OSU Track Heads to NCAA Championships

March 09, 2011 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track

March 9, 2011

2011 NCAA Indoor Championships Notes

The Basics
The Oklahoma State track and field program wraps up its indoor season at the NCAA Championships this weekend, as six athletes compete in three events.

German Fernandez and Tom Farrell will both represent the men's squad in the 3,000 meters, while Mihaela Bobos, Caileigh Glenn, Natalja Piliusina and Mihaela Susa run for the women in the distance medley relay. Piliusina will also run for the Cowgirls in the mile run.

The event is scheduled to get underway Friday, March 11, with OSU's first action coming at 4 p.m. in the women's mile preliminary heat, followed by the distance medley relay final at 8:20 p.m. OSU's Saturday events include the women's mile final heat at 5 p.m. and the men's 3,000 meters final at 6:55 p.m.

Back for More
Although it is the first time at the NCAA Indoor Championships for all but senior Mihaela Susa, each of the Oklahoma State athletes at the event have plenty of experience winning championships.

At the 2011 Indoor Big 12 Championships, the women's DMR team took home the title with a new meet record, Fernandez claimed the sixth individual conference championship of his career in the one mile run, Farrell won the 3,000 meters, Piliusina won the 800 meters and Susa won the one mile run.

Fernandez, already one of the most decorated athletes in OSU's program history, has qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in both his sophomore and freshman seasons, but did compete due to his training for other events such as the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Susa makes her second appearance at the indoor championships, as she earned All-America honors with her fifth-place finish in the mile at last year's event.

The Best of the Best
The NCAA Championships serve as the host for the top collegiate athletes from across the country to showcase their talent.

OSU's track and field athletes are no exception. All six athletes competing in the events this weekend hold top-20 times in the country this season, as well as several additional records.

Fernandez, in addition to his 14th-best 3,000 meters time of 7:53.82, holds the world junior, American junior and NCAA record in the indoor mile (3:55.02), American junior record in the 5,000 meters and school records in those events, as well as the 3,000 meters (7:47.97).

In addition, Farrell holds the 20th-best 3,000 meters time this season (7:54.42), Piliusina holds the 14th-best mile (4:39.39) and 19th-best 800 meters times, Susa holds the 21st-best 3,000 meters time (9:16.51) and the women's DMR team holds the 12th-best time in the country this year.