Pokes Wrap Up Day One at Big 12 Indoor Championships

February 29, 2020 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

AMES, Iowa – The Oklahoma State track and field teams wrapped up day one of the Big 12 Indoor Championships at the Lied Recreational Athletic Facility in Ames, Iowa, where two Cowgirl pentathletes made the podium while plenty of other Pokes qualified for tomorrow's finals.

Cowgirls Bailey Golden and Megan Mann finished fifth place and eighth place in the pentathlon, respectively. After finishing tenth in the event a year ago, the two-sport athlete Golden climbed five spots to earn her first career All-Big 12 honor.

"It was good to see Bailey bounce back from a tough Big 12 meet last year with the second-best pentathlon of her life. I know the point total wasn't quite what she wanted, she expected more out of herself, which is who she is as a student and as an athlete," assistant coach Josh Langley said. "Still, it was a steady performance from her and a sign of bigger things to come."

Mann, a junior from Spring Valley, Texas, also achieved all-conference status for the first time. Going into the final event, Mann occupied tenth place in the standings. Her fifth-place finish in the 800-meter section of competition propelled her onto the podium to finish eighth.

"For Megan, it's been two and a half years of really hard work on her part. She came to OSU as a walk on and there were a couple times we thought about switching her event, but her heart was in the multi-events," Langley said. "You never count out someone who has a passion and is dedicated, and that's definitely her. It was a big moment for her. It was awesome and a memory I'll have forever."

Freshman Ariadni Adamopoulou also earned All-Big 12 honors, tying for sixth place in the pole vault to become the first Cowgirl vaulter to achieve the feat.

"Ariadni came in ranked eighth and finished tied for sixth, so we felt like she performed well," Langley said. "This is the most consistent she's been in her career, so we're excited about what's coming down the road."

On the track, Cowgirl senior Aaliyah Birmingham won her heat, clocking in at 7.27 in the 60-meter prelims to qualify second-fastest overall for tomorrow's final. Birmingham is as consistent as they come, as she has run 7.39 or faster in all seven of her 60-meter races this season.

"Aaliyah has a real shot to become a conference champ in both of her events tomorrow," assistant sprints coach Magnus Scott said. "For her, it's all about believing. If she believes in herself and runs her race, good things will happen."

Breakout sophomore Juan Diego Castro qualified for the 800-meter final for the Cowboys while three Cowgirls made it through to tomorrow. Kaytlyn Larson ran 2:09.35 to win her heat with the fastest overall time, while freshman Gabija Galvydyte and sophomore Maddie Salek both advanced.

In the 600-yard prelims, a duo of Cowboy freshman made the final. DeJuana McArthur ran a personal-best time of 1:10.44 and Andrew Merutka finished in 1:10.47. The Cowboy tandem qualified for tomorrow's final fourth and fifth-fastest overall.

In the 400 meters, Birmingham ran the second-fastest indoor time in OSU history, finishing in 53.73. The Cowgirl already owns the outdoor 400-meter school record. For the Cowboys, sophomore Ashton Hicks ran 47.40 to advance to the final sixth fastest. Tomorrow, Hicks will aim to improve upon his runner-up finish in the event a year ago.

In the 1,000 meters, the Pokes will be represented in both the men's and women's final tomorrow afternoon. Ariane Ballner and Garrett Calhoun each advanced through today's preliminary round.

Victor Shitsama earned all-conference status in the 5,000 meters for the second year in a row. The sophomore from Eldoret, Kenya, ran a personal-best time of 14:17.34 to finish sixth.

To cap off the day, OSU's distance medley relay teams both turned in fourth-place finishes. The Cowgirl DMR was made up of Ballner, Christina Ollison, Gabby Hentemann and Larson and the Cowboys' quartet consisted of Isaiah Priddey, Justin Long, Alec Haines and Alex Maier on the anchor leg.

OSU will be back at it tomorrow morning for the second and final day of the Big 12 Indoor Championships with action slated to begin at 11 a.m.

Men's Individual Results

Heptathlon (still in progress, three events remaining)
8. Jake Dyer – 2,893 points
            3. 60 Meters – 7.06
            12. Long Jump – 6.55m
            3. Shot Put – 14.16m
            14. High Jump – 1.75

13. William Edmonds – 2,668 points
            9. 60 Meters – 7.12
            14. Long Jump – 6.39m
            9. Shot Put – 12.20m
            15. High Jump – 1.69m

Pole Vault
-- Blake Scott – NH

60 Meters (prelim)
14. Wyatt Duvall – 6.89
16. Kurtis Cotton – 6.96

200 Meters (prelim)
22. Kurtis Cotton – 22.20
23. Wyatt Duvall – 22.31

400 Meters (prelim)
6. Ashton Hicks – 47.40q
15. Justin Long – 48.05

600 Yards (prelim)
4. DeJuana McArthur – 1:10.44q
5. Andrew Merutka – 1:10.47q

800 Meters (prelim)
3. Juan Diego Castro – 1:50.26Q
12. Kobe Christiansen – 1:55.16

1,000 Meters
6. Garrett Calhoun – 2:29.09Q

5,000 Meters
6. Victor Shitsama – 14:17.34
10. Ashenafi Hatte – 14.33.92
13. Jorge Perez – 14:49.59
-- Ayrton Ledesma Fuentes – DNF

Distance Medley Relay
4. Oklahoma State – 10:03.54
(Isaiah Priddey, Justin Long, Alec Haines, Alex Maier)

Women's Individual Results

Pentathlon
5. Bailey Golden – 3,768 points
            8. 60-Meter Hurdles – 8.81
            5. High Jump - 1.70m
            5. Shot Put – 11.05m
            6. Long Jump – 5.46m
            7. 800 Meters – 2:31.30

8. Megan Mann– 3,475 points
            9. 60-Meter Hurdles – 9.05
            11. High Jump - 1.49m
            10. Shot Put – 9.70m
            5. Long Jump – 5.52m
            5. 800 Meters – 2:25.61

Weight Throw
9. Jocelen Ruth - 16.81
11. Hannah Bradford – 16.71m
17. Baylor Nelson – 13.51m

Pole Vault
T6. Ariadni Adamopoulou – 4.05m

Long Jump
9. Ryan Roane – 5.95m
24. Saara Hakanen – 5.57m
25. Sanye Ford – 5.51m

60 Meters (prelim)
2. Aaliyah Birmingham – 7.27Q
16. Brooke Givens – 7.65
20. Sanye Ford – 7.77

200 Meters (prelim)
12. Brooke Givens – 24.49

400 Meters (prelim)
3. Aaliyah Birmingham – 53.73q
9. Christina Ollison – 55.34

600 Yards (prelim)
11. Kalaya Ali – 1:24.52
12. Michaela Travers – 1:24.71

800 Meters (prelim)
1. Kaytlyn Larson – 2:09.35Q
7. Gabija Galvydyte – 2:10.99q
8. Maddie Salek – 2:11.16

1,000 Meters (prelim)
7. Ariane Ballner – 3:02.26Q
10. Rilee Rigdon – 3:02.84

5,000 Meters
9. Kami Hankins – 17.04.11

Distance Medley Relay
4. Oklahoma State – 11:39.55
(Ariane Ballner, Christina Ollison, Gabby Hentemann, Kaytlyn Larson)