After getting to compete just one time in the spring of 2020 due to the national pandemic shutdown, the men's and women's track & field teams were thrilled to be able to return to action in 2021. It was a solid season for both programs as the men finished fifth and the women sixth at the CCC Championships.
There were plenty of standout individual performances as well.
NAIA Qualifiers
Senior
Logan Oakerman (Discus) and Sophomore
Shay Coons (Javelin) both hit NAIA National Championship "B" standard qualifications during the season and were selected to compete at nationals. While only Oakerman was able to make the trip, it was an impressive season for both nonetheless.
Coons hit her qualifying mark in her first collegiate competition, the OSU High Performance Meet on April 30, landing a 39.82m throw less than two weeks after wrapping up the Beacon volleyball season.
Oakerman broke his own school record and improved numerous times in both the Discus and Shot Put during the season. He landed his NAIA qualifying mark at the Oregon Twilight on May 7, with a throw of 47.71 meters. This was the top mark in the Cascade Conference for the entire season. He went on to finish 21
st at the NAIA National Championship.
All-Conference Finishers
Two individuals and two relays earned All-CCC honors for the men's track team in 2021. Senior
Shawn Johnson had a hand in three of those finishes. On Friday, he began the day by helping to guide the 4x100m relay team to a third-place finish, with sophomore
Jaron Carter, senior
Nicolas Delgado, and freshman
Hunter Reininger joining him.
Less than an hour later he was back on the track, claiming a third-place finish of his own in the 400m event. He broke his own school record with a time of 49.36, and claimed the first All-CCC individual honor of his career and just the second all-conference finish for a sprinter in school history.
On Saturday, Carter picked up where Johnson left off, claiming a record-breaking finish in the 100m sprint to take second place. In the midst of his incredible 100m run, Carter felt a twinge in his hamstring. He gave the 200m run a try but pulled up as the risk to further injury proved too much. Carter was also pulled from the final event of the day, running the second leg of the 4x400m relay.
Seeded fifth heading into that event, the Beacons were still aiming for a top-three, all-conference finish with replacement
Hunter Reininger taking Carter's place. The Beacons proceeded to stun the crowd as they roared back from behind to take second place as Johnson's anchor leg came in at a 48.3 second clip. It was the highest finish ever for the Bushnell 4x400m team, and gave Johnson his third All-CCC honor of the weekend. For Reininger and
Nicolas Delgado, it was a weekend double, getting All-CCC nods in both relays. Delgado closes his career with five All-CCC relay finishes in his career while
Josh McCluskey earned his second.
After the event, Director of Track & Field
Tom Boldon said, "Jaron and Shawn really led the way for us this weekend, and gave us multiple lifetime-best performances. Our relay teams kinda stole the show for us, and that dramatic 4x400m finish didn't disappoint."
School Records
A total of five school records were broken in 2021, some happening multiple times throughout the year. Those records were:
Women's Pole Vault: Carina Haas (3.19m)
Men's 100m: Jaron Carter (10.71)
Men's 400m: Shawn Johnson (49.36)
Men's Shot Put: Logan Oakerman (14.43m)
Men's Discus: Logan Oakerman (47.71m)
Top Ten Stories of 2020-2021
#10 - Academics Remain Strong Through Adversity
#9 - Tea Chatelain Qualifies for NAIA Championship
#8 - Track Qualifies Two for NAIA, Has Four All-CCC Finishes
#7 - Beacons Launch Two Sports for 2021-2022
#6 - Leadership in the Pandemic
#5 - Fortnite Takes Fifth Place in NACE Championship
#4 - Volleyball Qualifies for First NAIA National Tournament
#3 - Men's Golf Wins First CCC Championship
#2 - Women's Basketball Repeats as CCC Champs
#1 - Character Focus Never Falters
