Stillwater NewsPress

OSU Sports

February 11, 2013

Cowboy track and field reaches new heights in latest rankings

Oklahoma State men's team jumps 20 spots to a No. 3 ranking.

Stillwater NewsPress

STILLWATER, Okla. — Powered by a record-setting performance at the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash., last weekend, the Oklahoma State men’s track and field team jumped 20 spots to No. 3 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Poll Monday for the highest indoor track and field ranking in school history.

The previous high mark was No. 16 in weeks four and five of the 2009 season.

“This is huge,” OSU Coach Dave Smith said. “Everyone knows we have great distance running and a great cross country program, but we run fast on the track, too, and it’s starting to show in the rankings. We have guys working really hard to put themselves in a great position individually, and obviously that’s huge for the team. I’m thrilled. It means a lot to us. We’re going in the right direction.”

Individually, OSU continues to be well-represented in the rankings.

On the men’s side, the Cowboys have five of the 19 sub-four minute miles run in the NCAA this season. No other school has more than two. Raul Botezan (No. 4), Tom Farrell (No. 6), Kirubel Erassa (No. 7), Fabian Clarkson (No. 13) and Shane Moskowitz (No. 14) are all ranked in the top 15.

In the 3,000 meters, Erassa (No. 6) and Farrell (No. 9) and Clarkson (No. 15) made their second top-15 appearances in an event this week. They were joined in the rankings by Shadrack Kipchirchir at No. 28, and Justin Vilhauer, fresh off winning the 3000m run in Seattle, at No. 42.

In the 5,000 meters, Kipchirchir’s school-record run of 13:38.57 in Seattle gave him the No. 2 ranking.

Nick Miller kept his top-10 ranking in the weight throw, checking in at No. 6.

On the women’s side, not only did Natalja Piliusina stay near the top of the 800 meter rankings at No. 5, but she also appeared at No. 3 in the mile, after running it in a school-record time of 4:32.26 in Seattle.

In the 3,000 meters, Monika Juodeskaite earned the No. 15 ranking after beating her previous personal best by 35 seconds, finishing in 9:10.83 for the second-fastest time in OSU history.

In the shot put, Chase Ealey kept her national ranking, checking in at No. 37.

OSU men’s and women’s track and field teams will be back in action this Saturday, Feb. 16, in Norman at the Sooner Invitational.

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