#FutureBeavs: Championships Roundup
CORVALLIS, Ore. – At recently completed high school state championship and community college conference championship meets, future Oregon State track and field athletes who have already signed on to join the Beavers this fall put up some amazing times, marks and performances. Below is a brief summary of how many of them fared in their respective events.
Additional signees who also performed extremely well in their state and conference championships will be officially announced in the coming days.
Kerissa D’Arpino (North Valley HS; Oregon)
Personal Bests: 100m – 11.94; 200m – 24.34; 400m – 55.63
Kerissa won the 100m 4A title with a new meet record and one of the fastest times ever run by an Oregon woman in the prep ranks, a wind legal 11.94a. She also took home the 200m title in 24.34, finished second in the 400m (55.63) and ran the second leg of North Valley’s winning 4x100m relay squad, which crossed first in 49.23.
Venessa D’Arpino – North Valley HS (Oregon)
Personal Bests: 100m – 12.00; 200m – 24.11; 400m – 54.68
The other member of #teamdarpino, Venessa won the 400m in 55.36, was second in the 100m (12.00) and 200m (24.42), and ran the anchor leg of the aforementioned winning 4x100m team. Venessa and Kerissa accounted for 64 of North Valley’s 65 points (including the relay), which led the school to its first-ever state track and field championship.
McKenzie Byrd – Hermiston HS (Oregon)
Personal Bests: Javelin – 143-0; Shot Put – 41-10.75; Discus – 119-6; High Jump – 5-5
McKenzie won the 5A javelin title on her first throw with a mark of 142’ 4”, her second consecutive state championship in that event. Later in the afternoon, she came in second in the high jump, clearing 5’ 4”. On the second day of competition, Byrd finished fifth in the shot put with a throw of 37’ 0.25”. Along with a few incoming teammates, the Hermiston product will be one of OSU’s first heptathletes since the re-establishment of the program.
Saskia McNairy – Lakeridge HS (Oregon)
Personal Bests: Long Jump – 18-2; Triple Jump – 37-4.25; 300m Hurdles – 45.47
Saskia finished third in the 6A long jump with a mark of 17' 11", third in the triple jump with a leap of 37' 3.75", seventh in the 300m hurdles running a best of 45.57 on the weekend, and split a time of 59.2 on her 4x400m relay, as Lakeridge finished seventh. Like McKenzie, Saskia will also focus on the heptathlon when she arrives in Corvallis.
Sam McKinnon - Mountain View HS (Idaho)
Personal Bests: 1,500m – 4:35.04; Mile – 4:56.34; 3,200m – 10:47.77
Sam finished second in her state meet in the 1,600m, running 4:57, and second in the 3,200m with a time of 10:47. She also ran the anchor leg on Mountain View’s state championship 4x800m relay team, splitting 2:13.
Kara Hallock – Lane CC (Oregon)
Personal Bests: Heptathlon – 4,785; 00m Hurdles – 14.16; 400m Hurdles – 1:03.58; 200m – 26.37; 800m – 2:28.35; 1 High Jump – 5-6; Long Jump – 18-9.75
Lane CC transfer Kara Hallock scored an incredible amount at the NWAACC championship meet for the Titans. She won the 100m hurdles in 14.7, finished second in the heptathlon with a school-record 4,785 points, came in third in the 400m hurdles (1:04.27), fourth in the high jump with a clearance at 5' 6" and third in the long jump (17’ 8.75”). Kara scored 35 points for Lane, which won for the second straight year. She will continue in the heptathlon at OSU and can contribute in the 100m hurdles and jumps as well.
Javelin thrower Amber Peschka (Personal Bests: Javelin – 138-9) of Gresham was hurt this spring, but her junior year PR of 138' 9" would have placed second in the 6A javelin throw last weekend. Nicole Goecke (Personal Bests: 400m – 59.14; 800m – 2:15.57; 1,500m – 4:40.24; 1,600m – 4:55.78) out of Prairie HS in Washington has had her senior track season hampered by injuries after impressive cross country and basketball campaigns. She had been a top-10 finisher in the 1,600m at the state meet the past two seasons. Her PR of 4:55.78 last May placed fifth.
