Nelson takes second place in high jump

Eugene, Ore. – Emma Nelson improved her PR by an inch and took second place in the high jump on Saturday to highlight the Oregon State women's track team's performances on Day 2 of the Hayward Premier at Hayward Field.

The senior from Chugiak, Alaska, cleared 5-8.75, bettering her previous PR of 5-7.75, set at this meet in 2021. It was the No. 9 all-time performance at OSU. Redshirt sophomore Savannah Reilly was fifth (5-5) and freshman Lara Denbow was eighth (5-3).

The Beavers had three all-time top-10 efforts on Saturday, giving them 10 for the two-day meet. They had seven on Friday, including a school-record in the 1500 by redshirt junior Grace Fetherstonhaugh.

Freshman Jade Whitfield and redshirt senior Keely McLaughlin posted all-time top-10 marks in the discus. Whitfield took third and improved her No. 4 mark with a throw of 163-6, a PR by two inches. McLaughlin took fifth and moved from 10th to a tie for seventh all-time with a throw of 154-6, breaking her 2019 PR by nearly five feet. Whitfield also PRed in the hammer on Friday night with the No. 10 all-time mark (154-3).

McLaughlin also took sixth in the shot put at 49-2.25. Redshirt senior Taylor Crockem was seventh in 48-11. Freshman Jada Hurley took seventh in the 100 at 12.01. She was the only other top-10 finisher.

The Beavers also went 4-5-9 in the 1500 meters at the Northwest Distance Jamboree, with redshirt junior Zoe Simmons (4:44.76), freshman Emily Foote (4:44.81) and junior Libby Rinck (5:01.06) each cracking the top-10.

Saturday's action concluded an outstanding weekend for the Beavers.

On Friday night, Fetherstonhaugh set a school record in the 1500 meters to lead the Beavers. The redshirt junior from New Westminster, B.C., took third place in 4:17.25 to erase the old record of 4:17.77, set by All-American Laura Carlyle at Stanford on April 29, 2012. Carlyle's was the second-oldest individual running mark on the OSU record list.

Fetherstonhaugh now holds two school standards. She set the 5000-meter record of 15:58.93 at the 2021 Pacific-10 Conference meet at UCLA. Her former best in the 1500 was 4:20.01, set last year in Portland.

She wasn't the only OSU standout in the 1500, however. Redshirt junior Kaylee Mitchell took fourth place, a whisker behind Fetherstonhaugh, in 4:17.26 and also broke Carlyle's former record to establish the No. 2 time in school history. Mitchell's former PR was 4:20.17, also set in 2021 at Portland.

Senior Mari Friedman placed fifth in the 14:18.20, shaving nearly seven seconds off her old PR (4:25.16), set last year at the OSU High performance Meet. Friedman's time now ranks fourth overall at OSU.

Freshman Isabelle Esler took third in the javelin at 151-8, the sixth-best mark in school history. That's a whopping 12 feet better than her old PR of 139-6, set at the OSU Pacific Northwest Invitational on March 19.

Other all-time top-10 marks were set by sophomore Amber Jackson in the 3000-meter steeplechase and Whitfield in the hammer. Jackson's 10:49.53 clocking took seventh and was the No. 9 time in OSU history; Whitfield placed 14th and her mark of 154-3 was No. 10 overall. Also, Caitlyn Marx tied her No. 10 all-time mark in the hammer (154-10).

Up next

The Beavers head to Monmouth on April 8-9 for the John Knight Twilight Meet at McArthur Track at Western Oregon University.

Hayward Premier
Eugene, Ore. | Hayward Field

Friday's results

Field events

Javelin: 3. Isabelle Esler, 151-8. 5. Ella Knott, 145-0. 8. Jordynn Slater, 138-9. 12. Jazlyn Romero, 135-5. 22. Savannah Reilly, 103-4.

Hammer: 7. Keely McLaughlin, 173-7. 10. Markayla Billings, 171-6. 13. Caitlyn Marx, 154-10. 14. Jade Whitfield, 154-3.

Long jump: 7. Chelsea Howard, 18-1.75.

Track events
 
1500 meter invitational: 3. Grace Fetherstonhaugh, 4:17.25 (school record). 4.  Kaylee Mitchell, 4:17.26. 5. MariFriedman, 4:18.20.
 
1500 meter open: 8. Kate Intile, 4:38.75. 10. Emily Perez, 4:41.96. 13. Aleen Golla, 4:44.78. 16. Delia DeLeon, 4:48.29.
 
5000 meter invitational: 9. Christina Geisler, 16:42.55. 10. Alyssa Foote, 16.45.60. 12. Audrey Lookner, 16:56.58.
 
5000 meter open: 9. Gabby Peterson, 17:25.54.
 
3000-meter steeplechase: 7. Amber Jackson, 10:49.53. 9. Liv Downing, 11:01.89.
 
Saturday's results
 
Field events
 
Discus: 3. Jade Whitfield, 163-6. 5. Keely McLaughlin, 154-6. 6. Caitlyn Marx, 149-0. 7. Jordan Spradlin, 142-11. 12. Markayla Billings, 131-0.
 
Shot put: 6. Keely McLaughlin, 49-2.25. 7. Taylor Crockem, 48-11. 13. Jordan Spradlin, 40-4.75.
 
High jump: 2. Emma Nelson, 5-8.75. 7. Savannah Reilly, 5-5. 8. Lara Denbow, 5-3.
 
Triple jump: Jaaden Steele, NM.
 
Running events
 
100 meters: 7. Jada Hurley, 12.01. 23. Abby Buckley, 12.50. 26. Chelsea Howard, 12.60.
 
200 meters: 23. Taylor Weidinger, 25.58. 24. Abby Buckley, 25.60.
 
400 meters: 16. Chelsie Emmerson, 1:01.40.
 
800 meters: 13. Paige Sefried, 2:18.19.
 
100 meter hurdles: 11. Adael Scatena, 14.80. 21. Jade Newton, 16.38.
 
Northwest Distance Jamboree
Eugene, Ore. | Lane CC

Saturday's results

Track events

800 meters: 6. Sydney van der Zee, 2:27.14.

1500 meters: 4. Zoe Simmons, 4:44.76. 5. Emily Foote, 4:44.81. 9. Libby Rinck, 5:01.06.