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OSU Sports

January 29, 2013

Stillwater Sports Minute: Cowboys track moves up 10 spots in rankings

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STILLWATER, Okla. — The Oklahoma State men’s track and field team jumped 10 spots this week to enter the top 25 at No. 21 this week in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings released Tuesday morning.

The Cowboy’s jump was propelled but a strong showing last weekend when Tom Farrell, Kirubel Erassa, Fabian Clarkson and Shane Moskowitz all ran the mile in faster than four minutes to highlight Oklahoma State's showing at the 2013 Razorback Invitational.

Farrell finished in second place in the mile invitational with a time of 3:58.20 and Erassa placed third with a time of 3:58.24. Both runners set personal bests and moved themselves onto the school's top 10 list, Farrell to second and Erassa to third. Clarkson finished in fifth place with a time of 3:59.47, which moved him to sixth all-time. Moskowitz, (3:59.48) set a personal best when he finished in sixth place, and he moved to seventh all-time on the record list.

Nick Miller also helped the cause by finishing in first place in the weight throw and setting a new personal best with a throw of 20.81m/68-03.25. That distance put him in second place nationally and first place in the Big 12.

“It’s an exciting time for our program,” said OSU head coach Dave Smith. “We’re climbing the rankings but we’re not done yet. I think we still have some big performances to come in the next two weeks.”

Individually, the sub-four minute mile pushed Farrell, Erassa, Clarkson and Moskowitz into the mile rankings. Farrell comes in at No. 8 and Erassa at No. 10 with Clarkson (No. 28) and Moskowitz (No. 29) entering the top 30 this week. Raul Botezan, who ran a sub-four mile last season, is ranked at No. 19.

Miller moves up to No. 11 in the rankings for the weight throw.

Farrell (No. 9) and Erassa (No. 28) remain ranked nationally in the 3,000 meters, as is Shadrack Kipchirchir (No. 31).

Kipchirchir and Girma Mecheso remain at No. 8 and No. 11 in the 5,000 meters.

For the Cowgirls, Natalja Piliusina remains the top nationally ranked female in the 800 meters.

The OSU throwers will compete this weekend at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invite hosted by Nebraska on Friday and Saturday. The full teams return to action Feb. 8-9 when they compete at the Husky Invitational in Seattle, Wash., or the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.

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