Simbassa Named Big 12 Runner of the Week

NORMAN – University of Oklahoma senior Abbabiya Simbassa was named the Big 12 Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week on Tuesday.

Simbassa finished third with a 23:22 in his first race of the season on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the University of Washington Invitational held in Seattle. The meet, an invitation only competition, included seven of the nation's top-25 teams. Simbassa's finish helped lift the Sooners to a fifth-place finish overall on the 8,000-meter course.

The award is OU's first from the conference this season and the first weekly award of Simbassa's career.

The performance in Seattle also boosted the OU team in the United States Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association's regional and national rankings. The Sooners, who started the season ranked fourth in the Midwest Region, climbed to second in this week's poll.

Ranked 28^th to start the season, OU moved to 20^th in this week's national poll. That marks the best ranking for the OU men since the final poll of the 2012 season.

The Sooner cross country teams return to action on Friday, Oct. 17 in Madison, Wis. at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational.