MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Junior
Ceili McCabe of the West Virginia cross country team secured a first-place Big 12 Conference finish at the 2021 Big 12 Championships, on Friday, Oct. 29, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, at the OSU Cross Country Course.
McCabe finished the 6k with a time of 20:44.2, marking the first time a Mountaineer has won the Big 12 individual title.
"I'm really glad to have been able to get out today to compete as a team and try and run to the best of our abilities," said McCabe. "I'm lucky to have a great group to run with, as well as compete against. I am excited for the coming weeks, to see what we can do."
Additionally, McCabe was one of three Mountaineers to collect All-Big 12 Honors as the West Virginia University cross country team finished third place in the Conference Championship.
Joining the squad in the top-15 and earning All-Big 12 Honors was fifth-year senior
Sylvia Russell, who finished the race in a time of 21:32.0, good for 11th place, and redshirt junior
Mikaela Lucki, who placed 14th and finished in a time of 21:38.5.
"Having Ceili execute her race was very fun to watch," said coach
Sean Cleary. "She continues to grow mentally and physically as an athlete. Handling both the physical demands and physical challenges. The front of this field was truly national class. Any one of the top 3 or four could have won this race. It's always fun to win a Conference Championship. Ceili will enjoy the moment, but quickly refocus for the next big challenge."
Seven additional Mountaineers competed at the Conference Championship.
Redshirt junior
Katherine Dowie followed behind in 18th place and finished the 6k in a time of 21:46.5. Next up was fifth-year senior
Hayley Jackson, who placed 21st in a time of 21:58.3.
Additionally, sophomore
Maria Kaylor finished the 6K in 29th place in a time of 22:32.7. She was followed by senior
Charlotte Wood, who placed 53rd and finished in a time of 23:45.0.
Rounding out the Mountaineers in today's race were junior
Samantha Hatcher (66th-24:19.4), sophomore
Megan Weaver (78th-25:14.9) and junior
Malina Mitchell (84th-25:41.5).
"Coming to the Big 12 Championships you want to run your very best race of the year," said Cleary. "The ladies did just that. We know that we have one more little jump in us as a team and will prepare over the next two weeks to do just that as we prepare for the NCAA Regionals.
"Looking over the team and individual places, I feel very good about how we moved up throughout the entire race. We understood going in that we had the outside chance of three All-Big 12 runners, and feel happy to have met that goal. I know that over the next few weeks we will take one more step and be at our very best at Regionals."
All-time, 19 Mountaineers have claimed All-Big 12 accolades. Most recently, McCabe (4th- 20:55.9), Dowie (10th-21:25.4) and Wood (11th-21:27.5) received All-Big 12 Honors at the 2020 Big 12 Championship.
West Virginia earned 65 team points to finish in third place in Stillwater. Oklahoma State took home the conference title with 35 points, while Iowa State finished second with 36. Texas (134) and Kansas State (143) rounded out the top five.
Friday's finish marks the third consecutive year the team finished in third place at the conference meet.
WVU's best finish at the Big 12 Championship came when the Mountaineers finished second as a team in 2013 and 2014. The team previously collected the Big East Championship in 2007 and the Atlantic 10 title in 1994.
West Virginia's last individual Conference Champion was former All-American Marie Louise Asselin, who finished first in the Big East Championship in 2008. In 1991, Vicki Sum won the Atlantic 10 Championship race.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
