Sooners Finish Second, Fifth at Big 12

Saturday, November 1

Lawrence, Kan.

10:00 AM

University of Oklahoma

Big 12 Championships

Sooners Finish Second, Fifth at Big 12

November 01, 2014 | Cross Country

By: Athletics Communications

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Abbabiya Simbassa answered the challenge and, by finishing second overall, helped The University of Oklahoma men's cross country team to a second-place finish at the Big 12 Cross Country Championship. The finish for OU at Rim Rock Farm Saturday was its best since 2011.

It was a day of bests for OU as the Sooner women finished fifth in the team standings, their all-time best team finish in Big 12 history.

The impressive team finishes were helped by five Sooner runners who finished in the top 15 of their respective races and earned All-Big 12 honors.

“On both sides, people finished where we wanted them to and where we thought they could,” said associate head coach Jason Dunn. “I'm very pleased, and I think they did a really good job.”

Simbassa, one of two seniors among the OU men who competed, crossed the finish line with a time of 24:11.2. Junior Brandon Doughty finished eighth with a 24:25 and sophomore Jacob Burcham was 13th with a 24:34.4. They joined Simbassa on the All-Big 12 team. It was a second career selection for Simbassa and Doughty and a first for Burcham.

Other Sooner finishers, who counted toward the team total, included Eric Graf, 19th with a 24:47.0, and Eric Alldritt, 25th with a 24:54.4.

Senior Alex Deir, whose 24:55.1 was good for 27th, and Will Hogston, who was in 32nd with his 25:04, were next across for OU. For Deir, it was a 10 spot improvement in his final Big 12 race. Other Sooner runners included Zac Randall, who finished 35th with a 25:15.8 in his first race back from injury, and Kyle Polman, who crossed the line in 43rd with a 25:35.7.

“I was very pleased with where the men finished," said Dunn. “I thought they raced very well. It wasn't a perfect day but it was good enough to get a solid result and I was really happy with their effort.”

A pair of Sooner sophomores led to the record-setting team finish for the women. It marked OU's second time to finish in the top half of the teams in Big 12 history (14 meets) and was a significant finish after last year's ninth-place finish at the championship.

Brittany Tretbar led the way with a 10th-place finish, recording a time of 20:49.7. Elena Arriaza finished 15th with a time of 20.58.3. Both earned career first All-Big 12 honors.

With six freshman and four sophomores representing the women, Dunn was elated with the young team's performance.

“I'm really proud of the women,” said Dunn. “It went the way we hoped and it's a great place for them to be, being so young and earning the highest Big 12 finish ever.”

The Sooner depth was equally important to the finish. Belle Wallace finished 31st with a 21:31.4; Bryce Perry was 51st with her 21:59.1 and Sarah Scott finished 54th with a 22:02.0.

Five other Sooners competed but their finishes did not count toward the team total. Abbey Mace finished 75th with a 22:59.2 and Kelsey McKee crossed the line in 23:04.3. Sophia Fernald finished in 86th in 23:36.7; Lauren Gibbs was 90th with a 23:49.8 and Jordan Norris finished 93rd with a 24:25.5.

Oklahoma State took first in the men's race with its own, Kirubel Erassa, capturing the individual crown. For the women, Iowa State captured first overall with the Cyclone's Crystal Nelson nabbing the individual title.

Next up for the Sooners is the NCAA Midwest Regional on Nov. 14 in Peoria, Ill.