Oklahoma State Cowboys track and field

The Oklahoma State Cowboys track and field program represents the Oklahoma State University in the sport of track and field. The program competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Big 12. The Cowboys host their home indoor and outdoor meets at the OSU Track and Field Complex, both located on the university's Stillwater, Oklahoma campus. The Oklahoma State track and field teams are currently led by head coach Dave Smith.

History

Indoor history The Oklahoma State men's indoor track and field team was organized in 1926, first competing in the Missouri Valley Conference before moving to the Big Eight Conference. The team finished runner-up at the Missouri Valley conference meet twice, in 1929 and 1937. Ralph Higgins was hired as head coach in 1935 and would go on to lead the Cowboys for 32 years, the longest tenure of any coach in Oklahoma State track and field history.

The program's most successful season came in 1965, when the team claimed a 2nd–place finish in the inaugural NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship. Along with the runner-up finish, Oklahoma State also won their first individual national titles with Tom Von Ruden in the 880 yards and the two–mile relay team.

Dave Smith took over the track and field program in 2009, with the Cowboys searching for their first indoor conference title and first national top–10 finish since 1984. In 2013, Oklahoma State scored an 8th–place finish at the NCAA Championship, their best result in 29 years. A year later in 2014, Oklahoma State would claim their first indoor conference championship, winning the Big 12 title over Texas, 112.5–108.5, along with a 6th–place finish at the NCAA Championship. The Cowboys would add another Big 12 title in 2016, again beating Texas by a score of 130–128.5.

The 2023 season marked the beginning of a three year stretch of Oklahoma State runners scoring individual national championships. In 2023, Fouad Messaoudi won the national title in the men's 3,000 meters, while the men's DMR team won their own national title in 2023 before successfully defending their championship and winning the title again in 2024. Brian Musau would keep the streak alive, winning the men's 5000 meters title in 2025 and helping the team secure a 5th–place finish, the program's first top–5 finish since 1965.

Outdoor history The Oklahoma State men's outdoor track and field team was organized in 1900, first competing in the Oklahoma Intercollegiate and Southwest conferences before moving to the Missouri Valley. The Cowboys would win their first Missouri Valley conference championship in 1929, before adding two more in 1932 and 1934. Oklahoma State would then dominate the rest of the conference, winning the conference title 17 straight times from 1938–1957.

After moving to the Big Eight Conference, the Cowboys would score their first top–5 national finish in program history in 1959, earning a 5th–place finish at the NCAA Championship.

Since moving to the Big 12, the Cowboys most successful season was in 2025, when Oklahoma State scored an 11th–place finish at the NCAA Championships and Brian Musau won his second national title in the men's 5000 meters.

NCAA Championship results Indoor Championship Results YearPointsPlace1965 122nd1966 5 15th1967 3 26th1969 4 20th1970 2 32nd1971 6 16th1973 4 26th1974 4 32nd1982 10 14th1983 2 41st1984 15 7th1985 11 12th1986 10 13th1989 2 42nd1995 3 43rd1996 12 18th1997 5 39th1999 1 56th2001 1 55th2003 2 54th2004 6 29th2010 1 60th2012 1 61st2013 20 8th2014 20 6th2015 14 13th2016 9 24th2017 6 30th2018 6 36th 2019 5 41st2022 4 41st2023 25 6th2024 23 7th2025 26 5th2026 2 47th

Outdoor Championship Results

YearPointsPlace1929 1 38th1931 9 19th1932 2 35th1938 2 26th1939 10 14th 1940 2.33 31st1941 3 28th1942 8.2 17th1946 6 24th1955 10 17th1956 19 9th1957 2 38th1958 0.43 42nd1959 22.1 5th1960 3 35th1961 8 24th1963 10 15th1964 0.5 57th1965 1 55th1966 16 11th1967 11 18th1970 5 37th1971 6 29th1972 12 12th1973 6 36th1980 16 11th1981 4 36th1982 29 16th1983 13.5 39th1984 46 9th1985 11 22nd1986 8 34th1994 5 48th1995 1 70th1996 3 58th1997 7 40th1998 3 56th1999 4 51st2000 3 53rd2008 4 50th

YearPointsPlace2009 10 25th2010 8 32nd2012 1 66th2013 2 65th2014 16 13th2015 10 19th2016 14 15th2017 5 51st2019 16 18th2021 6 37th2022 13 18th2023 9 27th2024 11 27th2025 19 11th2026 16 16th

NCAA Individual Event Champions

Indoor Year Event Athlete(s) 1965 880 yards Tom von Ruden 1965 Two–mile relay Jim Metcalf, John Perry, Tom von Ruden, Dave Perry 1966 Two–mile relay Arnold Droke, Jim Metcalf, John Perry, Tom von Ruden 1984 High Jump Joe Dial 1985 Pole Vault Joe Dial 1986 Mile Paul Larkins 2023 3,000 meters Fouad Messaoudi 2023 DMR Fouad Messaoudi, Charlie Bartholomew, Juan Diego Castro, Ryan Schoppe 2024 DMR Brian Musau, DJ McArthur, Mehdi Yanouri, Ryan Schoppe 2025 5,000 meters Brian Musau

Outdoor

Year Event Athlete(s) 1955 440 yards J.W. Mashburn 1956 440 yards J.W Mashburn 1956 400 meters J.W. Mashburn 1956 Pole Vault Jim Graham 1959 Pole Vault Jim Graham 1961 Pole Vault George Davies 1967 Steeplechase Chris McCubbins 1972 10,000 meters John Halberstadt 1982 200 meters James Butler 1984 Pole Vault Joe Dial 1985 Pole Vault Joe Dial 2009 1,500 meters German Fernandez 2015 1,500 meters Chad Noelle 2016 Hammer Throw Nick Miller 2025 5,000 meters Brian Musau

Olympic track and field medalists

The following Oklahoma State men's athletes have earned medals in one or more track and field events at the Summer Olympics:

J.W. Mashburn, American gold medalist at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics

OSU Track and Field Complex Built in 2013 at a cost of about $9 million, the complex features a nine-lane 400-meter track with a steeplechase turnout along with infield and adjacent areas for field events, including shot put, discus, hammer throw, pole vault, high jump and long jump.

See also

Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls Oklahoma State Cowboys cross country

References

External links