Johnson, Hatte Shine at Nuttycombe Invitational

Friday, September 28

Madison, Wisconsin

11 A.M CT

Oklahoma State University

Nuttycombe Invitational

Ashenafi Hatte at Nuttycombe Invite 2018

September 28, 2018 | Cowboy Cross Country & Track, Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

MADISON, WISC.—Sinclaire Johnson and Ashenafi Hatte both earned top-15 finishes for the Oklahoma State cross country teams on Friday at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin.

In the women's race, Johnson stayed in the front of the massive pack of runners for the first 4,000 meters, going stride for stride with veteran runners such as reigning cross country national champion Ednah Kurgat and perennial Mountain West conference champion and All-American Allie Ostrander.

Despite the group of stars around her, Johnson said she tried not to think about it.

"I just tried to stay within myself and know that anyone is beatable," Johnson said. "I was just really focusing on how I was feeling. I was focused on moving up and staying present."

The sophomore's 15th-place finish clocked in at 20:04.1 and led the Cowgirls to a 15th-place finish in the team race.

Molly Born was the second Cowgirl across the finish line, completing the race in 20:50.7. Friday's competition was Born's collegiate debut.

Taylor Somers, Kaylee Dodd and Ariane Ballner rounded out the Cowgirls' top five.

In the men's race, Hatte also stayed near the front pack for almost the entire 8,000-meter race. He came across the line at No. 13 in his OSU cross country debut, completing the race in 23:36.3.

Hatte said his goal was to break the 24-minute mark, and he did that by a wide margin.

"I was racing for the team," Hatte said. "I just wanted to stay calm and do my thing."

Like the Cowgirls, the men's team came in 15th place. The Cowboys had contributions from veterans such as Luis Martinez and Sukhi Khosla. The duo were No. 3 and No. 4 for the OSU men, respectively.

Ryan Smeeton finished the competition in 24:18.1. The 2017 All-Big 12 runner had the second-fastest time for the Cowboys on Friday and Jorge Perez capped off the scoring efforts for OSU.

In the "B" races, the Cowgirls came in sixth and Jenny Martinez led the way with a 14th-place finish. Abbie Hetherington, Katherine Ruck, Kami Hankins and Kaytlyn Larson also scored for the Cowgirls in the women's "B" race.

On the men's side, only three Cowboys ran in the "B" race. Bryce Quigley came in 10th, Owen Krewson finished at No. 71 and Nick Kenville earned a 79th-place finish.

Assistant coach Cody Halsey said she was happy with the showing from OSU today.

"It's September and there's a long way to November," Halsey said. "I think they're hungry and want to improve. I am happy with where we're at."

OSU faced some of the nation's best teams Friday and likely won't see them again until the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

The Nuttycombe Invitational included 33 teams in both the men's and women's championship races. The opportunity to compete in a crowded setting was unusual for OSU.

In a typical year, OSU would have stayed home and hosted the Cowboy Jamboree, but due to construction on OSU's cross country course, it made the trip to Madison, Wisconsin.

Halsey said she was glad they went to the Nuttycombe Invitational to race against an enormous group of teams.

"I think it was great to run against a lot of the best teams in the country and a lot of people we won't see until Nationals," Halsey said. "I think it was a really good experience to race in the masses and not even know where your team is."

Men's Championship Race - Individual (8K)
13. Ashenafi Hatte – 23:36.3
77. Ryan Smeeton – 24:18.1
88. Luis Martinez – 24:23.9
94. Sukhi Khosla – 24:25.7
158. Jorge Perez – 24:54.6
180. Alec Haines – 25:14.5
197. Ayrton Ledesma Fuentes – 25:25.8

Women's Championship Race - Individual (6K)
15. Sinclaire Johnson – 20:04.1
59. Molly Born – 20:50.7
80. Taylor Somers – 21:03.3
116. Kaylee Dodd – 21:23.5
135. Ariane Ballner – 21:33.6
155. Grace Baker – 21:44.6
177. Cheyenne Walden – 22:05.2

Men's Championship Team Results
1. Northern Arizona – 46 points
2. Wisconsin – 135 points
3. Portland – 140 points
4. Iowa State – 152 points
5. Boise State – 160 points
15. Oklahoma State – 420 points

Women's Championship Team Results
1. Colorado – 80 points
2. Boise State – 91 points
3. New Mexico – 130 points
4. Villanova – 156 points
5. Arkansas – 173 points
15. Oklahoma State – 405 points