Fifth High Performance Meet was best-ever

OSU's seniors were honored on Saturday.

Photo by: Scobel Wiggins/Oregon State Athletics

May 01, 2017 | Women's Track & Field

2017 performance list All-time list

By: Athletic Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. - It's called the High Performance Meet for a reason.

The Oregon State track & field team established two more school records and turned in 10 all-time top-10 times or marks at this past weekend's event, the highlight of the outdoor season for the Beavers and their only home appearance of the spring.

"It was an outstanding, outstanding meet," OSU coach Kelly Sullivan said. "The competition was tremendous and we had to turn away many qualified competitors because the interest in the meet was so great.

"The weather was conducive to outstanding times or marks and our student-athletes responded with great performances across the board. This meet should give us lots of momentum heading into the Pac-12 Combined Events championships, which we host this Saturday and Sunday, and for the upcoming Pac-12 championships," set for May 12-13 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Fourteen new men's meet records and nine women's records were set.

OSU school record were established by:

Juliana Mount in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Running the grueling event for the first time, the sophomore from Notre Dame High School in San Jose took fifth place overall in 10:22.97. She broke the former record of 10:25.78, set by then-freshman Sam McKinnon at the 2015 Paci12 championships.
Kindel Bailey in the javelin. Also a sophomore, the Banks High School (Banks, Ore.) graduate threw 151-feet even to lead a series that saw the Beavers establish three new top-10 marks in the event. Junior McKenzie Byrd set the old record of 150-9.25 on April 8 at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

Also setting new top-10 javelin marks on Saturday were senior Kayla Fleskes, who improved her own No. 6 mark by more than a foot with a throw of 139-9, and freshman Mikayla Pivec, who moved into No. 8 all-time with a mark of 134-6 in her first college meet.

Pivec was a starter on OSU women's basketball team, which won the Pac-12 championship for the third year in a row. The 2016 Washington 4A state javelin champion, she joined the track team several weeks ago.

The Beavers won three events.

Redshirt sophomore Venessa D'Arpino, a graduate of North Valley High School in Grants Pass, set a track and meet record by winning the 400 meters in 54.17, just .03 off her school record. She also took second in the 200 in 23.772, just .01 behind the winner.

Senior Ally Jackson set a PR by clearing 5-7.25 to take first place in the high jump. It was the No. 8 mark in school history.

Junior Destiny Dawson, competing unattached, set a PR by more than 12 feet and won the javelin in 162-9. The Cottage Grove High School graduate is redshirting this season after transferring from the University of Hawaii.

Other top-10 times or marks were set by:

Senior Morgan Anderson, the No. 2 mark in the 5,000 meters (16:17.50).
Redshirt sophomore Nicole Goecke, the No. 10 mark in the 800 meters (2:12.74).
Redshirt junior Kristiane Width, the No. 3 mark in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:30.06).
Bailey, the No. 7 mark in the hammer (103-0).

OSU's 13 graduated/graduating/post-graduate seniors were honored on Saturday. They are Monica Anderson; Morgan Anderson; Devin Collins; Kayla Fleskes; Kara Hallock; Helen Ann Haun; co-captain Lucinda Howard; co-captain Samantha Lewis, Ally Jackson; co-captain Rachel Picknell; Rachel Proteau, Madelayne Varela and Emily Weber.

"I was thrilled to acknowledge our 13 amazingly gifted senior student-athletes and families," Sullivan said. "That moment is for them. Spotlighting the careers. Who what and where.

"These 13 were the first group we began the humble first step of moving from distance-only to expanded program. Hearing what they have all achieved was humbling to hear again. What a great group who accomplished so much."

For more information on the Oregon State track and field program, follow the Beavers on Facebook at Facebook.com/OSUTrackCrossCountry, or on Twitter at twitter.com/@BeaverTFXC

OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.