COLLEGE STATION, Texas – There have some great finishes in Iowa State track and field history. But there has never been anything like the final strides of Cyclone Rico Loy in the Big 12 Conference indoor mile Saturday at the Gilliam Indoor Stadium. As Thomas Farrell of Oklahoma State pointed to the sky, signaling that he thought he was the conference champion, Loy passed the Cowboy and won his first Big 12 individual title.
The Cyclone women made some waves, led by double champion Betsy Saina (3k/5k). With its total of 76 points, the Iowa State women finished tied for fourth with Baylor, the highest Big 12 finish by the Cyclones since finishing fourth in 2000. Texas A&M won the women’s meet with 140 points. Texas A&M won the men’s title with 154 points. The Cyclone men were ninth with 45 points. The Iowa State men scored in 12 different events, displaying a new balance in the program. The Cyclone women scored in 11 events.
Loy’s last gasp move came so late that Farrell that didn’t see the Cyclone. Farrell turned his head back to the finish line and then realized he was not going to the top of the podium.
“He didn’t see me coming,” Loy said. “He looked to the outside and didn’t see anybody. He thought he had won. I thought to myself “no” when he put his arm up.”
Loy, a former Drake Relays 1500-meter champion, jockeyed with his fellow runners throughout the race moving up and back and up again in the field.
“I knew if I was in position I could run 200 meters faster than most of the guys in the race,” Loy said.
The race ran about like what Iowa State head coach Corey Ihmels expected.
“I told Rico that it was going to be crazy, but that it will open up if you are there and Rico sort of snuck by.”
Ian Warner placed third in the 60-meter dash (6.73).
I was fifth last year and third this year,” Warner said. “I was surprised the time wasn’t a little faster but I’ll take it.”
Warner came back and placed seventh in the 200-meters (21.55). Iowa State heptathlete Ethan Wilkins, who had about a week of practice for heading before the conference meet, placed fifth in the multi-event.
“We scored in 12 events which is the most for us in a while,” Ihmels said. “We finished eight points short of the upper division and that is disappointing. We scraped up points but also left some points on the track.”
Saina had to have a sense of déjà vu. Just as Natosha Rogers of Texas A&M had done Friday night in the 5,000-meters, the Aggie took the lead in the second half of Saturday’s 3,000 meters. The first three times Saina tried to go back into the lead, Rogers responded with a surge.
“I tried a couple times to pass her but I decided to wait a little longer before taking the lead again,” Saina said.
As Saina did 24 hours before in the 5,000-meters, the junior Cyclone took the lead with about 300 meters to go and then held off Rogers for her fourth career Big 12 title in a time of 9:14.20. Rogers was second in 9:14.22.
“It was a good weekend and I am very happy with the results,” Saina said.
Iowa State’s Meaghan Nelson was third, Dani Stack fifth and Morgan Casey eighth for the Cyclones in the same race. The Iowa State women got second-place finishes from Kianna Elahi in the 600-yard run and Ejiroghene Okoro in the 800 meters. Hayli Bozarth and Christina Hillman finished fifth and seventh, respectively in the shot put. The Cyclones 4×400-meter relay team placed sixth.
“Our women finished high and we are happy for that,” Ihmels said. “We had some good performances. Betsy is running very confident right now. She is really fit and that shows.”
Iowa State Results
Women:
Team Scoring: 1) Texas A&M, 140; 2) Texas, 112; 3) Kansas 101.33 4T) Iowa State 76;Baylor 76; 6) Texas Tech 63; 7) Kansas State 56; 8) Oklahoma, 55.33; 9) Oklahoma State 31; 10) Missouri 29.33
Mile Run: 1) Laura Roxberg, Missouri, 4:43.31; 6) Morgan Casey, Iowa State, 4:53.56
600-yard run: 1) Kendra Chambers, Texas 1:19.23; 2) Kianna Elahi, Iowa State, 1:19.76; 6. Eseroghene, Iowa State, 1:22.17;
1,000-meter run: 1) Boglarka Bozzay, Kansas State, 2:47.02; 8) Maggie Gannon, 2:52.32
800-meter run: 1) Natalja Piliusina, Kansas State, 2:07.43; 2) Ejiroghene Okoro, Iowa State, 2:07.91
3,000-meter run: 1) Betsy Saina, Iowa State, 9:14.20; 3) Meaghan Nelson, Iowa State, 9:16.11; 5) Dani Stack, Iowa State, 9:29.34; 8) Morgan Casey, 9:40.48; 14) Katy Moen, Iowa State, 9:51.22; 18) Taylor Petersen, Iowa State, 9:52.91; 21) India Lee, Iowa State, 9:56.24; 27) Maddy Becker, Iowa State, 10:06.73
4×400-meter relay: 1) Kansas, 3:31.36; 6) Iowa State, 3:39.66
Shot Put: 1) Tia Brooks, Oklahoma, 60-6.75; 5) Hayli Bozarth, Iowa State, 51-1.75; 7) Christina Hillman, Iowa State, 49-5.50; 15) Tressa Borchardt, Iowa State, 42-5.25
Triple Jump: 1) Mark Jackson, Texas, 50-2.75; 10) Teddy Lampkin, 46-11.50; 12) Akeem Holmes, Iowa State, 46-4.25
Iowa State Results
Men:
Team Scoring: 1) Texas A&M 154; 2) Texas 133.50; 3) Oklahoma 98; 4) Kansas State 64; 5) Baylor 53; 6) Oklahoma State 52; 7) Texas Tech 48; 8) Missouri 47; 9) Iowa State 45; 10) Kansas 44.50
60-meter dash: 1) Prezel Hardy, Jr., Texas A&M, 6.66; 3) Ian Warner, Iowa State, 6.73
Mile Run: 1) Rico Loy, 4:06.33
200-meter dash: 1) Ameer Webb, Texas A&M, 20.62; 7) Ian Warner, Iowa State, 21.55
3,000-meter run: 1) George Alex, Oklahoma, 8:01.85; 11) Mohamed Hrezi, Iowa State, 8:08.64; 16) Falko Zauber, Iowa State, 8:12.99; 22) Edwin Serem, Iowa State, 8:18.06; 29) Martin Coolidge, Iowa State, 8:24.72; 31) Charlie Paul, Iowa State, 8:24.85; 40) Allen Dillenbeck, Iowa State, 8:35.09; 41) Stephen Saylor, Iowa State, 8:38.57
4×400-meter relay: 1) Texas A&M, 3:05.87; 9) Iowa State, 3:16.83
High Jump: 1) Erik Kynard, Kansas State, 7-5.25; 3T) Camerion Ostrowski, Iowa State, Troy Walls, Iowa State, 6-9.50; 10T) Nick Lucs, Iowa State, 6-7.50
Heptathlon: 1) Petter Olson, Texas, 4,882: 5) Ethan Wilkins, Iowa State, 4,322
