The Barometer Online

Issue date: 5/15/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Cory Reed Sophomore Jennifer Macias competes in the steeple chase during the Oregon Relays. Macias and Oregon State once again this weekend at Oregon's Hayward Field.

This week is do or die for Oregon State runners. The track team will travel to the University of Oregon and compete in the Pac-10 Championship meet this weekend at Hayward Field, their last meet of the season before the NCAA Regional Qualifier.

Coming off a great season, with ever improving times and perseverance, the Beavers are looking up going into their final meet. Last weekend, Oregon State track competed in the Oregon Twilight meet in Eugene being led by redshirt freshman Casey Masterson, who ran the fourth fastest time in the 800-meter in school history.

Last weekend was also a great weekend for sophomore Hayley Oveson, who finished ninth out of 23 finishers with a time of 17 minutes, 5.17 seconds in the 5,000-meter. Oveson not only finished ninth, but also snagged the fifth fastest time in school history, previously held by herself, but being improved by two seconds at the Twilight.

Along with Oveson and Masterson was sophomore Abby Chesimet, who finished third in her section of the 1,500-meter with a time of 4:41.26. Amongst other competitors from Oregon State, senior Holly Thomson posted a time of 2:16.31 in the 800-meter, good enough for a 13th place finish.

This weekend will be one of the toughest weekends of competition for the Beavers. So far, Oregon State has only one qualifier for the NCAA Regional meet, in Masterson. But this weekend is the last chance for Masterson's teammates to prove themselves, and make the cut.

Amongst the many competitors that will attend the all conference meet this weekend is Lauren Centrowitz from Stanford. Centrowitz will compete against Masterson, Chesimet, and Thomson in the 1,500-meter, and is the top seed with a time of 4:10.42.

In the 5,000-meter run, Nicole Blood of Oregon will be the top seed, with a time of 15:42.13. Blood will compete against a slew of Oregon State runners, including Oveson, Chesimet, and junior Krista Stangel.

Hannah Soza-Hodgkinson and Rebecca Mishler will represent the Beavers in the 10,000-meter and will compete with 18 other runners. Amongst the other runners is top ranked Mattie Bridgmon from the University of Oregon, with a time of 33:37.73.

For Oregon State, Chesimet, Masterson, and Thomson will participate in the 1,500-meter run. Entered in the 5,000-meter is Stangel, Chesimet, Marsha Lampi, Jennifer Macias, Mishler, Oveson and Soza-Hodgkinson. The last event that Oregon State will be represented in is the 10,000-meter run, where Mishler and Soza-Hodgkinson will compete.

The Pac-10 Championships begin Saturday, May 16 at 1:30 p.m. at Hayward Field. Saturday will be a day of preliminaries, followed by the initial finals on Sunday morning and afternoon. The Beavers currently only have one runner qualified for the NCAA Regional meet in Masterson, and this weekend is a chance for the rest of the pack to prove their strength by cutting their times and qualifying.

Tori Hill, sports writer

sports@dailybarometer.com

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