OU Men Continue Rise in National Rankings

Nov. 3, 2009

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma men's cross country team continued its ascent in the national rankings as it moved up two spots to No. 18 Tuesday in the latest rankings provided by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Rankings (USTFCCCA).

The Sooners are currently ranked third among Big 12 schools in the USTFCCCA's top 30, falling behind in-state rival Oklahoma State (No. 2) and Colorado (No. 5). Iowa State comes in at No. 27.OU is ranked second in the USTFCCCA's Midwest Region behind Oklahoma State.

The Sooners were previously ranked No. 20 before the team recorded its highest finish ever in the Big 12 Championships as it took third Saturday. The performance was also the highest conference finish since the 1980 team took third in the Big 8 Championships.

Three runners claimed All-Big 12 honors as sophomore Kevin Schwab, redshirt-freshman Bill Kogel and junior Rob Sorrell each finished in the top 15. Schwab and Kogel's sixth and 10th-place finishes marked the first time since the creation of the Big 12 that two Sooner runners finished among the top-10 competitors in the same Big 12 Championships.

With his 10th-place finish, Kogel was also named the Big 12 Cross Country Newcomer of the Year to cap off a year that saw Sioux Falls, S.D., native record a top-10 finish in every race this season.

Next up for the Sooners is a trip back to the state of Missouri on Nov. 14 to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional in Springfield, Mo. The top two teams from the Midwest Regional will advance to the 2009 NCAA National Championships along with the top two teams from eight other NCAA Regionals. The remainder of the 31-team NCAA Championships field will consist of 13 at-large teams selected by the NCAA.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Men Continue Rise in National Rankings

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors