University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner CC Teams Travel To OSU's Cowboy Jamboree :: Sooners to face toughest field of the season.

Sooner CC Teams Travel To OSU's Cowboy Jamboree :: Sooners to face toughest field of the season.
 
 
 

 
Aisha Stringer and her Sooner teammates will be tested on Saturday.
  
 
Sooner CC Teams Travel To OSU's Cowboy Jamboree

Sooners to face toughest field of the season.

Oct. 4, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma men's and women's cross country teams continue the 2002 season when they head north to Stillwater for the 66th annual Cowboy Jamboree on Saturday. The meet is the oldest consecutive cross country race in the United States.

The meet will feature college/jc and university divisions for men and women. The men will run an 8K race with the university division set to start at 8:30 a.m. and the college/jc division set for a 9:40 a.m. start. The women will run a 5K race with the university division set to start at 9:10 a.m. and the college/jc division heading out at 8:05 a.m.

Looking at the Field

Joining the Sooners and host Oklahoma State in the men's university division are the Air Force Academy, perennial powerhouse Arkansas, Houston, Kansas, Missouri Southern, New Mexico, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston, Southwest Missouri State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas Christian, Texas Tech, Tulsa and Wichita State. Women's teams competing in the university division include OU, OSU, the Air Force Academy, Georgetown, Houston, Kansas, New Mexico, ORU, Sam Houston, Southwest Missouri State, Stephen F. Austin, TCU, Texas Tech, Tulsa and Wichita State.

Competing for the Sooners

Making the trip to Stillwater for the meet are Alaina Dearman, Sara Justice, Amanda Luksetich, Aisha Stringer, Emily Leonard, Jackie Dubois, Kim Thomas, Michelle Thomas and Nicola Maye on the women's side. For Maye, this will be her first cross country meet as a Sooner and the first time the Jamaican has run a cross country event. On the men's side, OU will be represented by Jimmy Buchanan, Jason Brown, Andrew Call, Billy Grona, Kevin Howarth, Spencer Hunt, Joey McNair, John Mulholland and Aldwyn Sappleton.

The Coach

Rodney Rothoff joined the Sooner coaching staff in August after two seasons as the head cross country and assistant track coach for the Tennessee women's program. In his tenure in Knoxville, Rothoff coached 11 NCAA cross country and track All-Americans. He coached the 2002 SEC champion in the outdoor 800 and had four All-SEC cross country selections. His 2001 cross country team was the SEC runner-up.

A 1990 graduate of Methodist College in North Carolina, Rothoff has also coached Clemson and Arkansas-Little Rock.

The Last Time Out

Junior Joey McNair finished second in the men's race to lead the Sooners to a second-place finish in the SMU Invitational at Norbuck Park on Sept. 21. McNair was one of the four Sooner men to post career-best times in the 8K race (the others were Darren Hutchins, John Mulholland and Andrew Call). The Sooner women were third in the four-team women's meet.

Aisha Stringer, 15th overall, led the Sooner women as three OU runners posted career-best marks in the 5K race. Jackie Dubois, Sara Justice and Emily Leonard posted career best marks in the race.

OU Men's Results (8K) at SMU

2. Joey McNair, 25:07; 4. Jimmy Buchanan, 25:53; 9. Darren Hutchins, 26:56;15. John Mulholland, 27:19; 16. Andrew Call, 27:20; 19. Jason Brown, 27:55; 25. Billy Grona, 28:39

OU Women's Results (5K) at SMU

15. Aisha Stringer, 20:27; 17. Jackie Dubois, 20:48; 18. Amanda Luksetich, 20:50; 20. Sara Justice, 21:49; 21. Emily Leonard, 21:58

The Coach Says

"This is the strongest field we have been in this year. It's a chance to run against teams we have already seen as well as teams we are seeing for the first time. We also will be able to guage how we stack up with three other conference schools," Rodney Rothoff said.

"We will have had a successful meet if three things happen: (1) we decrease the gap between our first and fifth runners; (2) we handle the competitive nature of the event; and (3) each individual improves over the last meet. This also is an important meet because it is our only opportunity to compete in the state of Oklahoma."

Next Up

The Sooners will return to competition on Oct. 19 when they travel to the Arkansas Chile Pepper in Fayetteville.