OSU Wins Four Titles on Final Day of Big 12 Championships

Friday, May 13

Ft. Worth, Texas

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Oklahoma State University

Big 12 Outdoor Championships

OSU Wins Four Titles on Final Day of Big 12 Championships

May 15, 2016 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Oklahoma State track and field program took home four more titles for a total of six at the final day of the Big 12 Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.

With 84 points from the weekend, the Cowboys finished in sixth place and the Cowgirls score of 74 earned them a sixth-place finish as well.

Cerake Geberkidane's effort in the 5,000-meter run gave OSU back-to-back Big 12 sweeps of the 10,000-and 5,000-meter titles.

"Coming into the race my calves were a bit sore, but lining up next to all of the other OSU athletes, I felt pretty comfortable," Geberkidane said. "It went out kind of fast, but I made up some gaps along the way and decided to take it with about four laps to go."

Once again, as he did in the 10,000 Friday night, the three-time conference champion took a commanding lead with a few laps to go. He jogged the final home stretch and was able to win the race in 14:03.60.

Coming in fourth in the same event was Big 12 cross country champion Vegard Oelstad, and Craig Nowak finished in sixth after taking the men's 1,500-meter crown earlier in the day.

Nowak set a personal best for the second consecutive day, this time bringing his time down to a 3:43.00.

"The 1,500 was nice," Nowak said. "It went out pretty quick and that might have taken a little bit away from me in the 5K, but it was nice to score some points for the Cowboys."

All-American Matthew Fayers scored five points for the Cowboys in the 1,500 as well, coming in fourth.

"Everybody competed hard," coach Dave Smith said. "From the first event to the last, so it was a good weekend."

Ingeborg Loevnes came into the 3000-meter steeplechase final with a time more than 30-seconds better than anyone else in the conference.

She kept things close for most of the race, then after drifting back a few meters behind the lead runner on the penultimate lap, she shut the race down in the bell lap.

Loevnes took a huge lead on the backstretch and ended up crossing the finish line with a five-second cushion.

"I'm really excited," Loevnes said. "It was really good day. It's important to get a few races in before regionals, and it was helpful to get some speed work in."

Immediately following the steeplechase award ceremony, Loevnes was back at it again in the 1,500-meter final with three other Cowgirls.

"That's always so much fun because that bright orange just stands out," Loevnes said. "It gives a lot of comfort as well because it's kind of like being at practice."

Aurora Dybedokken won her first Big 12 crown in the race, and Loevnes finished third, followed by Jennifer Celis in fifth and Anna Boyert who took eighth.

Overall, the Cowgirls took 21 points from that race and another 20 from the 800-meter run which fielded five women in orange.

"We had a lot of good things happen," Dave Smith said. "We were hoping to be in the top-half of the conference but when you lose Kaela Edwards and Josh Thompson, it hurts your chances."

Kaylee Dodd was the highest finisher for OSU in the 800. She crossed the line in second. Former Big 12 champion Clara Nichols took third, and Abbie Hetherington, Savannah Camacho and Kaytlyn Larson finished sixth through eighth, respectively.

"We're becoming a really good middle-distance program," Smith said. "We had some great individual performances, but moving forward to Regionals, everything starts over. We have to step up and compete hard to make the final and then make it to Nationals."

All eyes were on the home stretch for the 100-meter final as three of the NCAA's best sprinted for the Big 12 crown.

Oklahoma State's John Teeters ran a 10.25 to take second for his fourth all-conference honor of the 2016 season. He went on to grab a fifth in the 200-meter dash a few hours later.

"Teeters executed some things really well, considering where he is right now in his training for the 100," sprints coach Diego Flaquer said. "He's got some things he needs to improve on, but today was a good lesson for him."

Earlier in the day, Teeters' comeback effort as the anchor in the 4X100-meter relay gave the Cowboys a third-place finish in 40.08. Malik Givens opened the race for the Pokes, Anthony Grogan Jr., took the baton for the second leg and Arlando Brewer-Johnson handled the third leg.

"It was a really good run for them," Flaquer said. "We had some OK exchanges, but now we really have time to work on it during these two weeks before the Regional."

Senior Monika Juodeskaite got her second medal of the weekend when she finished third in the women's 5,000-meter run.

"I wanted something a little better," Juodeskaite said. "But, it's always hard to come back after a 10K."

It was the Cowgirl's second third-place finish of the meet, as she had the same result in the 10,000 Friday night.

"I felt tired coming into the race, but I just thought, 'it's only 12 and-a-half laps, I don't need to deal with the rest'," Juodeskaite said. "I gave it my all and it was my last Big 12 competition. It's heartbreaking because I love it, but I'm proud to be on the team and I'm glad I got to score for us."

The men's 4X400-meter relay team of Tyler Jackson, Brandon Singleton, Grogan Jr., and Tanner Green set a season's best with a 3:12.24, good enough for sixth in the event.

With the conference championships closed, the Pokes who have qualified for the West Regional will head to Lawrence, Kansas, in two weeks for the chance to punch a ticket to Eugene, Oregon, and the NCAA Championships June 8-11.

2016 Big 12 Outdoor Championships | May 15, 2016 | Fort Worth, Texas

Women's Results

800 Meter Final
2. Kaylee Dodd – 2:05.87
3. Clara Nichols – 2:06.30
6. Abbie Hetherington – 2:08.12
7. Savannah Camacho – 2:08.40
8. Kaytlyn Larson – 2:10.89

1,500 Meter Final
1. Aurora Dybedokken – 4:21.72
3. Ingeborg Loevnes – 4:22.26
5. Jennifer Celis – 4:24.12
8. Anna Boyert – 4:25.83

3000m Steeplechase
1. Ingeborg Loevnes – 10:17.22

5,000 Meters
3. Monika Juodeskaite – 16:25.10
20. Gintare Zenkeviciute – 18:25.58

Triple Jump
11. Viktoriia Sadokhina – 12.22m/40-1.25

Javelin Throw
9. Megan Honas – 44.44m/145-10
13. Chase Ealey – 38.96m/127-10

Discus Throw
10. Katie Kehl – 46.59m/152-10
13. Baylor Nelson – 44.65m/146-6

4X100-Meter Relay
7. Oklahoma State Team A – 47.50
    (T. Browne-Hearrell, M. Harris,
      S. Ferrante, S. Fields)

4X400-Meter Relay
8. Oklahoma State Team A – 3:46.61
    (D. Coleman, A. Coleman,
      S. Ferrante, S. Fields)

Men's Results

100 Meter Final
2. John Teeters – 10.25 (+0.2)

200 Meter Final
8. John Teeters – 22.35 (-0.8)

800 Meter Final
3. Tre'Tez Kinnaird – 1:48.60

1,500 Meter Final
1. Craig Nowak – 3:43.00
4. Matthew Fayers – 3:46.69

3000m Steeplechase
6. Anthoney Armstrong – 9:03.94
11. Luis Martinez – 9:28.48

5,000 Meters
1. Cerake Geberkidane – 14:03.60
4. Vegard Oelstad – 14:07.51
6. Craig Nowak – 14:22.14
12. Anthoney Armstrong – 14:46.60
20. Brigham Hedges – 15:08.31
22. Luis Martinez – 15:12.55

4X100-Meter Relay
3. Oklahoma State Team A – 40.08
    (M. Givens, A. Grogan Jr.,
     A. Brewer-Johnson, J. Teeters)

4X400-Meter Relay
6. Oklahoma State Team A – 3:12.24
    (T. Jackson, B. Singleton,
     A. Grogan Jr., T. Green)

Women's Team Scores
1. Texas – 167.7 pts.
2. Oklahoma – 137.5
3. Kansas State – 112
4. Kansas – 82.4
5. Texas Tech – 81
6. Oklahoma State – 74
7. Iowa State – 57
8. Baylor – 52.2
9. West Virginia – 30.2
10. TCU – 19

Men's Team Scores
1. Texas – 134 pts.
2. Kansas – 116
3. Texas Tech – 112
4. Oklahoma – 103
5. Kansas State – 94
6. Oklahoma State – 84
7. Baylor – 64
8. Iowa State – 59
9. TCU – 49