the Cowgirls the No. 3 spot in the conference as well with her time of 4:22.58.

"The women had kind of a tough day, but there were some things that went right," Smith said. "Some of them are going to run the 800 tomorrow, though, so they'll look to bounce back there."

Big 12 Cross Country Newcomer of the Year Hassan Abdi opened his outdoor season with a personal-best in the 10,000-meter run.

Running in the last race of the evening, Abdi finished fourth in 28:54.86 to take the Big 12 lead in the event. Newcomer Sylvester Barus also laced up for his first outdoor meet with OSU and took sixth in the same race in 29:04.65.

Abdi's mark puts him at No. 7 in Cowboy history, and both marks are in the top-20 in the region.

The Stanford Invitational wraps up Saturday, and OSU will send 11 Cowboys and Cowgirls to compete in the men's and women's 800-meter runs.

Stanford Invitational | March 31, 2017 | Palo Alto, Calif.

Women's Results

1,500 Meters
Savannah Camacho – 4:18.99
Kaylee Dodd – 4:20.09
Abbie Hetherington – 4:22.58
Ariane Ballner – 4:28.79
Anna Boyert – 4:30.43
Jennifer Celis – 4:42.47
Chelsea Jarvis – 4:44.60

3,000 Meter Steeplechase
Molly Sughroue – 10.46.91
Kaytlyn Larson – 10:49.65

Men's Results

1,500 Meters
Josh Thompson – 3:41.80
Craig Nowak – 3:43.43
Sukhi Khosla – 3:51.57

3,000 Meter Steeplechase
Ryan Smeeton – 8:54.37

10,000 Meters
Hassan Abdi – 28:54.86
Sylvester Barus – 29:04.65
Noah Gade – 31:10.48

Long Jump
Jacob Fincham-Dukes – 7.65m/25-1.25