D'Arpino Leads OSU at High Performance Meet
Freshman Kerissa D’Arpino placed second in the 100 and 200 meters with top-3 all-time performances, freshman Sam McKinnon set a school record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and sophomore Melissa Ausman won the discus on Friday to pace Oregon State competitors at the High Performance Meet at the Whyte Track & Field Center.
More than 500 male and female athletes from teams and running clubs all around the nation competed at the meet, the third and deepest since it's inception in 2013 with the opening of the Whyte complex.
D’Arpino was clocked at 11.89 seconds in the 100, the second-fastest time in school history. She finished the 200 in 24:27, the third-fastest time in program history.
“She had a great, great day,” OSU coach Kelly Sullivan said of D’Arpino, whose previous bests were 12.22 and 25.07, respectively.
Running the steeplechase for the first-time ever in college, McKinnon took third place in 10:30.81. She broke Taylor Nowlin’s old standard of 10:36.75 by more than six seconds.
“That’s probably going to give her an NCAA-regional berth,” Sullivan said of McKinnon, who had competed in the 800 and 1,500 in previous outdoor meets. “That’s incredible for the first time running that event. It’s what I hoped she’d run, but probably better than I expected.”
Fellow freshman Nicole Goecke, also running the event for the first time, was 11th in 11:21.82, the eighth-best time in OSU history. She also moved up from the 800 and 1,500 on Friday.
“We’ve been working Sam and Nicole toward it, and being very patient because it can be a very dangerous event,” Sullivan said.
Ausman captured the discus in 162-7, less than two feet shy of her season-best of 164-2. She also placed sixth in the shot put (41-9.25), and 10th in Thursday’s hammer (150-5.50), held at Western Oregon.
Jasmin McKenzie placed fourth in the long jump in 18-6.50, the seventh-best mark in OSU history. Holly Cavalluzzo (4:32.87) and Kira Kelly (4:33.37) went 2-3 in their section in their initial 1,500 of the spring.
Ten women’s and nine men’s meet records were established.
“We had great fan support, we had a great crowd, we’re getting more teams every year and the level of competition was outstanding,” Sullivan said. “[OSU director of operations] Geena Gall-Lara, an Olympian, won the 400 (56.11) with a track record, then paced world junior champion Mary Cain” to a track-record 4:15.42 victory in the 1,500.
“Three years ago we didn’t even know if we were going to put this meet on and now we have Olympians and world junior champions competing. It’s a testament to everyone who worked so hard at this.”
OSU junior standout Kara Hallock did not compete; she is preparing for next weekend’s Pacific-12 Conference heptathlon completion in Los Angeles. A transfer from Lane Community College, Hallock already ranks third all-time at OSU in the long jump (19-5.25) and heptathlon (5,380); fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (14.29), and 10th in the 400-meter hurdles (1:02.46).
For more information on the Oregon State track and field team, follow the team by Facebook at Facebook.com/OSUTrackCrossCountry or on Twitter at twitter.com/@beavers_track.
OSU’s projected entrants:
100 METERS: 2. Kerissa D’Arpino, 11.89.
200 METERS: 2. Kerissa D’Arpino, 24.27.
400 METERS: 14. Bridget Regan, 1:00.55. 16. Kelly Audiss, 1:03.46.
800 METERS INVITATIONAL: 4. Kelsi Schaer, 2:11.46. 15. Macaulay Wilson, 2:14.91.
800 METERS: 3. Kala Kopecek, 2:20.03. 8. Ahsha Mootz, 2:34.50.
1,500 METERS: 6. Morgan Anderson, 4:28.49. 12. Holly Cavalluzzo, 4:32.87. 13. Kira Kelly, 4:33.37. 20. Maureen Tremblay, 4:39.02.
10,000 METERS: 3. Samantha Lewis, 38:30.44.
3,000 STEEPLECHASE: 3. Sam McKinnon, 10:30.81 (school record). 11. Nicole Goecke, 11:21.82. 13. Monica Anderson, 11:43.52.
POLE VAULT: Helen Ann Haun, NH.
HIGH JUMP: 6. Jessica Lautenbach, 5-1.25. 8. Ally Jackson, 4-11.50.
LONG JUMP: 4. Jasmin McKenzie, 18-6.50. 5. Lucinda Howard, 18-3.25. 8. Michele Turney, 17-7. 10. Kaylene Rust, 16-9.75. Kaitlyn Mason, NM.
TRIPLE JUMP: 3. Michele Turney, 37-11.50. 5. Lucinda Howard, 37-1. 12. Laura Schaudt, 34-9.75. 13. Bethany Imperial, 34-7.75.
SHOT PUT: 6. Melissa Ausman, 41-9.25. 7. Rachel Picknell (unattached), 41-7. 13. Tricia Ingraham, 35-4.50.
DISCUS: 1. Melissa Ausman, 162-7. 6. Rachel Picknell (unattached), 145-1.50. 7. McKenzie Byrd, 138-8.75..
HAMMER: 9. Rachel Picknell (unattached), 154-10.50. 10. Melissa Ausman, 150-5.50. 14. McKenzie Byrd, 126-9.50.
JAVELIN: 9. McKenzie Byrd, 134-3. 15. Hannah Troutman, 126-11. 16. Amber Peschka, 119-1.75. 17. Saskia McNairy, 115-3.75.
