The Oklahoma State Cowgirls 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 Cowgirls 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 women's indoor track and field team was organized in 1977, first competing in the Big Eight Conference. The Cowgirls would make their first NCAA Championship appearance in 1984, scoring a single point and claiming a 39th–place finish. Christine McMiken became the first Oklahoma State individual national champion in 1985, when she won the 3,000 meter title.
The team would claim two more individual national championships with Jackie Goodman in 1989 and Siri Alfheim in 2002, both in the 5,000 meters. However, the Cowgirls would struggle to be nationally competitive throughout the 1990s and 2000s, scoring just two top–5 conference finishes and only finishing as high nationally as 13th at the 1989 NCAA Championship, until Dave Smith was hired to lead the track and field program in 2009.
Immediately after Smith's hiring, Oklahoma State would break an eight year NCAA Championship drought, qualifying for nationals in 2010 and beginning a streak of ten straight appearances in the NCAA Championship, which included the program's first national top–10 finish in 2016. In 2023, the Cowgirls would break through to win the first conference title in program history, edging out Texas 146–136.5 to win the Big 12 championship. A year later, Oklahoma State would score their best national finish in program history, scoring 27 points and finishing 8th at the 2024 NCAA Championship.
Outdoor history
The Oklahoma State women's outdoor track and field team was organized in 1974, first competing in the Big Eight conference. The Cowgirls would make their first NCAA Championship appearance in 1984, where they would score eight points and finish 45th. Oklahoma State would win their first individual national championship in 1989 with Jackie Goodman in the 10,000 meters.
Since moving to the Big 12, Oklahoma State has won two more individual national championships with Natalja Piliusina in 2013 and Sinclaire Johnson in 2019, both in the 1,500 meters. Additionally, the Cowgirls most successful season came in 2016, when Oklahoma State scored 24 points and earned a 12th–place finish at the NCAA Championship, the best finish in program history.
NCAA Championship results Indoor Championship Results YearPointsPlace1984 1 39th1985 10 17th1986 4 25th1987 4 21st1988 2 29th1989 10 13th1990 6 25th1997 7 25th1998 5 38th1999 5 38th2002 10 22nd2010 5 40th2011 5 40th2012 8 28th2013 4 40th2014 14 15th2015 8 28th2016 18 10th2017 5 39th2018 3 45th2019 6 35th2021 9 24th2022 10 18th2023 9 21st2024 27 8th2026 7 32nd
Outdoor Championship Results YearPointsPlace1984 8 45th1985 16 16th1986 16 16th1987 4 44th1988 11 22nd1989 16 14th1990 1 63rd1991 4 46th1992 8 25th1997 5 38th2001 5 40th2002 8 29th2005 6 44th2006 6 37th2011 8 34th2012 4 50th2013 10 25th2015 6 35th2016 24 12th2017 4 48th2019 12 22nd2022 15 15th2023 12 22nd2024 23 14th2025 5 46th2026 3 57th
NCAA Individual Event Champions
Indoor Year Event Athlete(s) 1985 3,000 meters Christine McMiken 1989 5,000 meters Jackie Goodman 2002 5,000 meters Siri Alfheim 2016 Mile Kaela Edwards 2022 3,000 meters Taylor Roe
Outdoor Year Event Athlete(s) 1989 10,000 meters Jackie Goodman 2013 1,500 meters Natalja Piliusina 2019 1,500 meters Sinclaire Johnson
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 Cowgirls cross country
References
External links