<i>Kaitie Vanattan</i><i>Kaitie Vanattan</i>
Cross Country

Men Eighth, Women Ninth at Big 12 Championships

Oct. 31, 2009

Recap |  Results |  Quotes |  Photo Gallery 

2009 Big 12 Cross Country Championships
Oct. 31, 2009
A.L. Gustin Golf Course - University of Missouri
Columbia, Mo.

Men's Post-Race Notes
• The Oklahoma State cross county team won its second straight Big 12 title with 24 points. The Cowboys swept the top four finishes with Ryan Vail winning the annual meet in 24:50.67.

• Oklahoma State's top four finishes marked the first time since 2000 that a team had runners place first, second, third and fourth. Colorado accomplished the feat nine years ago in Boulder, Colo.

• Colorado's second-place finish with 56 points marks the Buffaloes second consecutive second-place finish. The Buffaloes earned runner-up honors in 2008 behind Oklahoma State. Last year's second place showing snapped a 12-year win streak. Only two Big 12 schools have won Big 12 titles in men's cross country, Colorado and Oklahoma State.

• Iowa State's Guor Marial was the first non-Oklahoma State runner to cross the finish line, doing so in 25:04.82, good enough for fifth place. Marial's finish marked the first time since 2001 that a Cyclone harrier closed out the race among the top five and ties for Iowa State's third best individual Big 12 finish.

• Oklahoma runners Kevin Schwab and Bill Kogel finished the 8K race in sixth and 10th, respectively, marking the first time since the creation of the Big 12 (1996) that two Sooner racers finished among the top 10 competitors.

• Colorado's Kenyon Neuman finished seventh in 25:10.33, improving on his 2008 finish of 14th. Neuman took second in 2007 competing at the Big 12 Championships in Lubbock, Texas.

Women's Post-Race Notes
• Colorado's senior Jenny Barringer claimed the women's Big 12 6K Championship title in 20:27.46, just shy of the A.L. Gustin Course record of 20:26.32 set during the 2002 Big 12 Championships by CU runner Molly Austin.

• Barringer's first place finish is an improvement on her three runner up finishes at prior Big 12 Cross Country Championships (2005, 2006, 2007).

• Barringer crossed the finish line a full 46.1 seconds ahead of runner-up teammate Allie McLaughlin (21:13.36), marking the second largest margin of victory in Big 12 Conference history. Last season, Sally Kipyego of Texas Tech held off teammate Lillian Badaru in 51.8 seconds.

• Texas Tech won its second consecutive Big 12 Women's Cross Country title with 38 points. Four Red Raiders finished among the top-10 competitors with Lillian Badaru finishing highest of her teammates in fourth place (21:22.35).

• Two Colorado harriers finished among the top-10 of the race marking the 12th time since the formation of the league that two or more CU runners finished top-10.

• Iowa State's Lisa Koll finished third in 21:17.45, tying her finish from the 2007 season, the best finish ever for an ISU racer at the Big 12 Championships.

• Missouri's 11th place finisher Kaitie Vanetta became the program's second-ever freshman All-Big 12 honoree and first since 2002.