OSU eager for indoor season
January 22, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
The invitational runs Jan. 29-30 at the Dempsey Indoor Center in Seattle. It's the first of six meets during the indoor campaign, which concludes with the Feb. 26-27 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships, also at the Dempsey Indoor Center.
Coach Kelly Sullivan is confident the Beavers will surpass the accomplishments of their 2015 indoor campaign, which were significant. OSU set or re-set 18 school records, had 57 all-time top-10 performances, and placed 14th in their initial appearance at the MPSF championships.
“We are super-excited to get started,” Sullivan said. “The returnees look stronger and better-prepared than we have ever been, across the board.
“The staff and the athletes are just champing at the bit to see where we are and to get going. I think we are as prepared, and are as ready, than we have been for the past couple years.”
“The good thing is, we have so many returners and everyone is a year older, a year better, and a year prepared,” Sullivan said.
Two transfers will further bolster a once-fledgling program that has transformed into a complete team with the addition of sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, throwers and full-time assistant coaches over the past three years.
Junior hurdler Devin Collins was fifth at the 2014 Big Sky Conference meet as a Sacramento State sophomore; her time of 13.78 would be an OSU school record. She also ran a leg on the second-place 1600 relay team, which finished in 3:42.77; that would be an OSU record by five seconds. She placed eighth in the 100 hurdles in 2013 as a freshman.
Sophomore distance specialist Charlotte Corless placed 20th at the 2015 Mountain West Conference cross country championships in 24:11.01. She then took 36th at NCAA West Regional in 21:22 and helped Broncos earn an NCAA berth, and took 207th at the NCAA Championships in Louisville in 21:43.
“Our sprint group had great success last year and we will build off that this year,” Sullivan said. “We were freshman-dominated [in 2015] and we redshirted Devin when she transferred in. She's eager to put a uniform on and to compete. That area will be strong for us.
“I'm very excited to see what middle distance and distance group does,” he added. “We are not going to compete as many of them indoors as we did last year, we want to get more of them ready for the outdoor season.
“But returnees Morgan Anderson, Kelsi Schaer, Maureen Tremblay and a couple new faces make me very excited about that group.
“Throwers Melissa Ausman and Rachel Picknell are far ahead of where they were last year and have done incredible things in the weight room. Vaulters Helen Ann Haun and Annie Sidor are back and we have a good freshman in Gillette Field, I'm eager to see her compete. We're three-strong in that group.”
The jumpers (Kara Hallock, Michelle Turney, Bethany Imperial, Lucinda Howard, Ally Jackson, Amy Hilger, Jessica Lautenbach, Jasmin McKenzie, Saskia McNairy) will be augmented by the return of high jumper Sara Almen to full-time status. Almen cleared 5-11.25 in 2013, the last time she competed indoors.
“That is another area where we are strong,” Sullivan said. “New assistant coach Eric Schueffner is working with that group and I know they are excited about what they are doing.”
Returning indoor school record-holders are:
· Sophomore Venessa D'Arpino in the 200 (24.96) and 400 (55.60) meters.
· Senior Macaulay Wilson in the 600 (1:37.99).
· Senior Kelsi Schaer in the 800 (2:12.89).
· Senior Adrienne Demaree in the 5,000 (17:55.38).
· Senior Kara Hallock in the long jump (18-3).
· Senior Michelle Turney in the triple jump (38-6.25).
· Sophomore Helen Ann Haun in the pole vault (11-6.25).
Three members (Venessa D'Arpino, Ahsha Mootz, Kerissa D'Arpino) of OSU's school-record 1,600-relay (3:49.98) return, as do three members of the record-setting 3,200 (9:22.54) foursome (junior Morgan Anderson, Schaer, Wilson).
Three legs of the record-setting (11:32.53) 4,000 medley relay team (Venessa D'Arpino, Schaer, Anderson) likewise return. The fourth member of the 3,200 and medley relays, sophomore Sam McKinnon, is redshirting.
The outdoor season begins on March 19 at the Rose City Invitational, which also includes Portland State and Portland.
For more information on the Oregon State track and field program, follow the Beavers on Facebook at Facebook.com/OSUTrackCrossCountry, or on Twitter at twitter.com/@beavers_track.
Players Mentioned
