Beavers Claim First Home Dual Since 1988
His pre-meet calculations had visiting Utah capturing OSU’s first home dual in nearly 27 years by about 10 points. Luckily, his team proved him wrong, and by a wide margin.
The Beavers won nine individual events and swept the relays to handle the Utes 95-64 before a standing-room only gathering on an appropriately-sunny afternoon at the Whyte Track & Field Center.
Junior Kara Hallock claimed the long jump (18-3.75), the 100-meter hurdles (14.36) and the 400 hurdles (1:03.63) to pace the Beavers in their outdoor opener, their first home dual since an April 9, 1988, meet against Washington.
“I guess I didn’t do a good job of scoring the meet because I had us losing by 10,” Sullivan joked afterwards while the Beavers posed for commemorative team photos behind him. “Across the board, event-by-event, we just had great performances.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team and staff. It was wonderful.”
Hallock posted top-10 times/marks in the 100 hurdles, where she now ranks fifth, and in the long jump, where she is now sixth. Her 400-hurdles time missed top-10 status by less than one-half second.
A former standout at Lebanon High School and at Lane Community College who transferred to OSU for her final two seasons, Hallock said competing outdoors is much more enjoyable than indoors.
“In indoor you’re so close, and it’s hard to get around,” she explained. “It’s fun to see all my teammates do well. I’m so excited for the rest of the season.
“Today I just was excited to see how my training paid off. It was just exciting to help my team out and win our first dual meet” since the program was re-instated in 2005 following an 18-year hiatus.
Freshman Kerissa D’Arpino won the 400 (56.47), was second in the 200 (25:07) and ran a leg in the victorious 400 and 1600 relays. Her 400 time was fourth-best in OSU history; her 200 times now ranks sixth.
Junior Kelsi Schaer took the 800 in 2:11.40. Sophomore Kristiane Width won the 2000 steeplechase (6:59.23); Ally Jackson won the high jump (5-4.25); junior Michele Turney took the triple jump (37-1.75) and sophomore Helen Ann Haun won the pole vault in 11-3.75.
Junior Allie Church was second in the 100 (12.28) and third in the 200 (25.20) with what is now the seventh-best time in OSU history. Sophomore Melissa Ausman took second in the hammer on Friday in 155-8, improving her No. 2 all-time mark by nearly 12 feet.
The 400 relay team (Church, Ahsha Mootz, Jasmin McKenzie, D’Arpino) won in 47.47. The 1600 foursome (Church, Schaer, D’Arpino, Mootz) won in 3:51.34; both are fifth-best all-time marks.
“Across the board we had winners in a lot of events,” Sullivan said. “It was a team effort, and that’s what we tried to emphasize. This truly is a team sport, and that’s what we got to experience today.
“To see some of the alums we had here … we couldn’t have asked for anything more. We’ve been blessed. This is our fifth home meet and we’ve had rainy days the day before,” but not on the day of competition.
“We just have a way of getting a break on the weather. It’s just meant to be that this is going on now. It’s been fun.”
Hallock and teammate Saiska McNairy will head to Riverside, Calif., this week and compete at a heptathlon at UC-Riverside on Wednesday and Thursday. They will miss next Saturday’s meet at Willamette.
Hallock was the NWAC champion in that event the past two seasons while at Lane. She also placed seventh in the pentathlon at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor championships on Feb. 27 with 3,691 points, the second-highest total in school history.
“We’re just training through it,” Hallock said of the Riverside competition. “It will be a tough week, but I’m excited for the sunny weather and I think it’s going to be pretty awesome.”
Added Sullivan: “Kara has just been on fire the past month. She was seventh in the pentathlon, and to come out here and win both hurdles races … I think she is going down to Riverside pretty fired up.”
For more information on the Oregon State track & field team, follow the team by Facebook at Facebook.com/OSUTrackCrossCountry or on Twitter at twitter.com/@beavers_track.
