McNairy, Peschka Sign With Track & Field
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Lakeridge’s Saskia McNairy, a multi-event athlete and the 2013 Class 6A Volleyball Player of the Year, and Gresham’s Amber Peschka, a two-time Mt. Hood All-Conference selection, have committed to join the Oregon State track and field program, Head Coach Kelly Sullivan announced on Friday.
The duo boosts an already stellar incoming group whose additions were announced in early February, including McKenzie Byrd (Hermiston HS; Oregon), Kerissa D’Arpino (North Valley HS; Oregon), Venessa D’Arpino (North Valley HS; Oregon), Nicole Goecke (Praire HS; Washington), Kara Hallock (Lane CC; Lebanon HS; Oregon) and Sam McKinnon (Mountain View HS; Idaho).
Saskia McNairy – Lakeridge HS
“We are all very excited to be adding Saskia to the program,” Sullivan said. “There is no question that she is a tremendous young dual-sport athlete with terrific upside, not only in her individual events but the multi-events as well. A lot excited us about her, but one thing that stood out was her true passion to focus on the multi-events in college. I want to give a ton of credit to my staff for their efforts in recruiting Saskia. There was no doubt when we met her we knew she would be a great fit.”
On March 9, McNairy was named Prep Volleyball Player of the Year at the Oregon Sports Awards. A multi-talented athlete, she has competed in the sprints, middle distances, hurdles, throws and jumps and owns a heptathlon PR of 3754, which won her last year’s USATF Oregon Championships and would already place sixth in OSU history.
High school track doesn’t have heptathlon, but McNairy is one of the most well-rounded track performers in the state. Last spring, she competed in 11 different track and field events. Her specialty is the horizontal jumps and her long jump best of 17’ 10.75” would be 10th on the Beavers’ all-time list and her triple jump PR of 36’ 6” would be fourth. Last spring she was a multiple event placewinner in the 6A state meet and helped the Pacers win the team title.
“As we’ve mentioned, one of the areas we are passionate about is the multi-events,” Sullivan commented. “Adding Saskia to go along with the two we signed earlier in McKenzie Byrd and Kara Hallock gives us three outstanding young women to help jump start that area next year.”
A middle blocker on her volleyball team, the 5-foot-10 McNairy was the 2013 Class 6A player of the year and led Lakeridge to its first state volleyball championship. In the title match against Central Catholic she recorded 24 kills over four sets. Throughout the season, McNairy recorded 190 kills and 18 aces. She also led the team with 19 blocks and helped lead her team to a co-championship in the Three Rivers League, which earned her first team all-league honors for the second straight year.
“I chose Oregon State not because of the great academics, but because I wanted to be part of helping create history for the track and field program,” McNairy said. “Everyone was so welcoming and I realized that by choosing to be with this team I would be joining a family.”
Amber Peschka – Gresham HS
Peschka will join OSU’s expanding throws team and focus primarily on the javelin, where she owns a PR of 138’ 9” from the Dean Nice Invitational last May 3, a mark which would top Oregon State’s all-time list with the new implement. That was the sixth-best throw in the state of Oregon last year, coming in just behind two of her future teammates. In her senior season at Sutherlin HS, current OSU freshman Christina MacDonald was third (140’ 1”) and recent commit McKenzie Byrd was fourth (139’ 3”) during her junior campaign at Hermiston HS.
“Amber fits the mold of the majority of women we have coming next year,” Sullivan said. “She has been a tremendous soccer and basketball player in high school along with being one of the state’s top javelin throwers. Amber is a great student and has a bright future. We are thrilled to have her join us, plus she is a big OSU fan and that is always a bonus!”
At Gresham Peschka is coached by Dean Crouser, who was a three-time NCAA champion for Oregon, winning the shot put and discus in 1982 and the discus in 1983. He was also a five-time All-American, four-time Pac-10 champion (twice each in the shot put and discus) and twice named the Pac-10 track and field athlete of the year (1982-83).
The 5-foot-9 Peschka was a Second Team All-Mt. Hood Conference selection as both a sophomore and a junior. She finished 10th in last year’s OSAA 6A State Championships in the javelin with a throw of 121’ 6”.
“I have always wanted to go to Oregon State since I was a young girl,” Peschka said. “I felt very comfortable with the coaching staff."
She was also a four-year starter on Gresham’s soccer team, earning second team all-conference accolades as a junior and a spot on the first team while also serving as co-captain in 2013. Her eight goals scored this past season placed her among the top five in conference and she was also the Gophers’ leading goal scorer as a junior. A basketball standout as well, Peschka was named to the Mt. Hood Conference Honorable Mention squad as both a sophomore and junior and was named team MVP both seasons.
