Published: May 09, 2008 08:33 am            

O-State track focused on Big 12s

Both Oklahoma State track and field teams are already focused on next weekend’s Big 12 Championships.

The Cowgirls are sending their throwers to Lincoln for the Nebraska Invitational this weekend, while the Cowboys are off until they head to Boulder, Colo., for the Big 12s May 16-18.

“The thing we have to focus on is the guys we have going to Regionals,” said Cowboy coach Dave Smith, whose team is made up of distance runners.

The Cowgirls, meanwhile, have a more complete team that should score more points in Boulder. In fact, coach Rene Sepulveda said his squad is competing in almost every event now.

“We are moving up a little bit,” he added. “The ones we’re in we should be pretty competitive.”

The main focus, though, is on getting to and scoring points at Nationals. Both teams say they are in good shape for that.

For the Cowboys, David Jankowski already has a provisional qualifying time that should put him into the NCAAs — to be held June 11-14 in Des Moines — for the 10,000 meters.

He should be joined by Ryan Vail, whose 5,000m time has him set to compete in the Regional in Lincoln on May 30-31.

Those who finish in the top five at that meet advance to Nationals, but even those who don’t can get a wildcard based on their best time. Smith considers Vail “pretty much a lock” to get at least a wildcard.

He will be joined by Matt Barnes-Smith and Daniel Watts in the 5K in Lincoln.

Terry Josserand is also qualified in the 400m hurdles.

Smith hopes to see a few others added, though it will be difficult for them to reach their marks in the thin air of Boulder.

David Chirchir and Josh Mathis, both in the 3,000m steeplechase, are considered the best hopes.

The Cowgirls are sending a trio of Regional-qualified throwers to Lincoln — Merritt Dietz (discus), Alina Roman (discus) and Deleanor Kirkpatrick (hammer throw).

Dietz hopes to qualify in the shot put. LaKendra Greathouse is in for the shot put. Baiba Blumbaha has the mark in the triple jump.

In the distance events, Tone Hjalmarsen and Mihaela Susa are both qualified in the 5,000m, as are Eva Tomankova and Natalia Kovtun in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Freshmen Brandy Andrews and Teran Mixon have qualified for the U.S. Juniors in the 800m and 1,500m, respectively, and hope to qualify for the Regional.

Tihana Sarac (heptathlon), Hjalmarsen (10,000m) and Susa (10,000m) are all already into Nationals.



Success breeds success

Smith said the Cowboys are seeing huge benefits from last fall, when they finished third at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

“We have arguably the best recruiting class in the country this year and by far the best to ever come here,” Smith said. “We’ve got three guys who are probably the three best we’ve ever had from America.”

They are U.S. Cross Country Junior Championships winner German Fernandez of Riverbank, Calif.; Foot Locker national finalist Colby Rowe of Southlake, Texas; and Ryan Prentice of Seattle.

Smith said being a Foot Locker finalist — which Fernandez was as well — is comparable to being a McDonald’s All-American in basketball.

“We’ve never had one,” Smith said. “This year we’ve got two and I’ve got kids from that level that are juniors that are already contacting me because they are interested in coming here.”

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.