Byrd, Field set records
March 27, 2016 | Women's Track & Field
Byrd, Field set records at Willamette Invitational
3/26/2016
Oregon State Athletic Communications
Salem, Ore. –McKenzie Byrd broke her own school record in the javelin and Gillette Field set the pole vault mark on Saturday to lead the Oregon State track & field team at the Charles Bowles Invitational at Willamette University's McCulloch Stadium.
A sophomore from Irrigon who graduated from Hermiston High School, Byrd unleashed a throw of 143-0.75 to break her former school standard of 140-11, set last May at Hayward Field in Eugene. Freshman Kindel Bailey took fifth in the event at 137-0.75, the fourth-best mark in school history.
A freshman from Granite Bay High School in Granite Bay, Calif., Field cleared 12-5.50 to PR by six inches and take first place. She broke Helen Ann Haun's old school outdoor mark of 12-0.50, set last year at Stanford, and Haun's indoor mark of 12-1.50, set earlier this year in Portland. Haun placed second on Saturday in 11-11.75.
Sophomore Kerissa D'Arpino won the 400 hurdles in 1:02.80 in her first hurdles race as a collegian. Senior Sara Almen led a 1-2-4-6 finish in the high jump by clearing 5-7.75 to take first place.
The 4x400 relay foursome of D'Arpino, Dakota Steen, Devin Collins and Kala Kopecek won in 3:52.74, the No. 7 all-time mark.
All told the Beavers set two school records, added five other all-time top-10 marks, won four events and placed second in six others on a cool, wet day not conducive to outstanding performances.
"We had a very good day, considering the wet and cold conditions," OSU coach Kelly Sullivan said. "It was the first hurdles race for Kerissa and she did very well. Our javelin throwers were excellent; Kalya Fleskes hadn't thrown in nearly two years.
"Sara and the other high jumpers did well as did our vaulters and throwers. Our relay team was a nice mixture of sprinters and middle-distance specialists and they ran a 3:52, which was outstanding.
"Overall we continued to make progress even though we shifted a lot of people to events they don't customarily compete in. We showed a lot of toughness on a pretty ugly day at the track."
Also, Beavers competing unattached won two events. Sophomore Saskia McNairy was first in the long jump in 17-11; sophomore Gwyneth McMorris won the 'B' section of the 1500 in 4:44.50.
Other all-time top-10 times or marks were recorded by:
· Junior Devin Collins, who placed second in the 200 in 24.53, the No. 4 all-time mark.
· Sophomore Jasmin McKenzie, who placed sixth in the triple jump in 36-5.75, the No. 5 all-time mark. Senior Michele Turney, the school record-holder (40-0.75), was second at 38-2.
· Byrd, who took ninth in the hammer with the No. 3 all-time mark (137-7.50).
Junior Melissa Ausman was second in the discus (154-11.25), third in the hammer (157-11.50) and seventh in the shot (40-9.75). Senior Rachel Picknell was second in the hammer (158-7.75), fifth in the discus (131-7.50) and eighth in the shot (39-10.50).
The Beavers resume action next weekend at the Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.
Their 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.
Saturday's results:
Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational
200 METERS: 2. Devin Collins, 24.53. 10. Saskia McNairy (un), 26.31.
800 METERS: 5. Kelsi Schaer, 2:18.75. 6. Kala Kopecek, 2:18.87. 10. Macaulay Wilson (un), 2:19.53.
1500 METERS (B section): 1. Gwyneth McMorris (un), 4:44.50.
5000 METERS: 10. Rachel Johnson, 19:17.86.
400 HURDLES: 1. Kerissa D'Arpino, 1:02.80. 10. Dakota Steen, 1:06.61.
1600 RELAY: 1. Oregon State (Kerissa D'Arpino, Dakota Steen, Devin Collins Kala Kopecek), 3:52.74.
HIGH JUMP: 1. Sara Almen, 5-7.75. 2. Allison Jackson, 5-5.75. 4. Amy Hilger, 5-3.75. 6. Jessica Lautenbach, 4-11.75.
LONG JUMP: 1. Saskia McNairy (un), 17-11. 7. Bethany Imperial, 16-6.
TRIPLE LUMP: 2. Michele Turney, 38-2. 6. Jasmin McKenzie, 36-5.75. 9. Saskia McNairy (un), 35-0.25.
POLE VAULT: 1. Gillette Field, 12-5.50. 2. Helen Ann Haun, 11-11.75. Annie Sidor, NM.
DISCUS: 2. Melissa Ausman, 154-11.25. 5. Rachel Picknell, 131-7.50. 7. Kayla Fleskes, 127-0.75. 18. McKenzie Byrd, 102-8.50.
HAMMER: 2. Rachel Picknell, 158-7.75. 3. Melissa Ausman, 157-11.50. 9. McKenzie Byrd, 137-7.50.
SHOT PUT: 7. Melissa Ausman, 40-9.75. 8. Rachel Picknell, 39-10.50.
JAVELIN: 4. McKenzie Byrd, 143-0.75. 5. Kindel Bailey, 137-0.75. 8. Kayla Fleskes, 128-1.25. 14. Amber Peschka, 106-10.50.
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
Players Mentioned
