Track Heads to Tempe for Pac-10 Championships - Oregon State University Athletics

CORVALLIS – Oregon State women’s track is sending three athletes to the Pacific-10 Conference Track and Field Championships this weekend in Tempe, Ariz. Running competition begins Friday, May 16, at 5 p.m.

The three athletes competing for Oregon State are senior (Canby, Ore.), junior (Aloha, Ore.) and junior Holly Thomson (Eugene, Ore.). All three will be running in the 1,500-meters.

“The championships are really a great opportunity for those three to keep their season going,” head coach said. “Their goal is going to be making the Pac-10 final in the 1,500-meters and hopefully place.”

Last year at the Pac-10 Championships Thomson was able to qualify for the second day and finish in a strong tenth place overall.

“Holly really came out and ran well,” Sullivan said. “She made a big breakthrough there last year.”

All three have had outstanding outdoor seasons thus far breaking into the all-time top 10 list at OSU in the 1,500-meters. Veal ran the second fastest time; Peterson ran the fifth best and Thomson the seventh best.

“It will be a small group, but it will be fun,” Sullivan said. “All three of them are primed and ready to go, so we’re excited about it.”

Log on to osubeavers.com for results from the Pac-10 Championships

LAST WEEK

Last week the team made some more noise OSU’s all-time top 10 lists. At the John Knight Invitational three Beavers clawed into the top 10 lin the 10,000-meters. Senior moved into fourth all-time, freshman moved into fifth and junior finished the day eighth all-time. Crawford also ran to the 10^th best 5,000-meters time the night before at the Oregon Twilight.

BEAVS BREAKING RECORDS

Beaver runners have been making some noise in the program’s top 10 all-time lists this season. Junior (Aloha, Ore.) ran the second fastest 1,500-meters time in Oregon State history at the Oregon Preview making for the third time she has entered the top 10 lists this season. The first time came at the Washington Indoor Classic where she ran Oregon State’s second fastest indoor mile. Her second top 10 performance came at the Willamette Opener where she ran the ninth fastest 800-meters time in school history.

Junior (Eugene, Ore.) moved into sixth all-time in the 1,500-meters at the Oregon Relays along with freshman (Forest Ranch, Calif.) moving into eighth all-time in the 5,000-meters.

Junior (Klamath Falls, Ore.) has moved into the charts. In Washington at the Indoor Classic she ran the second fastest 3,000-meters indoor time in school history.

Senior (Bend, Ore.) set a school record at the Washington Outdoor Preview in the 2,000-meter steeplechase and broke her own 3,000-meter steeplechase record by eight seconds at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational.

In the 5,000-meters freshman (Astoria, Ore.) ran the sixth fastest time at OSU. Chesimet also scored the tenth fastest 3,000-meters time at the Oregon Preview.

At the John Knight Invitational three Beavers clawed into the top 10 list in the 10,000-meters. Senior (Grand Junction, Colo.) moved into fourth all-time, moved into fifth and junior (Hillsboro, Ore.) finished the day eighth all-time. Crawford also ran to the 10^th best 5,000-meters time the night before at the Oregon Twilight. At the same meet senior (Canby, Ore.) ran the fifth fastest 1,500-meter.

In addition, OSU had seven more runners break into the team’s all-time top 10 indoor lists at the Washington Indoor Classic. In the 3,000-meters sophomore (La Grande, Ore.) moved into fourth all-time; senior (Seaside, Ore.) moved into sixth all-time; Soza-Hodgkinson moved into seventh all-time, and senior (Canby, Ore.) finished in ninth all-time.

At the same meet in the indoor mile Thomson finished fourth all-time, senior (Portland, Ore.) finished sixth all-time, and Lampi moved into seventh all-time. In the 800-meters freshman (Beaverton, Ore.) finished good for ninth all-time at OSU.

To this point this season, Oregon State has moved 18 runners into the all-time top 10 lists indoor and out as well have had 45 new personal bests.

“I know across the board everyone is really excited,” Sullivan said. “There is a sense we’ve made some really big steps. Even though we’ve had that kind of a year, I don’t sense anybody is feeling like they are satisfied, and that is encouraging that we are heading in the right direction.”