Oklahoma State University Athletics
Track and Field Looking For Qualifying Marks in Packed Weekend
March 27, 2019 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Meet Information
• Events – Texas Relays; Stanford Invitational; ORU Invitational
• Times –Texas Relays – T: 2:30 p.m., F: 9:55 a.m., S: 1:30 p.m.; Stanford Invitational – F: 1:30 p.m., S: 4:33 p.m.; ORU Invitational – F: 10 a.m., S: 8 a.m.
• Facilities – Mike A. Myers Stadium; Cobb Track and Angell Field; ONEOK Sports Complex
Meet Notes
The Basics
The Oklahoma State men's and women's track teams split into three groups this weekend with sprinters heading to Austin for the Texas Relays, middle distance and distance runners traveling to Palo Alto, California, for the Stanford Invitational and a contingent from each event group is headed to the ORU Invitational in Tulsa.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will be going for qualifying marks for the West Regional, which is the first step on the way to competing for June's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Follow the Meet
Fans can follow the action live on Twitter by following @run4okstate for updates. Final results will be published on www.okstate.com, along with a recap of OSU's day on the track.
Distance Assistant Coach Cody Halsey on the Meet
On goals at the Stanford Invitational
"This is such a fun weekend because it's the first time the kids get the chance to run fast and compete. The races are set up really well and they have really good competition. It's just a great opportunity for everyone."
On All-Americans and Big 12 champions returning
"We dealt with a lot of weather issues last weekend, but everyone went out really hard and competed. Based on that, there are a lot of good things to come this weekend. A lot of people are hopefully going to get qualifying marks out of the way for Regionals. That always help take the stress off for the rest of the season. I also think there will be a lot of PR's this weekend."
Qualification Sensation
The Cowboys and Cowgirls are primed to put up qualifying marks for the West Regional in the second weekend of the season.
Ariane Ballner, Molly Sughroue and Morgan Szekely lead the charge in Palo Alto, California, at the Stanford Invitational for the Cowgirls.
Both Sughroue and Ballner qualified for the regional round of competition with their performances at last year's Stanford Invitational. The duo ran the 1,500 meters in under 4:21 at last year's meet and those times gave them a bid to the West Regional.
On the men's side, Hassan Abdi, Ryan Smeeton and Victor Shitsama are a few of the Cowboys ready to throw down qualifying times.
Abdi redshirted last season, but put up a qualifying time in the 10,000 meters during the 2017 outdoor season at the Stanford Invitational.
Smeeton is entered in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the event in which he qualified for in his most recent outdoor season. Smeeton, like Abdi, redshirted the 2018 outdoor season.
The qualifying marks aren't limited to the West coast. At last year's Texas Relays, about 70 qualifying marks were earned for the West Regional.
With quality weather conditions in the forecast and fields full of competitive athletes, qualifying marks are going to be within reach once again.
Orange and Black at the IAAF World XC Championships
Oklahoma State's Shadrack Kipchirchir, Kirubel Erassa, coach Dave Smith and Rilee Rigdon were all announced as members of the USA Track and Field's roster heading to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, on Saturday.
Smith will coach the junior men's team. Smith is in his 17th year at Oklahoma State and has been the head coach of the men's cross country team for 13 years. Smith led the Cowboys to national titles in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Rigdon is in her first year at OSU. The true freshman placed third at the USATF Junior Cross Country Championships. After redshirting the cross country season, Rigdon took home two wins in the indoor season and competed in the 800 meters and 3,000 meters at the Big 12 Championships.
Kipchirchir is leading the way for the United States' senior men's team. He heads to the race as the reigning United States cross country champion. He won the 2019 USATF Cross Country Championships on Feb. 2, setting the 10K event record with a time of 28:52.5. Kipchirchir is no stranger to international competition. He competed in the 2016 Olympic games in the 10,000 meters.
Kipchirchir was a Cowboy from 2011-13. He took home four All-America honors and helped the Oklahoma State men's cross country team win a national title in 2012. Kipchirchir owns the indoor 5,000 meters' record with a time of 13:38.57.
Erassa was selected to run as a member of the mixed relay team. The mixed relay is a race where each team selects two men and two women to run about two kilometers each.
In his time at Oklahoma State, Erassa helped OSU win a national title during the 2012 cross country season. He won four Big 12 titles as an individual and owns top-five times for OSU in the indoor 3,000 meters and outdoor 1,500 meters.
• Events – Texas Relays; Stanford Invitational; ORU Invitational
• Times –Texas Relays – T: 2:30 p.m., F: 9:55 a.m., S: 1:30 p.m.; Stanford Invitational – F: 1:30 p.m., S: 4:33 p.m.; ORU Invitational – F: 10 a.m., S: 8 a.m.
• Facilities – Mike A. Myers Stadium; Cobb Track and Angell Field; ONEOK Sports Complex
Meet Notes
The Basics
The Oklahoma State men's and women's track teams split into three groups this weekend with sprinters heading to Austin for the Texas Relays, middle distance and distance runners traveling to Palo Alto, California, for the Stanford Invitational and a contingent from each event group is headed to the ORU Invitational in Tulsa.
The Cowboys and Cowgirls will be going for qualifying marks for the West Regional, which is the first step on the way to competing for June's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Follow the Meet
Fans can follow the action live on Twitter by following @run4okstate for updates. Final results will be published on www.okstate.com, along with a recap of OSU's day on the track.
Distance Assistant Coach Cody Halsey on the Meet
On goals at the Stanford Invitational
"This is such a fun weekend because it's the first time the kids get the chance to run fast and compete. The races are set up really well and they have really good competition. It's just a great opportunity for everyone."
On All-Americans and Big 12 champions returning
"We dealt with a lot of weather issues last weekend, but everyone went out really hard and competed. Based on that, there are a lot of good things to come this weekend. A lot of people are hopefully going to get qualifying marks out of the way for Regionals. That always help take the stress off for the rest of the season. I also think there will be a lot of PR's this weekend."
Qualification Sensation
The Cowboys and Cowgirls are primed to put up qualifying marks for the West Regional in the second weekend of the season.
Ariane Ballner, Molly Sughroue and Morgan Szekely lead the charge in Palo Alto, California, at the Stanford Invitational for the Cowgirls.
Both Sughroue and Ballner qualified for the regional round of competition with their performances at last year's Stanford Invitational. The duo ran the 1,500 meters in under 4:21 at last year's meet and those times gave them a bid to the West Regional.
On the men's side, Hassan Abdi, Ryan Smeeton and Victor Shitsama are a few of the Cowboys ready to throw down qualifying times.
Abdi redshirted last season, but put up a qualifying time in the 10,000 meters during the 2017 outdoor season at the Stanford Invitational.
Smeeton is entered in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the event in which he qualified for in his most recent outdoor season. Smeeton, like Abdi, redshirted the 2018 outdoor season.
The qualifying marks aren't limited to the West coast. At last year's Texas Relays, about 70 qualifying marks were earned for the West Regional.
With quality weather conditions in the forecast and fields full of competitive athletes, qualifying marks are going to be within reach once again.
Orange and Black at the IAAF World XC Championships
Oklahoma State's Shadrack Kipchirchir, Kirubel Erassa, coach Dave Smith and Rilee Rigdon were all announced as members of the USA Track and Field's roster heading to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, on Saturday.
Smith will coach the junior men's team. Smith is in his 17th year at Oklahoma State and has been the head coach of the men's cross country team for 13 years. Smith led the Cowboys to national titles in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Rigdon is in her first year at OSU. The true freshman placed third at the USATF Junior Cross Country Championships. After redshirting the cross country season, Rigdon took home two wins in the indoor season and competed in the 800 meters and 3,000 meters at the Big 12 Championships.
Kipchirchir is leading the way for the United States' senior men's team. He heads to the race as the reigning United States cross country champion. He won the 2019 USATF Cross Country Championships on Feb. 2, setting the 10K event record with a time of 28:52.5. Kipchirchir is no stranger to international competition. He competed in the 2016 Olympic games in the 10,000 meters.
Kipchirchir was a Cowboy from 2011-13. He took home four All-America honors and helped the Oklahoma State men's cross country team win a national title in 2012. Kipchirchir owns the indoor 5,000 meters' record with a time of 13:38.57.
Erassa was selected to run as a member of the mixed relay team. The mixed relay is a race where each team selects two men and two women to run about two kilometers each.
In his time at Oklahoma State, Erassa helped OSU win a national title during the 2012 cross country season. He won four Big 12 titles as an individual and owns top-five times for OSU in the indoor 3,000 meters and outdoor 1,500 meters.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Middle Distance
/ Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Distance
/ Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Middle Distance
/ Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Middle Distance
/ Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Middle Distance
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