Texas enters the Big 12 Championships this year in hopes of dethroning three-time defending champions Oklahoma State. The 8,000-meter race begins on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Texas A&M’s Pebble Creek Country Club in College Station.

Oklahoma State has won the last two NCAA championships, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the country.

A strong field includes Oklahoma, ranked No. 5, and Texas, ranked at No. 11 after a strong performance at the Wisconsin Invitational two weeks ago. Texas A&M is ranked at No. 24, and rounds out the Big 12 field in the top 30.

Texas started the season ranked No. 24, but has been climbing up the rankings with strong performances at the Grass Routes Grand Prix and the Concordia Invitational a week ago. But the best performance this year for the Longhorns came last week in Madison, Wisconsin against a field that featured more than 15 ranked teams, including several in the top ten. But Texas was able to put together a very strong performance to finish sixth against some of the best competition in the country.

Another strong performance here will give the Longhorns momentum heading into the Regional Championships in November.