By Kyle Merber
November 22, 2023
What do you do if you lose an NCAA title duel in a tie-breaker on your home course? You reload the pistol and take another shot. That’s exactly what Oklahoma State did, and it’s how they handed Northern Arizona only their second loss in eight years.
The match-up was an easy story to tell ahead of time. On one side you had the squad who had all been there before. And on the other was a team counting on fresh faces. My pre-race assessment was that if both teams ran perfectly then it wouldn’t be close – the Pokes had the potential to score significantly less. And they did exactly that, putting five guys in the top 15 of the field. But there was little room for error. Had either Denis Kipngetich or Victor Shitsama had an off day similar to Big XIIs, then there was too much of a gap back to their sixth man and they would have lost.
The narrative ought to be that Oklahoma State won this one, because Northern Arizona definitely didn’t lose it. The Lumberjacks improved from 83 points to 71 this year and like clockwork, Santiago Prosser and Brodey Hasty had their races of their season when the team needed them. Those two are the type of friends you could rely on to help you move out of an apartment after a breakup.
Now in this modern world of transfer portals, the rosters next year are a bit less predictable than in generations past. But if things remain the same, then how could anyone possibly beat Oklahoma State? Six out of their seven return and this is a team that is so deep that Coach Smith had ten guys warm up before finalizing his starters.
Kyle Merber
After hanging up his spikes – but never his running shoes – Kyle pivoted to the media side of things, where he shares his enthusiasm, insights, and experiences with subscribers of The Lap Count newsletter, as well as viewers of CITIUS MAG live shows.
