It’s the last lap of the second 3,000 meter loop and the girls are nearing the finish line. For some runners this is their last opportunity make the top 10 runners go to the Lone Star Conference Championships in Stephenville Oct. 26.
“I am pleased with the effort from the girls this meet,” cross-country coach Koby Styles said at the end of the invitational at Lake Wichita Park, Oct. 7, placing fourth overall with an average time of 26:53.5.
Styles said this group of girls were not the top runners for the team, they are nine through 16, but it’s meets like this where these runners get to practice and compete for better times.
The top runners placed first in non-Division 1 females at the Incarnate Word Invitational with a team average of 23:11.
At the MSU Invitational, Styles said he was particularly pleased with general studies junior, Jasmine Stokes, who he said ran her fastest time yet. She came in first for MSU, and 18 overall in the meet with a time of 26:08.6.
“Jasmine Stokes ran faster this meet than she ever has. She’s a track runner and runs the 800-meter in track, so this was very different for her, and she was definitely the number one runner of this meet,” Styles said.
Stokes said the reason for her doing so well this meet was that she really wanted to make that top 10.
“Today coach said it could be the last chance to run [to make it to the top 10], so my goal was to get out strong and stay with the top teammates and then pass them,” Stokes said.
Stokes wasn’t the only one who got a faster time Angela Dees, kinesiology sophomore, came in right behind Stokes for 19 at a time of 26:21.9.
“For me I wanted to do my best for the team and for the coaches, I don’t want to let them down because they do so much work,” she said.
Dees said she starting to slowly climb that ladder back up to success and that the team as a whole winning is more important that for a personal win.
Teams from Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma Christian, Bacone, Southwestern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State competed at the meet.
