2010 Big 12 Cross Country Championship Central
The Texas Tech women's team and the Oklahoma State men's team have been crowned the 2010 Big 12 Cross Country Champions for the third-consecutive year.
Texas Tech earned the women's title with 44 points, followed by Colorado (53), Iowa State (79), Oklahoma State (90) and Texas (147). Tech and Colorado both boasted four student-athletes in the Top 15 finishers.
Oklahoma State captured its third Big 12 crown after placing four runners in the top five for a score of 19, the highest score in Big 12 history since Colorado's score of 16 in 2000. The Buffs had a runner-up in the men's race with 46 points, while Oklahoma placed third with a score of 61. Texas placed fourth (127) and Iowa State earned fifth place (133).
Tech's Rose Tanui was the top finisher on the women's side with a time of 20:04.34. Tanui also earned Newcomer of the Year honors for her performance. Iowa State finished two-three, as Betsy Saina placed second in a time of 20:18.55 and Aliphine Tuliamuk placed third (20:19.86).
On the men's side, Oklahoma State junior Girma Mecheso captured top honors with a time of 23:56.94. Mecheso earned Big 12 Runner of the Week honors in late September.
OSU's Tom Farrell earned Newcomer of the Year honors. Farrell, who placed fourth in a time of 24:06.63, was named Big 12 Runner of the Week for the first week of the season.
The OSU men placed six of its seven competitors on the All-Big 12 team, while Colorado earned four All-Big 12 honors.
NCAA Cross Country Regionals will take place on Saturday, Nov. 13, with the NCAA Championships set for Saturday, Nov. 20 in Terre Haute, Ind.
Noteworthy
Tanui is just the second runner in Big 12 history to capture both the individual title and Newcomer of the Year in the same year. Former Red Raider runner Sally Kipyego earned both honors in 2006.
In Big 12 cross country history, three men's runners have captured both the individual Big 12 title and the NCAA individual title. Colorado's Adam Goucher (1998) Jorge Torres (2002) and Dathan Ritzenhen (2003) captured both awards.
CU's Kara Wheeler and TTU's Sally Kipyego are the only two former Big 12 competitors to capture both Big 12 and NCAA titles. Wheeler earned both in 2000, while Sally Kipyego set a Big 12 record, capturing both titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
| Top 15 Men's Finishers (All-Big 12 Team) |
|
|
| 1. Girma Mecheso, Oklahoma State |
|
23:56.94 |
| 2. German Fernandez, Oklahoma State |
|
23:58.20 |
| 3. Colby Lowe, Oklahoma State |
|
23.58.37 |
| 4. Tom Farrell, Oklahoma State* |
|
24:06.63 |
| 5. Andrew Wacker, Colorado |
|
24:14.78 |
| 6. Joseph Bosshard, Colorado |
|
24:25.41 |
| 7. Christian Thompson, Colorado |
|
24:28.40 |
| 8. Kevin Schwab, Oklahoma |
|
24:32.65 |
| 9. Joseph Manilafasha, Oklahoma State |
|
24:34.37 |
| 10. Aric Vanhalen, Colorado |
|
24:35.14 |
| 11. Robert Sorrell, Oklahoma |
|
24:36.87 |
| 12. George Alex, Oklahoma |
|
24:37.28 |
| 13. Don Wasinger, Kansas |
|
24:40.04 |
| 14. Kevin Williams, Oklahoma |
|
24:44.11 |
| 15. Ryan Prentice, Oklahoma State |
|
24:45.36 |
| Top 15 Women's Finishers (All-Big 12 Team) |
|
|
| 1. Rose Tanui, Texas Tech* |
|
20:04.34 |
| 2. Betsy Saina, Iowa State |
|
20:18.55 |
| 3. Aliphine Tuliamuk, Iowa State |
|
20:19.86 |
| 4. Laura Tremblay, Colorado |
|
20:20.48 |
| 5. Emma Coburn, Colorado |
|
20:27.86 |
| 6. Caroline Jepleting, Texas Tech |
|
20:28.81 |
| 7. Caroline Karunde, Texas Tech |
|
20:33.39 |
| 8. Shalaya Kipp, Colorado |
|
20:33.79 |
| 9. Mihaela Susa, Oklahoma State |
|
20:37.28 |
| 10. Laura Tremblay, Nebraska |
|
20:37.89 |
| 11. Laura Thweatt, Colorado |
|
20:38.15 |
| 12. Rebeka Stowe, Kansas |
|
20:43.44 |
| 13. Winroses Karunde, Texas Tech |
|
20:44.28 |
| 14. Felicity Milton, Oklahoma State |
|
20:46.88 |
| 15. Sydney Messick, Kansas State |
|
20:49.85 |
*Newcomers of the Year