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Big XII Conference Preview - Oklahoma State Will Roll Again - Colorado Lady Buffs Return To The Top

By LetsRun.com
October 23, 2009
The Championship:
Saturday, October 31, Columbia, MO

Men's Race - Don't Expect A Nail Biter
Oklahoma State won their first Big 12 Cross-Country Championship in 2008 to end the long reign of Mark Wetmore's Colorado teams. Heading towards the 2009 championships, the Cowboys and Buffaloes sit at #2 and #4 in the NCAA coaching polls (update: #2 and #5 in the just released LRC polls). Rankings point to a tight battle for conference supremacy. In their final conference tuneups, Colorado finished second in their race at Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Indiana. Oklahoma State won the Chile Pepper Cross-Country Festival in Fayetteville, Arkansas. But do not be fooled by the apparent proximity of these teams, and do not expect a nail biter in this year's championships in Columbia, Missouri.

Colorado pulled off a shocker when they came down from altitude on October 17th and beat all comers in their Pre-Nats race other than NCAA #1 Stanford. Looking at results, Colorado finished their top 5 with a spread of only eighteen seconds, a remarkable achievement. To win the conference meet or earn a top 4 finish at NCAAs, Colorado will need not only a tight pack, but a tight pack that is near the front of the race. The question is if Colorado get their pack in, let's say, before Oklahoma State's 4th man cross the line.

LRC Big 12 Men's Poll
*Full Polls Here
1. Oklahoma State (14) 212
2. Colorado (4) 197
3. Oklahoma 164
4. Texas 144
5. Iowa State 125
6. Texas A&M 111
7. Kansas 102
8. Texas Tech 79
9. Missouri 73
10. Baylor 72
11. Nebraska 66
12. Kansas State 59

It appears that this is a highly doubtful scenario. In Terre Haute, by the time the Buffs' first finisher, Christian Thompson, crossed the line, Stanford's 4th man, Jake Riley, was already in the chute. Stanford finished 1st to Colorado's 2nd, but the score was 47-130, a beating. Dual meet scoring would have had Stanford going 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 (17) to Colorado's 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 (38). We see that Stanford, at least at this point in the season, is far superior to Colorado. The question at the Big 12 meet obviously will be, is Oklahoma State also superior?

Looking at the 2008 Big 12 results, the picture does not look good for the Buffs. They, along with the rest of the league, were manhandled by German Fernandez and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys put four runners in the first five with true freshman Fernandez getting the win. The other three top finishers are all back for the Cowboys, plus they've added depth and star power with NCAA CC All-American Girma Mecheso transferring from Auburn. That means a probable Cowboy top 5 of Fernandez, Mecheso, Colby Lowe, John Kosgei and Ryan Vail. In 2008, every Colorado runner was at a minimum 20 seconds behind Oklahoma State's 4th man, and aside from the over-achieving Thompson, the Colorado conference lineup will be essentially the same in 2009 as it was in 2008.

While the Colorado runners appear to be more fit than last season, there have been some doubts surrounding Oklahoma State. Sitting Fernandez and Vail and getting a well below average performance from Mecheso, they lost at home early in the season to highly ranked NAU, William & Mary and DII powerhouse Adams State. Adding Vail and Fernandez to the lineup yielded a blowout win in Fayetteville, but with Fernandez running far below his best (he was 11th) and Mecheso sitting out. As coach Dave Smith told us earlier in the year, Fernandez is all about team, so count on him to be ready to lead the Cowboys to a big win over Colorado. We think there are going to be two packs in Missouri this weekend: an Oklahoma State pack of orange in the front, and a Colorado pack of black and gold well behind securing second.

The individual win will almost certainly go to an Oklahoma State runner. Fernandez is the obvious pick but he may be a couple weeks away from being fully sharpened for racing. We'll go with John Kosgei.

Behind Oklahoma State and Colorado are two very good teams in Oklahoma and Iowa State. The Cyclones from Ames won the Griak Invitational in Minnesota very early in the year and followed it up with a let-down meet at Pre-Nats. Oklahoma was a terrible cross-country team in 2008 but return everyone from a redshirt season. They handled home team Arkansas and finished a well-beaten second at Chile Pepper.

The top 4 are followed by a slew of teams hoping to crack into the upper third of the conference. Teams like Texas (winners at Princeton), Kansas (17th, Pre-Nats), Texas A&M (7th at Wisconsin), Missouri (5 top-40 returners) and Texas Tech (led by star Gilbert Limo) hope to have big days.

Big 12 Women's Poll
*Full Polls Here

1. Colorado (5) 60
2. Iowa State 49
3. Texas Tech 48
4. Baylor 46
5. Texas 37
6. Kansas State 34
7. Nebraska 31
8. Missouri 20
9. Kansas 20
10. Oklahoma 18
11. Texas A&M 15
12. Oklahoma State 12

Women's Race - Barringer, Buffs Storm Back
Ten-for-twelve in the Big 12. Heading into the 13th edition of the women's cross-country championships, Mark Wetmore and his women's cross-country teams are stuck on ten team wins. Last year, the toast of the conference and indeed the NCAA was Sally Kipyego and her fellow Texas Tech Raiders, who stormed to their first conference championship. Colorado not only lost the meet for the first time in 10 years but also finished way back in fifth.

This year should be different thanks to the return of Jenny Barringer, the graduation of Kipyego, and an apparent return to normalcy. Barringer, the prohibitive NCAA championship individual favorite, has inspired an early season resurgence of the girls from Boulder. The Lady Buffs are #3 in the national polls and Barringer is running like crazy over whatever challenge is placed in front of her. At the Rocky Mountain Shootout, she crushed Kara Goucher's course record (then Kara Wheeler) and at Pre-Nats she crushed 2008 national cross-country runner-up Susan Kuijken by a stunning 30 seconds.

Colorado's pack, however, certainly leaves a little hope for reigning champs Texas Tech, Lisa Koll-led Iowa State and an always strong Baylor Bears team. In the Pre-Nats men's race, Colorado had an 18-second spread from man 1-5 over 8km. On the women's side, despite winning their Pre-Nats race over powerhouses Florida State and Oregon, Coach Wetmore had to wait one minute and thirty seconds between Barringer's arrival in the finishing area until their 5th runner ran over the finishing mat. And their 5th runner, Emma Coburn, is no slouch, finishing in 32nd and good enough to be at least the 4th runner for every other team in the race. Contrast that to the men's race in Terre Haute, where finishing 1:30 after the winner in a race that's 20% longer by time gets you 83rd place. On the women's side the 1:30 gap only extended from 1st to 32nd.

Expect a win from Colorado and expect it to come fairly easily. We're not sure what the course record is in Missouri, but it's now less than a week before Barringer breaks it and wins her first Big 12 title. What's that? You can't believe Barringer, a sub-4:00 1,500m runner, NCAA record holder at 5,000m and US Olympian hasn't won a Big XII title in cross-country? Believe it; she was 2nd in 2005 (Christine Bolf), 2nd in 2006 (Kipyego) and 2nd in 2007 (Kipyego).

2008 Big 12 Championship Recap And Results

2008 Big 12 Championship Men's 8k Results

BIG XII Men's Stats

Baylor
(2008 - 10th)   In 2009 - 8th Stanford, 13th Chile Pepper

Bugner, Grant (94th Big 12 2008, 71st returner)

Flowers, Zac

Gowell, Chris

Haby, Ben (83rd Big 12 2008, 61st returner)

Knorr, Robbie (50th Big 12 2008, 34th returner)

Niccum, Blake (freshman - 8:39 3,000)

Reed, Brandon (80th Big 12 2008, 58th returner)

Sadler, Jeff (81st Big 12 2008, 59th returner)

Stewart, Tyler (freshman - 1:52)

White, Brandon (55th Big 12 2008, 38th returner)

Williams, Michael (76th Big 12 2008, 55th returner)


Colorado
(2008 - 2nd)   In 2009 - 2nd Pre-Nationals White

Bosshard, Joe (RS freshman - 9:11, 15:12)

Kyle, Jordan (8th Big 12 2008, 5th returner, 14th NCAA 2008 - All-American)

Medina, Richard (15th Big 12 2008, 10th returner, 64th NCAA 2008)

Miller, Nick (25th Big 12 2008, 15th returner)

Neuman, Kenyon (14th Big 12 2008, 9th returner, 115th NCAA 2008)

Stevens, Joanthan (RS freshman - 9:18)

Tebo, Matthew (23rd Big 12 2008, 14th returner, 146th NCAA 2008)

Thompson, Christian (29th Big 12 2008, 18th returner, 208th NCAA 2008)

Van Halen, Aric (freshman - 9:19)


Iowa State
(2008 - 3rd)   In 2009 - 1st Griak, 10th Pre-Nationals White

Allbaugh, Devin (RS freshman - 9:21)

Bor, Hillary (11th Big 12 2008, 6th returner, 56th NCAA 2008)

Carper, Clayton (34th Big 12 2008, 23rd returner, 216th NCAA 2008)

Eklof, Garrett (RS freshman - 9:29)

Limo, Joel (22nd Big 12 2008, 13th returner)

Loy, Rico (21st Big 12 2008, 12th returner, 245th NCAA 2008)

Marial, Guor (6th Big 12 2008, 4th returner, 38th NCAA 2008 - All-American)

McFall, Zach (48th Big 12 2008, 33rd returner)

Mebrahtu, Yonas (31st Big 12 2008, 20th returner, 242nd NCAA 2008)

Murphy-Baum, Ben

Murray, Daniel

Rooney, Brandon

Saylor, Stephen (freshman - 4:17, 9:20)


Kansas
(2008 - 8th)   In 2009 - 6th Cowboy Jamboree, 17th Pre-Nationals Blue

Bird, Sam (78th Big 12 2008, 56th returner)

Caprario, Nick (43rd Big 12 2008, 30th returner)

Humphries, Kaleb (71st Big 12 2008, 50th returner)

Imgrund, Bret (40th Big 12 2008, 27th returner)

Shirlen, Isaiah (59th Big 12 2008, 42nd returner)

Van Ordsel, Dan (57th Big 12 2008, 40th returner)

Wasinger, Don (28th Big 12 2008, 17th returner)

Zarda, Zach (66th Big 12 2008, 46th returner)


Kansas State
(2008 - 11th)   In 2009 - 1st Missouri State

Boyett, Travis
Del Valle, Armando
Edwards, Kevin (100th Big 12 2008, 76th returner)

Fennema, Tyler (99th Big 12 2008, 75th returner)

Hanson, Kyle (freshman - 9:28)

Loring, Mitch
Sachse, Jack (92nd Big 12 2008, 69th returner)


Missouri
(2008 - 5th)   In 2009 - 7th Chile Pepper

Bascio, Phil (54th Big 12 2008, 37th returner)

Hedgecock, Dan (37th Big 12 2008, 25th returner)

Irwin, Blake

King, Phillip (32nd Big 12 2008, 21st returner)

Pandolfo, Michael (35th Big 12 2008, 24th returner)

Quigley, Dan (42nd Big 12 2008, 29th returner)


Nebraska
(2008 - 7th)   In 2009 - 24th Pre-Nationals White

Adams, David (26th Big 12 2008, 16th returner)

Adams, Jesse (82nd Big 12 2008, 60th returner)

Brinn, Tommy (freshman - 1:49)

Conahan, Matt (79th Big 12 2008, 57th returner)

Doering, Brad (46th Big 12 2008, 31st returner)

Falcon, Peter (75th Big 12 2008, 54th returner)

Oberle, Anthony (67th Big 12 2008, 47th returner)

Somer, Bryce (72nd Big 12 2008, 51st returner)

Thomas, Mikel (33rd Big 12 2008, 22nd returner)


Oklahoma
(2008 - 12th)   In 2009 - 2nd Griak, 2nd Chile Pepper

Boone, Jacob

Clement, Tony

Cooper, Scott (86th Big 12 2008, 64th returner)

Crosby, Cole (93rd Big 12 2008, 70th returner)

Goble, Aaron (91st Big 12 2008, 68th returner)

Gonzalez, Andres (74th Big 12 2008, 53rd returner)

Kogel, Bill (RS freshman - 4:19 mile, 9:27 2 mile)

Larimer, Ross (RS freshman - 4:13)

Mayes, Clay

Muntefering, Alex (freshman - 1:51, 4:17)

Nicolls, Bobby (freshman - 9:03 2 mile)

Schwab, Kevin

Sorrell, Robert

Sudbury, Jeremy

Sweeney, Chris (89th Big 12 2008, 66th returner)

Wann, Connor (95th Big 12 2008, 72nd returner)

Williams, Kevin (RS freshman - 9:02, FL finalist)


Oklahoma State
(2008 - 1st)   In 2009 - 4th Cowboy Jamboree (incomplete squad), 1st Chile Pepper

Botezan, Raul (Romania - 1:49, 3:44 1,500)

Chirchir, David (13th Big 12 2008, 8th returner, 133rd NCAA 2008)

Farrell, Tom (England - 3:52 1,500, 8:16 3,000)

Fernandez, German (1st Big 12 2008, top returner, DNF NCAA 2008 - injured)

Fleming, Sean (53rd Big 12 2008, 36th returner)

Gibson, Kyle (freshman - 9:10)

Kosgei, John (3rd Big 12 2008, 2nd returner, 8th NCAA 2008 - All-American)

Lowe, Colby (5th Big 12 2008, returner, 80th NCAA 2008)

Lynch, Michael (freshman - 9:25)

Manilafasha, Joseph (freshman - 14:16, FL finalist)

Mecheso, Girma (Auburn transfer - 13:50, 28:26, 1st SEC 2008, 16th NCAA 2008 - All-American)

Perez, Matthew (freshman - 9:13 2 mile)

Prentice, Ryan (RS freshman - 14:16)

Watts, Daniel (18th Big 12 2008, 11th returner, 157th NCAA 2008)


Texas
(2008 - 6th)   In 2009 - 1st Princeton

Allison, Sann (freshman - 4:16)

Berhane, Habben (30th Big 12 2008, 19th returner)

Dean, Leon (freshman - 4:14)

Jessett, C.J. (freshman - 4:14, 9:20)

Rhodes-Devey, Brian (56th Big 12 2008, 39th returner)

Roth, Austin (freshman - 9:08)

Simmons, Brock (52nd Big 12 2008, 35th returner)

Tunningley, Rory (47th Big 12 2008, 32nd returner)

Wetzel, Robert (61st Big 12 2008, 44th returner)

Wood, Philip (freshman - 4:15, 9:18, FL finalist)


Texas A&M
(2008 - 4th)   In 2009 - 7th Wisconsin adidas, 5th Panorama Farms

Bible, Mitch (161st NCAA 2008)

Bonn, James (freshman - 1:53)

Brown, C.J. (freshman - 4:10, 9:14, FL finalist)

Burnett, Kevin (60th Big 12 2008, 43rd returner, 239th NCAA 2008)

Caceres, Wes (87th Big 12 2008, 65th returner)

Gosset, Eric (freshman - 1:53)

Northcutt, Graham (58th Big 12 2008, 41st returner)

Sauvageau, Joe (39th Big 12 2008, 26th returner, 192nd NCAA 2008)

Sherman, Logan (85th Big 12 2008, 63rd returner, 251st NCAA 2008)

Snelick, Joey (freshman - 1:53)

Welin, James (freshman - 9:20)


Texas Tech
(2008 - 9th)   In 2009 - 5th Chile Pepper

Boston, David (96th Big 12 2008, 73rd returner)

Culotta, Logan (63rd Big 12 2008, 45th returner)

Dawson, Zach (84th Big 12 2008, 62nd returner)

Greer, Aaron (90th Big 12 2008, 67th returner)

Higgins, Cory (70th Big 12 2008, 49th returner)

Julien, Valentino (freshman - 9:28)

Kemboi, Silas

Limo, Gilbert (12th Big 12 2008, 7th returner)

Milles, Nathan (69th Big 12 2008, 48th returner)

Rodriguez, James (98th Big 12 2008, 74th returner)

Szot, Jake (73rd Big 12 2008, 52nd returner)

 

 

 

 

            
  

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