Oklahohoma State freshman German Fernandez added two Big 12 individual championships to his resume Sunday, winning both the 1,500- and 5,000-meter run titles.
German Fernandez
May 17, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas – Freshman standout German Fernandez highlighted the Oklahoma State men’s track and field team’s final day of competition at the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships Sunday, winning both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters individual championships. Those results helped the Cowboys finish eighth as a team, their highest finish in the history of the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Fernandez, who won both the mile and 3,000 meters championships at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships earlier this year, dominated the field in the 1,500 meters final, crossing the line at the 3:42.80 mark, more than eight seconds before the second-place finisher.
Then in the 5,000 meters final, only two and a half hours later, Fernandez easily managed to stay with the pack for most of the race until he pulled away to earn the championship by more than three seconds.
“He just felt good out there and kept on a good, easy pace for the first three-fourths of the race,” coach Dave Smith said. “Then on the last fourth he just turned it on and nobody stood a chance to catch him.”
Fernandez’s championships in the events added 20 total points to the Cowboys’ team score.
“It felt great,” Fernandez said. “There was no pressure at all. I just went out and ran and it was good to help the team score points. All the guys ran great and we finished eighth overall, which is the best we’ve done in a long time.”
Several other Cowboys helped Oklahoma State’s cause, including Ryan Vail, scoring two points with a seventh-place finish in the 1,500 meters, David Chirchir, scoring five points with a fourth-place finish in the steeplechase, Sean Fleming, scoring four points with a fifth-place finish in the 5,000 meters, and Colby Lowe, scoring three points with a sixth-place finish in 5,000 meters.
“We had a bunch of guys in the finals,” Fleming said. “It took a bunch of pressure off of us. I was trying to finish in the top eight and I managed to get fifth, so I’m pretty satisfied.”
Colby Lowe, only a freshman, also said he was satisfied with his 5,000-meter scoring finish.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Lowe said. ”Not everybody out here gets to score though, so I have to view it as an accomplishment, but now I’ve got to look to the next race; regionals.”
Oklahoma State returns to action on May 29, when it travels to Norman, Okla., to compete at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships (Day 3)
