Billah Jepkirui claims multiple Big 12 Titles as Cowgirls place third at Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships

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Oklahoma State University

Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships

Billah Jepkirui claims multiple Big 12 Titles as Cowgirls place third at Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championships

February 28, 2026 | Cowgirl Cross Country & Track

LUBBOCK, Texas – Oklahoma State men's and women's indoor track & field returned to action Saturday at the Big 12 Indoor Championships, led by a historic performance from Billah Jepkirui, who won both the Mile and 1,000 Meters titles.

Billah Jepkirui kicked off Saturday's proceedings in spectacular fashion, winning the women's Mile in a clash between two of the four fastest milers in collegiate history: Jepkirui and BYU's Jane Hedengren. Jepkirui sat behind Hedengren for much of the race and kicked past her with roughly 100 meters to go to win her first Big 12 title of the weekend with her time of 4:23.40, the fourth-fastest time in NCAA history.

With her third career victory in the indoor Mile, Jepkirui currently stands as only the second female athlete to win the Mile title three times at the Big 12 Championships, alongside fellow Cowgirl Molly Sughroue (2017, 2018, 2019). Her time upends the previous meet record of 4:25.91, set by Colorado's Jenny Barringer in 2009, as well as the former facility record of 4:37.64 Jepkirui set in 2023.

The day was not over for Jepkirui, however, as she claimed yet another victory in the women's 1,000 Meters with a personal-best time of 2:43.48. Her strong performance sets the third-fastest time in program history, as well as new meet and facility records. She is also the first Cowgirl to capture multiple Big 12 titles in one meet since 2023, when she first completed the feat with wins in the Mile and Distance Medley Relay. True freshman Elyse Wilmes also scored in the event, taking home the bronze with her time of 2:45.63, her first All-Big 12 Honor.

From her performances, Jepkirui was named the Big 12's High Point Award winner with her 20 combined points on the weekend. Jepkirui is the second winner of the award in program history, joining Taylor Roe in 2023.

The strong performances continued for the Cowgirls with true freshman Brooke Beck in the 600 Yards. Beck broke her own program record set during Friday's prelim with her time of 1:17.84 to give her the silver medal in the event and eight team points. Beck's time was also the fourth fastest in NCAA history. Alongside Beck, sophomore Kalen Goodman placed eighth overall for one team point.

Elsewhere on the track, Isca Chelangat battled in a crowded field to take second for the Cowgirls in the women's 3,000 Meters. Chelangat was doubling back from the 5,000 Meters the night before, where she placed third for 14 combined points on the weekend.

Rounding out the meet, the Cowgirl 4x400 Meter Relay squad of Madisyn Jackson, Elise Eikeland, Goodman and Beck set a new program record with their time of 3:35.16, surpassing the former record by over a second. Ther time was enough for a seventh-place finish, earning the squad All-Big 12 Honors and adding two points to the Cowgirls' total.

Overall, the Cowgirls placed third overall behind No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 3 BYU in a neck-and-neck battle. OSU led through 15 of 19 events before Tech and BYU finished with strong performances in the Triple Jump and 3K. The Cowgirls have now finished in the top three in five of the past six seasons at the indoor conference meet.

In the men's 800 Meters, senior Hafez Mahadi blasted his way to third in a tight competition, finishing with a time of 1:48.39 and earning his third consecutive All-Big 12 Honor in the event. Pradeep Kumar placed right behind him, finishing fourth and capturing his own All-Big 12 Honor. Both Cowboys combined for a total of 12 points in the event.

David Mora took third in the men's 1,000 Meters with his time of 2:22.77, achieving All-Big 12 Honors with his first ever top-three finish in the conference meet. The sophomore also ran three seconds faster than his previous time at the 2025 Big 12 Championships, earning six points for the Cowboys.

The men's 4x400 Meter Relay wrapped up the day with another record-breaking performance, beating the previous program record by nearly a second with their time of 3:05.85. Will Bynum, Mason Page, Blake Wynne and Charlie Thorne earned a fourth-place finish in a narrow race in which they missed the overall victory by less than half a second. The Cowboys finished the meet in sixth place after amassing 54 points.

Qualified athletes will return to action in two weeks at the NCAA National Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., from March 13-14.

For more information on the Cowboys and Cowgirls, continue to check back with okstate.com.

Men's Individual Results
Heptathlon
16. Crayton Shaw – 4,925 points
60 Meter Hurdles – (13) 8.52
Pole Vault – (9) 4.45 m/14'7.25"
1,000 Meters – (11) 2:51.40
Triple Jump
7. Kevin Kemboi – 15.88 m/52'1.25"
Mile – Final
6. Alex Riley – 4:07.01
9. Laban Kipkemboi – 4:07.98
600 Yards – Final
8 Aaron Morris – 1:10.37
400 Meters – Final
5. Mason Page – 46.12
1,000 Meters – Final
4. David Mora – 2:22.77
800 Meters – Final
3. Hafez Mahadi – 1:48.39
4. Pradeep Senthilkumar – 1:49.53
3,000 Meters – Final
9. Will Muirhead – 8:02.60
11. Adisu Guadie – 8:07.17
15. Laban Kipkemboi – 8:09.01
16. Jacob Deacon – 8:10.98
21. Keegan Thomas – 8:18.62
24. Oliver Patton – 8:21.99
30. Nate Stadtlander – 8:30.53
34. Henry Dover – 8:42.40
-. Alex Riley – DNF
4x400 Meter Relay
*4. W. Bynum, M. Page, B. Wynne, C. Thorne – 3:05.85
Men's Team Standings
1. No. 12 Texas Tech – 125 points
2. No. 4 Kansas State – 124 points
3. Iowa State – 64 points
4. Oklahoma State – 59 points
5. BYU – 57 points

Women's Individual Results
Mile – Final
1. Billah Jepkirui – 4:23.40 (Meet Record and Facility Record, No. 4 in NCAA history)
6. Mandeep Sangha – 4:48.21
7. Aubrey O'Connell – 4:48.31
10. Bella Nelson – 5:01.74
600 Yards – Final
2. Brooke Beck – 1:17.84 (No. 4 in NCAA History)
8. Kalen Goodman – 1:20.66
1,000 Meters – Final
1. Billah Jepkirui – 2:43.48 (Meet Record and Facility Record, No. 5 in program history)
3. Elyse Wilmes – 2:45.63
800 Meters – Final
4. Kaylie Politza – 2:07.20
7. Kadence Huck – 2:10.75
3,000 Meters – Final
2. Isca Chelangat – 8:55.86
11. Maureen Rutoh – 9:17.56
22. Autumn Michalski – 9:36.93
25. Gentry Turner – 9:44.01
33. Madi Surber – 9:55.70
4x400 Meter Relay
*7. M. Jackson, E. Eikeland, K. Goodman, B. Beck – 3:35.16
Women's Team Standings
1. No. 8 Texas Tech – 114.5 points
2. No. 3 BYU – 110 points
3. No. 15 Oklahoma State – 97 points
4. No. 10 Kansas State – 78.5 points
5. No. 20 Iowa State – 73 points

* - indicates new school record