Sinclaire Johnson Wins Hurricane Invitational

Saturday, September 1

Tulsa, Oklahoma

9 A.M. CT

Oklahoma State University

Hurricane Invitational

September 01, 2018 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

TULSA— Sinclaire Johnson opened the Cowgirls' cross country season with a victory at the Hurricane Invitational on Saturday morning in Tulsa, where both Oklahoma State cross country teams kicked off their season.

The Cowgirls had two of the top three finishers in the two-mile long race. Johnson won the event in 11:03 and Grace Baker came in third place after completing the race in 11:24.

Johnson said the race was mostly an event to shake off the rust, but she said she thinks her victorious performance will help her springboard into the rest of the season.

"Winning a race gives you a lot of confidence and will set the tone for the rest of the season and give me some motivation for the rest of the season," Johnson said.

The fresh season for Johnson is coming off an outdoor campaign, which saw her run at the NCAA Championships. Halsey said she is excited to see what Johnson will do this season.

"She's going to be great this year," said assistant coach Cody Halsey. "She has stepped up into a leadership role and she is starting to see herself as a cross country runner. She's really fit and ready to run hard."

The Cowgirls finished second to Oklahoma by a slim two-point margin. Kami Hankins, Morgan Szekely and Kaylee Dodd rounded out the Cowgirls' scoring effort. Hankins finished 11th, Szekely came in 17th and Dodd was right behind her in 18th.

The Cowboys finished the day in fourth place with Bryce Quigley leading the way. Quigley was the low mark for OSU, coming in 13th and completing the four-mile race in 20:55.

OSU also had scoring efforts from Alec Haines, Owen Krewson, Garrett Calhoun and Sukhi Khosla. Haines came in 18th, Krewson finished at No. 20 and the duo of Calhoun and Khosla took 23rd and 24th.

Despite a small group running for the Cowboys, Halsey said that this meet was a lesson on how to run while tired.

"You've got so much energy and excitement when you're running with a big group," Halsey said. "We ran with a small group, worked out beforehand and we didn't tone down our miles this week, so I think it was a great opportunity to get out there for the men and run while they're tired."

The Cowboys and Cowgirls won't be racing again until Sept. 28 at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin, but Halsey said this meet was a good way to start the season.

"We needed something to just jump-start our season," Halsey said. "We are going to be really hungry by the time we get to Wisconsin."