Current and Former O-State Track Athletes Shine Worldwide and Especially Sinclaire Johnson
(Robert Allen of Pokes Report contributed to this story from Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations.)
STILLWATER – Several current and former OSU Track & Field athletes competed around the world this past weekend in their respective countries’ national championships, with an opportunity to move onto the World Championships in Eugene, Ore., next month.
Former Cowgirl national champion Sinclaire Johnson kicked off the weekend by becoming the United States Champion in the 1,500 Meters, defeating the countries’ best 1,500 Meter runners by 1.33 seconds with her time of 4:03.29. In her time with OSU, Johnson won a national championship in the 1,500 Meters in 2019, setting the NCAA Outdoor Championships' meet record in a time of 4:05.98, a record which stands to this day. Her NCAA Championships performance remains the second-fastest 1,500 time in collegiate history, behind only USA Olympian Jenny Simpson.
In equally dominant fashion, former Cowgirl thrower Chase Ealey set a USATF Outdoor Championships record in the Shot Put, launching a personal-best distance of 20.51 meters. Ealey’s throw is the best in the world this year and set a Hayward Field facility record in the process. Her dominant performance at USA Outdoors follows an indoor season in which she tied the American record in the Shot Put on her way to a silver medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in March.
Ealey competed for OSU from 2013-16 and currently holds both the indoor and outdoor program records in the Shot Put. She finished her Cowgirl career as a three-time All-American and 12-time All-Big 12 honoree in addition to her runner-up finish at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the Shot Put.
Both Johnson and Ealey will represent the USA at the World Championships next month in Eugene as they each comfortably meet the world standard in their event.
Meanwhile at the Lithuanian Championships in Siauliai, Lithuania, current Cowgirl Gabija Galvydyte and former Cowgirl Ieva Zarankaite won their national championships in the 800 Meters and Discus Throw, respectively.
Galvydyte simply dominated the rest of the field, winning by more than eight seconds overall with her time of 2:04.11. She rode in off a breakout freshman outdoor season in which she finished third overall at the NCAA Outdoor Championships In Eugene.
Zarankaite also dominated in the Discus Throw, winning easily with a mark of 59.42 meters. Zarankaite competed for the Cowgirls from 2014-17, where she earned honorable mention All-America honors in the event in 2017.
On the men’s side, former Cowboys Josh Thompson and Ryan Smeeton put on impressive performances at the USA and Canadian National Championships, respectively.
Thompson placed third overall at the USA Championships with a time of 3:46.07 in the 1,500 Meters, which will earn him a spot at the world championships for Team USA. In a largely tactical race, he exploded for the final 100 meters on the outside and snagged the third and final World Championship spot by just .08 seconds.
At the Canadian National Championships in Langley, British Columbia, Smeeton breezed to a second-place finish in the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase with a time of 8:23.81. The former cowboy wrapped up his career with OSU just a few weeks ago at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he finished fourth overall with his school-record time of 8:20.06. That time also got him under the World Championship standard time of 8:22.00. He currently ranks 35th in the world in the event with the top 45 runners making the World Championships.
The World Athletics Championships will take place in Eugene from July 15-24 with all the top athletes from around the globe competing for the title of world champion.