Track & Field Signs Trio; Adds Distance Runner, Jumper, Thrower
June 5, 2013
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State cross country and track and field head coach Kelly Sullivan announced on Wednesday the signing of three more student-athletes who will join the Beavers on campus in the fall. The group features distance runner Monica Anderson (Marist Catholic High School; Eugene, Ore.), high jumper Allison Jackson (Quartz Hill High School; Quartz Hill, Calif.) and thrower Christina MacDonald (Sutherlin High School; Sutherlin, Ore.).
Anderson, the salutatorian of her graduating class at Marist Catholic High School in Eugene, was the back-to-back Midwestern League (MWL) cross country individual champion. She led her squad to the team title this past October when she won the 5,000-meter race at Pre's Trail in Alton Baker Park with a time of 18:59. Marist also won the MWL in 2011 and was again paced by Anderson, who finished first in 19:02.
"One of our next steps is to be more specific on how many distance runners we are going to sign each year," Sullivan said. "Monica is a great fit for this program and it's nice to get someone from Marist. She's our first recruit from there, which has perennially been a great program."
During the 2012 outdoor campaign, Anderson finished sixth in the 3,000 meters and 10th in the 1,500 at the OSAA 5A State Championships with PR's of 10:30.03 and 4:58.26. She won the MWL title in the 3K that season with a time of 10:53.40.
Jackson, from Quartz Hill High School just outside Lancaster in Southern California, owns a PR of 5-7 in the high jump, which she used to win the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Championships in 2012.
"The high jump is always going to be a staple of our program and we want to keep that tradition going," Sullivan added. "In Allison we are adding a jumper who is going to come in and be competitive in our conference right off the bat."
A mark of 5-7 would already place among the top 10 on Oregon State's all-time list and would have tied for third among all of OSU's performances this past season. In the nine seasons since the re-establishment of the program, Sara Almen is the only high jumper to eclipse the bar at 5-7 or better.
MacDonald, from Sutherlin High School in Southern Oregon, is one of the best all-around throwers in the state. Following Melissa Ausman's signing in late February, she is the Beavers' second such recruit since the program was reinstated.
During her senior season, MacDonald threw the shot put 41-11 and javelin 140-1, which are both among the top five of state marks in 2013. She finished first in the shot put in 11 of 14 events entered this year, including fifth at the OSAA 4A State Championships on May 25 (38-3.50).
"Christina is a great javelin thrower and she throws the shot and discus, too," Sullivan said. "She is really talented and her signing is another step in broadening our events. We already signed Melissa [in February] and we wanted to bring in one more to go along with her and Kayla Fleskes, who had such a great freshman year."
MacDonald also won all but two of the 15 javelin competitions she entered as a senior and finished second at the state championships with a throw of 132-0. Her PR of 140-1 from the Wally Ciochetti Invitational in early May would place just outside Oregon State's all-time top-10 list and would have scored at this year's Pac-12 Championships.
The trio joins an already strong class anchored by the signings of the aforementioned Ausman, Holly Cavalluzzo and Kristiane Width a little more than three months ago. Since committing to Oregon State, Ausman won the 3A state discus title with a PR of 149-6 and was second in the shot put with a mark of 38-10.25. Only four women at Oregon State have thrown the discus over 150-0 and none since 1988.
She was a perfect 14 for 14 in winning discus competitions in 2013 and her second-place finish at the OSAA State Championships in the shot put was her lowest in 14 of those. At the EOL District Meet on May 18, Ausman PR'd in the shot put with a throw of 41-11. She was recently featured in an article on TrackFocus: Nyssa discus thrower Melissa Ausman headed to Oregon State.
Cavalluzzo and Width, a pair of distance standouts from New York, have also shined in their senior seasons. Cavalluzzo finished 11th in the 1,500 at the indoor state championships with a time of 4:45.46. She also took first in the outdoor 1,500 (4:36.53) and second in the 3,000 (10:02.75) at the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association (OCIAA) Championships a couple of weeks ago and will run both those events at the New York State Championships this weekend.
In late April, Width took home the 3,000-meter title at the prestigious New York Relays with a time of 9:55.84. She will not be running in the state championships so she can attend her graduation from United Nations International High School.
A full release from February highlighting the additions of Ausman, Cavalluzzo and Width can be read at this link: Track & Field Expands Reach; Signs Two From N.Y. & Oregon Thrower.
Support Oregon State University Athletics by making your tax deductible donation to Our Beaver Nation. For more information follow this link or call 541-737-2370.
Follow Oregon State Athletics On YouTube.
