Oklahoma State University Athletics
OSU Track and Field Eyes Accolades at NCAA Indoor Championships
March 06, 2019 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Meet Information
• Events – NCAA Indoor Championships
• Times – Friday: M Long Jump – 5:30 p.m.; M 400 (Semifinals) – 6:42 p.m.; W DMR – 8:47 p.m. Saturday: M 400 (Finals) – 5 p.m.
• Facilities – Birmingham CrossPlex
Meet Notes
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The Basics
              The Oklahoma State men's and women's track teams send three qualifiers to the national championships on Friday and Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama.
              Jacob Fincham-Dukes is a veteran at the national meet. He is a three-time All-American in the long jump with his most recent trip coming in the 2018 outdoor season. He qualified with a mark of 7.99m/26-2.75, a mark that was tied for fourth-best in the nation.
              The women's DMR squad qualified as the nation's second-best team with a time of 10:55.93. The Cowgirls are also coming off a Big 12 title in the event.
              Ashton Hicks will be running in his first NCAA Championships in the 400 meters. His qualifying time of 45.71 (converted from 45.60 for altitude) ranked seventh in the country.
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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.
              The first day of competition can be seen on ESPN3 beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the final day will be streamed on ESPN3 starting at 5 p.m.
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Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Dave Smith on the Meet
On thoughts heading into the weekend
"We want to go in there and compete hard. It's about effort and attitude. You can't control anything else. There are a lot of good athletes at this meet, but you can't worry about them. On the relay, you need to worry about your leg and controlling that. Everyone has to do their job."
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On difference makers in the DMR
"Obviously every leg is important and each woman has to do their job, but when it comes down to it, it's like I told Sinclaire, the person who is anchoring and who has the baton at the end has to be like Michael Jordan at the end of a basketball game, they have to want to have that pressure and realize you're carrying the team. A lot of what the team has done doesn't matter. You have to get the job done or you don't. I think it comes down to the Miler and how well they race, not necessarily the fastest, but the one who races the best. Sinclaire's a really good racer and a really good closer. We have a chance to win, just as good as anybody."
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Distance Medley Masters
              The Cowgirls' Distance Medley Relay squad has been one of the best in the country this season.
              The Cowgirls made immediate impact with their performance at the UW Invitational when they set the school record and ran what was the No. 1 time in the country.
              The school and meet records were shattered as OSU finished the race in 10:55.93. The time bettered the school record by about six seconds and beat the meet record by about seven seconds.
              Sinclaire Johnson's anchor leg came in at an estimated 4:30. That time would have been the third-best Mile time in school history had it come in an individual race.
              The sophomore from Longwood, Florida, beat out Boise State and BYU on the final straightaway to win the race.
              The Cowgirls also won the Big 12 title in the DMR. Their win was the fourth conference title in the past five years. They crossed the line in 11:37.71 after Johnson kicked her way past the field in the final 400 meters of the race.
              Heading into the final meet of the season, OSU is ranked second behind only Michigan.
              The women's DMR team is expected to start Nicolette Dixon, Kaylee Dodd, Sinclaire Johnson and Molly Sughroue. Dodd and Sughroue will be running in the final races of their indoor career.
              The Cowgirls are poised to compete for a national title on Friday.
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Jumping into Nationals
              Jacob Fincham-Dukes is once again headed to the NCAA Championships.
              The senior jumper already has three All-American honors under his belt, but is primed to add another one.
              Fincham-Dukes has been getting better by the week, setting new season bests each week in the long jump.
              His most recent performance saw the OSU school record fall. He jumped 7.99m/26-2.75 to beat his own school record. The jump also won him his second conference title.
              Fincham-Dukes comes into the NCAA Indoor Championships seeded in a tie for fourth with Texas Tech's Odaine Lewis.
              The Leeds, England, native owns three school records: indoor long jump, outdoor long jump and the indoor 60-meter hurdles.
              Fincham-Dukes is looking for his fourth All-American honor and his first national championship. No OSU long jumper has won a national title.
              Fincham-Dukes is already one of the best jumpers in school history, but has the chance to cement his legacy at the top of OSU's jumping history.
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Phenomenal Freshman
              Ashton Hicks is a true freshman and has quickly made an impact in OSU's sprinting program.
              Hicks has set the school record twice in the 400 meters this season. His first record-breaking performance came at the Texas Tech Shootout when he ran a time of 46.31. He finished in fourth overall at that meet.
              Hicks set the record again in his most recent performance. He finished second in the 400 meters at the Big 12 Championships and finished the race with a time of 45.60. He was second to only Baylor's Wil London.
              OSU has never had an indoor All-American in the 400 meters and only one outdoor All-American. Olympic gold medalist J.W. Mashburn is the lone All-American in school history in the event.
              Hicks comes into the meet ranked No. 7 in the country in the 400 meters. His seed time is second-best among freshman at the meet.
              It's early for the freshman, but Hicks has a chance to put himself in the history books.
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• Events – NCAA Indoor Championships
• Times – Friday: M Long Jump – 5:30 p.m.; M 400 (Semifinals) – 6:42 p.m.; W DMR – 8:47 p.m. Saturday: M 400 (Finals) – 5 p.m.
• Facilities – Birmingham CrossPlex
Meet Notes
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The Basics
              The Oklahoma State men's and women's track teams send three qualifiers to the national championships on Friday and Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama.
              Jacob Fincham-Dukes is a veteran at the national meet. He is a three-time All-American in the long jump with his most recent trip coming in the 2018 outdoor season. He qualified with a mark of 7.99m/26-2.75, a mark that was tied for fourth-best in the nation.
              The women's DMR squad qualified as the nation's second-best team with a time of 10:55.93. The Cowgirls are also coming off a Big 12 title in the event.
              Ashton Hicks will be running in his first NCAA Championships in the 400 meters. His qualifying time of 45.71 (converted from 45.60 for altitude) ranked seventh in the country.
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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.
              The first day of competition can be seen on ESPN3 beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the final day will be streamed on ESPN3 starting at 5 p.m.
Â
Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Dave Smith on the Meet
On thoughts heading into the weekend
"We want to go in there and compete hard. It's about effort and attitude. You can't control anything else. There are a lot of good athletes at this meet, but you can't worry about them. On the relay, you need to worry about your leg and controlling that. Everyone has to do their job."
Â
On difference makers in the DMR
"Obviously every leg is important and each woman has to do their job, but when it comes down to it, it's like I told Sinclaire, the person who is anchoring and who has the baton at the end has to be like Michael Jordan at the end of a basketball game, they have to want to have that pressure and realize you're carrying the team. A lot of what the team has done doesn't matter. You have to get the job done or you don't. I think it comes down to the Miler and how well they race, not necessarily the fastest, but the one who races the best. Sinclaire's a really good racer and a really good closer. We have a chance to win, just as good as anybody."
Â
Distance Medley Masters
              The Cowgirls' Distance Medley Relay squad has been one of the best in the country this season.
              The Cowgirls made immediate impact with their performance at the UW Invitational when they set the school record and ran what was the No. 1 time in the country.
              The school and meet records were shattered as OSU finished the race in 10:55.93. The time bettered the school record by about six seconds and beat the meet record by about seven seconds.
              Sinclaire Johnson's anchor leg came in at an estimated 4:30. That time would have been the third-best Mile time in school history had it come in an individual race.
              The sophomore from Longwood, Florida, beat out Boise State and BYU on the final straightaway to win the race.
              The Cowgirls also won the Big 12 title in the DMR. Their win was the fourth conference title in the past five years. They crossed the line in 11:37.71 after Johnson kicked her way past the field in the final 400 meters of the race.
              Heading into the final meet of the season, OSU is ranked second behind only Michigan.
              The women's DMR team is expected to start Nicolette Dixon, Kaylee Dodd, Sinclaire Johnson and Molly Sughroue. Dodd and Sughroue will be running in the final races of their indoor career.
              The Cowgirls are poised to compete for a national title on Friday.
Â
Jumping into Nationals
              Jacob Fincham-Dukes is once again headed to the NCAA Championships.
              The senior jumper already has three All-American honors under his belt, but is primed to add another one.
              Fincham-Dukes has been getting better by the week, setting new season bests each week in the long jump.
              His most recent performance saw the OSU school record fall. He jumped 7.99m/26-2.75 to beat his own school record. The jump also won him his second conference title.
              Fincham-Dukes comes into the NCAA Indoor Championships seeded in a tie for fourth with Texas Tech's Odaine Lewis.
              The Leeds, England, native owns three school records: indoor long jump, outdoor long jump and the indoor 60-meter hurdles.
              Fincham-Dukes is looking for his fourth All-American honor and his first national championship. No OSU long jumper has won a national title.
              Fincham-Dukes is already one of the best jumpers in school history, but has the chance to cement his legacy at the top of OSU's jumping history.
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Phenomenal Freshman
              Ashton Hicks is a true freshman and has quickly made an impact in OSU's sprinting program.
              Hicks has set the school record twice in the 400 meters this season. His first record-breaking performance came at the Texas Tech Shootout when he ran a time of 46.31. He finished in fourth overall at that meet.
              Hicks set the record again in his most recent performance. He finished second in the 400 meters at the Big 12 Championships and finished the race with a time of 45.60. He was second to only Baylor's Wil London.
              OSU has never had an indoor All-American in the 400 meters and only one outdoor All-American. Olympic gold medalist J.W. Mashburn is the lone All-American in school history in the event.
              Hicks comes into the meet ranked No. 7 in the country in the 400 meters. His seed time is second-best among freshman at the meet.
              It's early for the freshman, but Hicks has a chance to put himself in the history books.
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Players Mentioned
Sprints
/ Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Middle Distance
/ Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Sprints/Jumps
/ Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Sprints
/ Cowboy Cross Country & Track
Middle Distance
/ Cowgirl Cross Country & Track
Middle Distance
/ Cowgirl Cross Country & TrackFriday, June 05
Friday, May 29
Wednesday, May 27
Monday, May 18
