Rodriguez, Cook, Roe Lead OSU Men’s And Women’s Cross Country To NCAA Championship Bids

Friday, November 11

Columbia, MO

11:00 AM

Oklahoma State University

NCAA Midwest Regional Championships

Rodriguez, Cook, Roe Lead OSU Men’s And Women’s Cross Country To NCAA Championship Bids

November 11, 2022 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Oklahoma State men's and women's cross country teams both earned automatic bids to the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championship with their performances at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship on Friday at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course.

The day was highlighted by a team victory for the Cowgirls in the women's 6k and an individual victory for Isai Rodriguez in the men's 10K, who headlined the Cowboys' second-place team finish.

In the women's 6k, a strong performance in the second half of the race proved to be the difference maker. Between the 3k and 4k meter splits, the Cowgirls jumped from the fifth-place team spot to second place, highlighted by Natalie Cook jumping nine spots to fifth-place and Taylor Roe moving up seven spots to sixth. The Cowgirls scored 58 points on the day, 30 points ahead of second-place Northwestern.

"I thought Taylor Roe and Natalie Cook ran a very controlled, patient race," Smith said. "I like where we are."

Cook and Roe led the Cowgirls once again, finishing in second- and third-place, respectively. Their shared time of 20:11.9 is tied-seventh for the fastest women's 6k race at Ganz Creek on the campus of Missouri University. For Roe, it's her 15th straight cross country race finshing in the top five. Gabija Galvydyte and Gabby Hentemann were next for the Cowgirls, teaming up to come in 16th- and 17th- place, respectively. Galvydyte and Hentemann finished within one-hundredth of a second of each other, with times of 20:33.3 and 20:33.4, respectively.

Sivan Auerbach rounded out the scoring for the Cowgirls, finishing 20th with a time of 20:41.4. Heidi Demeo also impressed, finishing two spots behind Auerbach at 22nd with a time of 20:43.4, which placed six Cowgirls in the top 25. Galvydyte, Auerbach and Demeo each finished with a personal best time in the 6k race, and all seven racers finished in the top 50.

On the men's side, OSU and Tulsa tied for first place with 49 points each. The Golden Hurricane's top five finished 3-4-5-6-31, which trumped Oklahoma State's top five at 1-7-12-13-16, giving Tulsa the head-to-head tiebreaker victory, 3-2. Wire-to-wire, the Cowboys ranked top-five in team placement throughout the 10k race. From the 5k split to the finish line, they were positioned for a podium finish as a team.

Isai Rodriguez paved the way for the Cowboys as he came away with his first individual victory of the season and his first career win in the NCAA cross country postseason, finishing with a time of 29:40.1. Rodriguez made a strong push in the final 2,000 meters, jumping from 11th to first place in the final stretch.
"Isai is a competitor," Smith said. "The idea was, we weren't going to run for individual wins. We were going to sit back and run the 10-to-20 range. But, I think he had a sniff of that victory and couldn't say no."

Victor Shitsama was next for the Cowboys, finishing seventh in 29:43.7. Shitsama also had an impressive push from the 6k marker to the finish line where he jumped 31 spots to join Rodriguez in the top 10. Following Shitsama were Alex Maier and Rory Leonard, who crossed the finish line at the same time at 29:52.9, to place 12th and 13th, respectively. Alex Stitt wrapped up the scoring as OSU's fifth runner, coming in 16th place with a time of 29:57.2. He was partnered with Jonas Price, who finished just behind at 17^th place and was the Cowboys' sixth runner in the top 20.

"I think it was a really controlled effort for both men and women," Smith said. "That should bode really well for Nationals in eight days."

Up next, OSU will prepare to host the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Nov. 19, in Stillwater, Okla., at the OSU Greiner Family Cross Country Course.

Women's Race – Team (6K)
1. Oklahoma State – 58
2. Northwestern – 88
3. Bradley – 99
4. Iowa State – 115
5. Minnesota – 137

Women's Race – Individual (6K)
2. Natalie Cook – 20:11.9
3. Taylor Roe – 20:11.9
16. Gabija Galvydyte – 20:33.3
17. Gabby Hentemann – 20:33.4
20. Sivan Auerbach – 20:41.4
22. Heidi Demeo – 20:43.3
41. Taylor Somers – 20:59.7

Men's Race – Team (10K)
1. Tulsa* – 49
2. Oklahoma State – 49
3. Iowa State – 73
4. Loyola (Ill.) – 156
5. Wichita State – 184
* Won head-to-head placement tiebreaker 3-2

Men's Race – Oklahoma State Individual (10K)
1. Isai Rodriguez – 29:40.1
7. Victor Shitsama – 29:43.7
12. Alex Maier – 29:52.9
13. Rory Leonard – 29:52.9
16. Alex Stitt⁺ – 29:57.2
17. Jonas Price* – 29:57.7
43. Isaiah Priddey* – 30:28.1
* Not accounted for in head-to-head placement tiebreaker

Men's Race – Tulsa Individual (10K)
3. Shay McEvoy – 29:42.0
4. Cormac Dalton – 29:42.1
5. Isaac Akers – 29:42.2
6. Michael Power – 29:42.8
31. Luke Lambert – 30:12.9
40. Max Nores* – 30:24.8
* Not accounted for in head-to-head placement tiebreaker