T&F In Eugene For Oregon Preview Saturday
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State track and field program kicks its 2014 season into high gear this Saturday in Eugene, sending 23 student-athletes to compete in 14 different events at the Oregon Preview. The meet, the second of the outdoor season for OSU, is the first in six straight weeks of competition for the Beavers, which culminates with the program’s High Performance Meet on May 2 in Corvallis.
Sandra Martinez will kick things off for the Beavers at 12:20 p.m. in the day’s first event, running the 3,000 meters. The senior began her outdoor campaign two weeks ago at the OSU Invite and ran 10:12.32 to finish seventh in an 18-person field.
At the same time as Martinez is running the 3,000, sophomore Rachel Picknell will continue to make history for Oregon State. At the aforementioned OSU Invite, the transfer from Sacramento CC became the first female in school history to throw the hammer when she won the competition with a mark of 141’ 8”. Picknell will represent the Beavers on Saturday in the hammer, shot put (2:25 p.m.) and discus (3:10 p.m.).
Following the 3,000 and hammer, Kayla Fleskes and Christina MacDonald will participate in the javelin at 12:25 p.m. The Oregon Preview will serve as Fleskes’ 2014 debut. As a freshman last season, Fleskes became the Beavers’ first javelin competitor since 1988 and PR’d with a throw of 132’ 2” at the John Knight Twilight in mid-April.
Fleskes’ day of throws will also include the discus at 3:10 p.m. and MacDonald will also debut in the shot put at 2:25 p.m.
At 12:45 p.m. Taylor Nowlin, Haley Hunt and Hilary Sharpe will run the 2,000m steeplechase. Nowlin owns the school record in the 3,000 SC, running 10:36.75 at the Pac-12 Championships last May 11.
For the second consecutive meet, Helen Ann Haun and Annie Sidor are entered in the pole vault at 1 p.m. At the OSU Invite two weeks ago, the duo became the first-ever Oregon State women to compete in that event. Haun won by crossing 11’ 3.75”.
A trio of Beavers – Justine Bird, Allison Jackson and Jessice Lautenbach – will participate in the high jump at 1:05 p.m. and Holly Cavalluzzo, Kinsey Gomez and Aly Nielson will race not long thereafter in the 1,500 at 1:22 p.m. The freshman Cavalluzzo made her OSU track and field debut at that distance two weeks ago, finishing second with a time of 4:42.67.
In the sprints and middle distances, Michele Turney will run the 100m at 2:20 p.m. and Morgan Anderson and Kelsi Schaer are entered in the 800m at 2:48 p.m. The school-record holder in the triple jump, Turney will also compete in that event alongside Kaitlyn Mason and Kaylene Rust at 3:05 p.m. Mason and Rust are also slated to go in the long jump at 1:25 p.m.
Freshman Melissa Ausman will do double duty in both the shot put (2:25 p.m.) and discus (3:10 p.m.). Her discus debut at the OSU Invite of 144’ 4” is already eighth on Oregon State’s all-time list. Tricia Ingraham will join Ausman, MacDonald and Picknell in the shot put field.
On the men’s side, Ryan Cope will run the 400 hurdles at 3 p.m. He PR’d in that event with a time of 56.83 on two occasions last season, first at the same Oregon Preview on March 16 and also at the Pacific Twilight on May 4.
OSU will also have a number of women competing unattached on Saturday, including Allie Church in the 200 and 400, Sara Almen and Lucinda Howard in the high jump and Kristiane Width in the 1,500.
