Oregon State Signs Top-Flight Class of Runners

Casey Masterson earned the prestigious Steve Prefontaine Award at the recent Oregon Sports Awards.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State received letters of intent from three nationally recruited runners during the spring signing period.

Joining the Beavers for the 2007-08 academic year will be Mel Cleland (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Chilton St. James HS), Jennifer Macias (Hermiston, Ore./Hermiston HS) and Casey Masterson (Eugene, Ore./Sheldon HS), OSU head coach Kelly Sullivan announced Wednesday.

The three join fall signee Marsha Lampi (Portland, Ore./Lincoln HS) in OSU’s recruiting class.

“This is a red letter day for our program,” Sullivan said. “Each of these women was highly recruited nationwide and are considered among the top prospects at the Division I level. All four are outstanding students - if not 4.0 students overall, right near that - so that again adds to one of our missions within the program. Each of them come from great families and winning programs and coaches.

“I have gotten to know each of their coaches personally during the recruiting process. Knowing how these women have been coached and mentored played a huge roll in our pursuing them so diligently to attend OSU. We’re looking forward to them joining what is already an amazing group of young women in our program.”

Sullivan said the four recruits who will join the program next fall mark a huge step for the Oregon State program, which was revived in the fall of 2004 after having been discontinued in 1988.

“We can now honestly say we have made the jump from a new program to one that now has to be considered one of the top rising programs in the country,” Sullivan said. “In the end, though, we will continue to make it a fun and exciting venture while they are here. I know that is what they are all looking for, also.”

Cleland, one of New Zealand’s top prep runners, won her country’s junior title in the 1,500 meters earlier this year; that victory came after she had placed second in the 3,000 the night before. She has run personal records of 4:29 at 1,500 meters, 9:55 at 3,000 meters and 16:56 in the 5,000 meters on the track this summer.

Cleland recently represented New Zealand at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Kenya, running brilliantly despite becoming ill on the trip. Cleland has also won a number of cross country and road race titles.

“Mel comes from a great family and has had very knowledgeable coaching,” Sullivan said of Cleland, who plans to major in Engineering. “She’s full of life and someone I clicked with really well. Her best days are very much ahead of her, and I know she is very excited about making the journey to be a student-athlete and being part of a collegiate team. She is very special and someone I know the rest of the team is going to love.”

Macias was the state cross country runner-up as a senior and junior, third as a sophomore and ninth as a freshman. She is currently having an outstanding senior season in track, highlighted recently with a clocking of 10:16 in the 3,000 meters.

“Jennifer has been among the top runners in the state since her freshman year,” Sullivan said of Macias, who plans to major in Business. “I love her family background and the work ethic her family shows. She is a team-first type of person; she really loves people and is very talented and competitive. Jennifer’s high school coaches are wonderful people and that played a big part in our recruiting her. What I like about her also is her spice for life and the dreams she has for the future.”

Masterson earned the prestigious Steve Prefontaine Award at the recent Oregon Sports Awards. She won the state Class 6A cross country championship last fall and was the 2006 state runner-up at 1,500 meters in track. So far this spring, she has recorded personal bests of 4:37 in the 1,500 and 10:10 in the 3,000. She also has personal bests of 2:14 in the 800 meters, 4:56 in the mile and 17:50 for 5,000-meter cross country.

Masterson is a three-time cross country district champion, a four-time qualifier for the Border Clash that features the top prep runners from Oregon and Washington, and she placed in the top five at the cross country state meet each of her last three years at Sheldon. In track, she is a multiple district champion in events including the 800, 1,500 and 3,000. At the state championships, she was seventh in the 3,000 as a freshman, sixth in the 800 as a sophomore and second in the 1,500 as a junior.

“Casey is what you would call a ‘rising star,’” Sullivan said. “It’s just been in the last year that she has begun to focus on running, having also been a very successful soccer player. She took the state by storm this past fall by winning the 6A state title, then she backed that up with a great performance at the Footlocker West Regional. Casey is a fun-loving person who is also team-first all the way. She has a very supportive family and has been around two outstanding high school coaches and mentors who have made it fun for her.”

Lampi, who signed last fall, is having an outstanding senior season of track this spring. Her personal records are 4:38 in the 1,500 meters and a recent time of 10:10 in the 3,000 meters.

“Marsha is an outstanding student,” Sullivan said of Lampi, who is interested in engineering. “She is a team-first person and that was a major factor in our recruiting her. Plus, her dad is an OSU graduate and her family is very special and supportive. Marsha has greate range from the middle distances on up and has a real passion for being a leader by example.”

Sullivan also credited the work of his two assistant coaches, Cynthia Castro and Conor Holt, in attracting the four recruits to OSU.

“In the end, we all stressed the importance of relationships,” Sullivan said. “And I feel that was a major factor in all four of these tremendous young women signing with us this year.”

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