Beavers open outdoor season
March 16, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
Corvallis, Ore. – The Oregon State track & field team opens its outdoor season on Saturday at the Lewis & Clark Spring Break Open with the strongest, deepest and most comprehensive unit since the program was revived in 2005 after a lengthy hiatus.
“By far, across the board,” coach Kelly Sullivan said in previewing the 2016 Beavers. “We have two good hurdlers. Our jumpers have improved a lot. Our throwers are one of our strongest areas.
“We have a good group of young sprinters and our middle distance and distance kids are improving every day. We are well-represented in every event area.
“That's been our goal, not to be a one- or two-trick pony, to have a complete track and field program. I think we all have a sense of pride that we have somebody who is very good in every event.”
Saturday's competition starts at 9 a.m. on Eldon Fix Track at Griswold Stadium. The hammer and javelin events will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at Clackamas Community College.
“It's the perfect meet to open the season,” Sullivan said. “Lewis & Clark has a great venue, the competition will be good and the weather is supposed to be nice. So we couldn't ask for a better way to get started.”
The Beavers concluded a successful indoor season by placing 12th at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships in Seattle on Feb. 27. They set three school records and posted 16 all-time top-10 indoor times or marks at that meet.
Overall they established seven school records (60 meters; 200 meters; 400 meters; long jump; triple jump; pole vault; weight throw), and posted 32 of their current all-time, top-10 indoor times or marks this winter.
“We got a lot of experience and had a lot of young ladies get personal-bests,” Sullivan said. “The rust is definitely off for those who competed indoors.”
But the primary focus throughout the entire year for any track team is the outdoor season, and all the work, training and preparation is geared to run, jump or throw your best in the spring.
“All of us have eagerly been waiting for the outdoor season, and it looks as if the weather is going to be nice” for opening day, Sullivan said.
Several runners and throwers who did not compete indoors will make their 2016 debuts this weekend. The entire team will be incorporated into the mix over the next two months as the team builds for the Pacific-12 Conference Championships, set for May 14-15 in Seattle.
“They are probably more excited than the group that has competed” to get going, Sullivan said. “They've been waiting the longest. There is excitement, and a sense of anticipation, because they haven't had an opportunity measure where they are, performance-wise.
“This will be the first opportunity for our javelin, hammer and discus throwers,” and for the longer hurdles races. “We will run both relays, and it's always fun to get the 4-by-100 team going.”
Among those competing in their first meet of the season are Kristiane Width, Emily Weber, Rachel Johnson and Samantha Lewis (middle distance, distance); Alba Villaronga (hurdles) and McKenzie Byrd and Amber Peschka (throws).
Sophomore Sam McKinnon, who placed fourth in the steeplechase at the 2015 Pac-12 championships, and senior hurdler/jumper/sprinter/multi-event specialist Kara Hallock are redshirting this spring.
OSU's lone home competition is the third annual High Performance Meet, which this year has been expanded to a two-day event. It is scheduled for April 29-30 at the Whyte Track & Field Center.
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.
Here is a list of probable entries for Saturday's meet:
Lewis & Clark Spring Break Open
100 METERS: Kerissa D'Arpino.
200 METERS: Kerissa D'Arpino.
400 METERS: Venessa D'Arpino; Kala Kopecek; Dakota Steen.
800 METERS: Morgan Anderson; Juliana Mount; Kelsi Schaer.
1500 METERS: Holly Cavalluzzo; Kira Kelly; Kristiane Width; Emily Weber; Rachel Johnson.
5000 METERS: Samantha Lewis.
100 HURDLES: Devin Collins; Alba Villaronga.
400 HURDLES: Devin Collins.
400 RELAY: Team TBA.
1600 RELAY: Two teams, TBA.
HIGH JUMP: Sara Almen; Amy Hilger; Allison Jackson; Jessica Lautenbach.
LONG JUMP: Jasmin McKenzie; Ahsha Mootz.
TRIPLE LUMP: Bethany Imperial; Jasmin McKenzie; Michele Turney.
POLE VAULT: Helen Ann Haun; Gillette Field; Annie Sidor.
SHOT PUT: Melissa Ausman; Rachel Picknell.
DISCUS: Melissa Ausman; McKenzie Byrd; Rachel Picknell.
HAMMER (Friday): Melissa Ausman; McKenzie Byrd; Rachel Picknell.
JAVELIN (Friday): Kindel Bailey; McKenzie Byrd; Amber Peschka.
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