Cowboys Grab Two All-American Awards at National Championships

Saturday, November 17

Madison, Wisconsin

11 A.M. CT

Oklahoma State University

NCAA Cross Country Championships

Cowboys Grab Two All-American Awards at National Championships

November 17, 2018 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

MADISON, WISC.—The Oklahoma State men's cross country team finished 13th and the women's cross country squad placed 19th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

Isai Rodriguez and Ashenafi Hatte led the way for the Cowboys and both earned All-American honors.

Rodriguez ran near the front of the 255-runner field for the entire race. Coming around the final turn of the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, Rodriguez joined Morgan McDonald, Grant Fisher and Edwin Kurgat in an all-out sprint to the finish line.

Down the final straightaway, Rodriguez couldn't find his way to front of the dash for a national title, but he finished in fourth place, which is the best finish from a Cowboy in the history of the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Dave Smith said Rodriguez is a superstar.

"Well, he's obviously a special talent and he's physically gifted," Smith said. "I think the most important thing he has is his attitude: he is fearless. He's not concerned about negative outcomes. He just runs hard and goes out and competes. That's often overlooked.

"It was an incredibly gutsy performance from a freshman."

Ashenafi Hatte also earned an All-American honor in his first NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship with a 27th-place finish.

Luis Martinez finished his Cowboy career with a 66th-place finish. Bryce Quigley moved into the top five for OSU with a 171st-place finish and Alec Haines capped off OSU's scoring, coming in 195th.

On the women's side, Sinclaire Johnson was the low stick once again, finishing the race in 48th and was less than 10 seconds from earning an All-American honor.

"Sinclaire had an amazing year," Smith said. "We wouldn't be here doing what we did today without her. She's been the steadying hand and the calming influence all year long.

"She had a good run today. She's a bouncy little track girl. Being in the mud and snow is a little tough for her. I liked how she stuck her nose in it today. She could've finished a little higher if she had played it safe, but she wanted to be in the top 10 or 15 and she ran that way for the first half of the race."

Johnson's teammates ran together behind her and minimized the gap between their finishes, leading to a top-20 team finish.

Kaylee Dodd was 111th in her final cross country race as a Cowgirl. Taylor Somers and Grace Baker again finished within two seconds of each other. They finished in 137th and 144th, respectively.

Ariane Ballner rounded out the Cowgirls' scoring effort, finishing in 168th.

Both squads improved significantly after their 2017 finishes. The men's team jumped 16 spots and the women's crew improved by 11 places.

"I think we've got the nucleus on both sides for not only next year, but also for when we host in 2020 to contend," Smith said. "It can be a really exciting time for the next two years leading up to when we host in 2020."

Men's Individual Results
4. Isai Rodriguez 29:10.5
27. Ashenafi Hatte 29:51.0
66. Luis Martinez 30:22.4
171. Bryce Quigley 31:15.8
195. Alec Haines 31:36.2
233. Ayrton Ledesma Fuentes 32:36.6
241. Jorge Perez 32:47.6

Men's Team Results
1. Northern Arizona – 83 points
2. BYU – 116 points
3. Portland – 160 points
4. Colorado – 178 points
5. Stanford – 201 points
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13. Oklahoma State – 378 points

Women's Individual Results

48. Sinclaire Johnson 20:43.1
111. Kaylee Dodd 21:08.8
137. Taylor Somers 21:23.0
144. Grace Baker 21:24.9
168. Ariane Ballner 21:34.8
186. Molly Born 21:46.2
206. Morgan Szekely 22:00.0

Women's Team Results
1. Colorado – 65 points
2. New Mexico – 103 points
3. Oregon – 160 points
4. Michigan – 213 points
5. Stanford – 232 points
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19. Oklahoma State – 481 points