Pokes Set to Kickoff Indoor Season at The Bob Timmons Challenge

Friday, December 6

Lawrence, KS

10:00 a.m.

Oklahoma State University

Bob Timmons Invitational

Pokes Set to Kickoff Indoor Season at The Bob Timmons Challenge

December 05, 2019 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

COWBOYS & COWGIRLS RELOADED
The Oklahoma State track teams return two indoor All-Americans from last season: sophomore Ashton Hicks (second team; 400m) and the 400-meter leg of the Cowgirls' third-place, school-record setting Distance Medley Relay, junior Nicolette Dixon. Also returning, sophomore Isai Rodriguez was the conference runner-up in the 3,000m and 5,000m for the Cowboys a year ago. Hicks set the OSU indoor 400m school record in his freshman campaign when he finished second at the Big 12 Championships with a time of 45.6. Other returning all-conference honorees for the Cowboys include LaKyron Mays (400m, 4x400m relay), Juan Diego Castro (800m, DMR), Garrett Calhoun ( 1,000m), Ryan Smeeton (mile, 3,000m), Victor Shitsama (5,000m) , Ayrton Ledesma Fuentes (5,000m), Blake Scott (pole vault), Mace Metcalf (heptathlon), Cole Verble (heptathlon), Sukhi Khosla (DMR), Isaiah Priddey (DMR) and Justin Long (4x400m relay). For the Cowgirls, Aaliyah Birmingham will look to improve upon her record-setting times from a year ago. The University of Tulsa transfer made a splash in her first season as a Cowgirl, breaking the 60m school record four different times (7.25). She was the conference runner-up in the 60 meters. Taylor Somers is coming fresh off of her first All-American finish in cross country and will look to carry that success onto the track. Somers, a junior from Omaha, Nebraska, was all-conference indoors last year in the 3,000m and 5,000m. Sophomore Molly Born also earned her first all-america honors in the cross country season and will look to build on her all-conference finish in the 5,000m last indoor season. Pentathlon school-record holder Bailey Golden also returns for the Pokes, along with four-time indoor All-Big 12 performer Ariane Ballner, who was a member of the conference-champion DMR team.

LAST YEAR AT A GLANCE
The Oklahoma State men's and women's track teams will look to build on last year's success. During last year's indoor season, the Cowgirl distance medley relay team of Molly Sughroue, Nicolette Dixon, Kaylee Dodd and Sinclaire Johnson finished third place at the NCAA Championships. Other indoor season highlights for the Cowgirls included Johnson's 1,000m title and Sughroue's conference crown in the mile. Jacob Fincham Dukes ended his Cowboy career as an indoor All-American in the long jump with a school-record setting jump of 7.99m.

MEET SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES CT)
The Bob Timmons Challenge will get underway at 1 p.m., starting with field events. Running events are slated to begin at 3 p.m. The meet will take place at the Anschutz Pavilion, Irving Hill Road, Lawrence, KS.

THE FIELD
Kansas
Oral Roberts
Oklahoma State
Park University
Lincoln (Mo.)
Haskell Indian Nations University
Kansas City
Southwestern
Arkansas

FOLLOW THE MEET
Fans can follow the action live on Twitter by following @run4okstate for updates. Live results can be found at https://results.blacksquirreltiming.com/meets/4797. Final results will be published on www.okstate.com, along with a recap of OSU's day on the course.

FROM COACH JOSH LANGLEY
On athletes that have stood out in training:
"Two athletes I'm really excited about in the pole vault group are Blake Scott, who has been huge for us at conference meets and beyond in the past. He's had had a great fall season of workouts and has been very consistent in his workouts. The other one is Ariadni Adamopolou on the women's side. Getting her in uniform finally after being here last fall will be great. We're excited to get her in the orange. In the throws, Torrey Hickel is coming off of big performance at Big 12 outdoors last year. He just missed the first round of the NCAA Championships. He's pretty fired up and he's looked good here of late. Hannah Bradford is one that wasn't very happy with how she performed last year, but as a freshman you're learning so much, and she's made some really good technical changes. Her strength has gone through the roof. I'm really looking forward to what she's going to do this year."