Cowboys & Cowgirls Combine to Capture Four Titles at Arkansas Invitational

Friday, January 17

Fayetteville, AR

10:00 a.m.

Oklahoma State University

Arkansas Invitational

Cowboys & Cowgirls Combine to Capture Four Titles at Arkansas Invitational

January 17, 2020 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

FAYETTEVILLE - The Oklahoma State track teams competed for the first time in 2020 this afternoon in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at the Arkansas Invitational. Three Cowboys claimed individual titles and one Cowgirl picked up a win in their respective events. Torrey Hickel won the shot put, Juan Diego Castro won the 1,000 meters and All-American Blake Scott took home a pole vault title, while Finnish freshman Saara Hakanen won the triple jump in her debut in orange.

For Hickel, it was the Cowboy's second shot put win in as many meets to begin the indoor season. Hickel won the event with a throw of 16.55 meters.

Castro followed suit with his second 1,000 meters victory in a row to begin the season. The sophomore from San Jose, Costa Rica improved his time by over four seconds from the Bob Timmons Challenge back on December 6. Garrett Calhoun finished third place for the Cowboys, Isaiah Priddey was fourth and Alec Haines finished eighth place.

"The men's middle-distance runners led by Juan Diego Castro did a nice job, especially in the 1,000 meters," head coach Dave Smith said. "We also may have found a new 800 meters runner; [Andrew] Cash Merutka looked really strong in the 600 meters."

Scott improved upon his mark from the Bob Timmons Challenge as well with a meet-winning vault of 5.10 meters.

Hakanen, a freshman from Kerala, Finland, jumped 12.63 meters to claim the triple jump crown in her debut meet for the Cowgirls while teammate Ryan Roane finished as the runner-up. Hakanen came to OSU with Finnish U18 and U20 national championships already on her resume.

"Saara Haakanen was impressive winning the triple jump in her debut and heptathlete William Edmonds had a good meet," Smith said.

Another impressive performance by a Cowgirl came from Ariadni Adamopoulou, who broke the school record in the pole vault in her debut meet for the Pokes with her third-place vault of 3.95m. A freshman from Athens, Greece, Adamopoulou also had an impressive resume before becoming a Cowgirl, one that included U18 national championships in 2016 and 2017, as well as U20 championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018. She also finished 30^th at the U20 World Championships in 2018.

"This was a rust buster, but we had some great early season performances," Smith said. "I was really impressed with Ariadni Adamopoulou, who broke the school record in her debut as a Cowgirl."

60-meter dash school-record holder Aaliyah Birmingham made her season debut and was the runner-up in the event with a time of 7.39, just .14 shy of her record time of 7.25. The University of Tulsa transfer also holds the outdoor 400 meters school record which she set while sprinting to a Big 12 title last spring in a blazing time of 51.51.

Oral Roberts-transfer Christina Ollison turned in a fourth-place finish in the 400 meters, her first race as a Cowgirl. Ollison was the Summit League champion in the indoor and outdoor 400 meters last season for the Golden Eagles.

"I thought the women's sprint group led by Aaliyah Birmingham and Christina Ollison looked very good," Smith said.

The Pokes are back in action next weekend when they travel to Lubbock, Texas, for the Red Raider Invitational on January 24 and 25.

Women's Individual Results

Pole Vault
3. Ariadni Adamopoulou – 3.95m
7. Elissa White – 3.65m
11. Elliett Kulkin – 3.50m
-- Allie Stern – NH

Long Jump
6. Bailey Golden – 5.62m
7. Megan Mann – 5.48m
10. Sanye Ford – 5.38m
24. Sydney Ritter – 4.83m
26. Summer Thompson – 4.77m
33. Sydney Long – 4.11m

Triple Jump
1. Saara Hakanen – 12.63m
2. Ryan Roane – 11.98m

Shot Put
5. Hannah Bradford – 11.84m

Weight Throw
5. Jocelen Ruth – 15.51m
6. Hannah Bradford – 15.51m
10. Baylor Nelson – 14.53m

60-Meter Hurdles
11. Bailey Golden – 9.22
13. Megan Mann – 9.25

60 Meter Dash
2. Aaliyah Birmingham – 7.39
8. Brooke Givens – 7.74
9. Kira White – 7.76
18. Sanye Ford – 7.85
41. Brooke Thomas – 8.23
44. Jordan Rockins – 8.33

400 Meters
4. Christina Ollison – 55.95

600 Meters
2. Maddie Salek – 1:34.80
4. Michaela Travers – 1:36.43
5. Jayden Fiebiger – 1:36.53

1,000 Meters
3. Ariane Ballner – 2:50.36
4. Kaytlyn Larson – 2:53.10
7. Gabby Hentemann – 2:56.57
13. Kaylee Oyler – 3:06.02

Mile
4. Taylor Roe – 4:55.09
12. Kami Hankins – 5:11.32
21. Emily Forster – 5:19.94
24. Katherine Ruck – 5:22.14
31. Anna Gunter – 5:34.56

4x400-Meter Relay
2. Oklahoma State – 3:47.35

Men's Individual Results

Pole Vault
1 Blake Scott – 5.10m
7. Jack Fling – 4.45m

Shot Put
1. Torrey Hickel – 16.55m
15. William Edmonds – 12.48m

Long Jump
5. Joshua Anadu – 6.91m
12. Jake Dyer – 6.46m

60 Meter Dash
19. Wyatt Duvall – 7.04

60-Meter Hurdles
12. William Edmonds – 9.05
14. Jake Dyer – 9.19

600 Meters
3. Andrew Merutka – 1:19.37
6. DeJuana McArthur – 1:20.66
8. Kobe Christiansen – 1:22.51
9. Tanner Blackmore – 1:23.09

1,000 Meters
1. Juan Diego Castro – 2:24.05
3. Garrett Calhoun– 2:26.38
4. Isaiah Priddey – 2:26.41
8. Alec Haines – 2:29.70
13. Daniel Nickell Jr. – 2:36.15

Mile
7. Alex Maier – 4:14.57
10. Ayrton Ledesma Fuentes – 4:15.78
12. Victor Shitsama – 4:17.63
17. Nicholas Kenville – 4:22.46
31. Wyatt Landis – 4:36.32

4x400-Meter Relay
17. Oklahoma State "C" – 3:30.25