Humboldt State Track & Field’s condensed regular season came to an end this Saturday with a flurry of season and personal bests at the OSU High Performance Meet on the Campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis.
In an HSU Athletic Department press release, Head Track & Field Coach Sarah Ingram praised her team’s individual performances.
“Across the board in all events, athletes achieved new personal bests time and time again,” Ingram said, “The different meets also offered a wide range of competitive experiences and very different levels of competition, offering lots of learning experiences for our mostly young team.”
Among the top Lumberjack competitors on the men’s side included freshmen Henry Hagen and Paul Domingue, as well as sophomore transfer Aris Valerio.
Among a field of high quality Division I schools, Hagen and Domingue held their own, with 5th and 4th place finishes in the men’s 110 meter-hurdles and triple jump events, respectively. In the middle distances, Valerio raced to a 14th place finish in the uber-competitive 800 meter run. Valerio’s time of 1:53.46 currently ranks him 9th among division II athletes in the West region and 71st nationally.
On the women’s side, sophomores Grace Kasberger and Joy Hano lead a young women’s squad in their respective events. Kasberger, a multi-event specialist, raced to a personal best time in the 800 meter run with a 24th place finish. She followed it up with a 21st place finish in the high jump. Hano finished the 100 meter-hurdles in 13th place.
Ingram also praised her squad’s resiliency in the face of a unique road schedule, which saw no home meets and involved extended periods on the road.
“I am really proud of how our team rose up to compete this year despite the many challenges they’ve had with COVID throughout the last year,” Ingram said. “This season has taught us all about resiliency and gratitude. We’ve all come away having learned more about each other and ourselves, and created invaluable team memories.”
The squad alternated its competitions at various sites in Oregon, traveling between Ashland, Salem and Corvallis, rather than returning home and having to quarantine after each individual meet, as per county and state health guidelines.
“As a coach, I am so grateful for my talented and dedicated staff, our administration that’s supported us to make this happen, and of course the athletes. It’s all about the athletes, and it’s so fulfilling to see them come away with personal growth and team success,” Ingram said.
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