Oakridge Trio Sign with EOU Track and Field
LA GRANDE, Ore. - Eastern Oregon University Track and Field Head coach Ben Welch is excited to announce the signing of a trio of talented Track and Field athletes from Oakridge, OR High School for the coming year. The three are as follows:
Andrew Perri: Andrew is one of the most decorated track and field athletes in 2A history, having won three state titles in the 800, including a meet record his senior year. Andrew also tied the 2A meet record in the 400 his senior year when he won that event at state. He also won the 1500 state title as a Junior and anchored the Oakridge team to a state title in the 4 x 400 relay his Senior year. Both his PR’s in the 800 (1:52.72) and the 400 (48.65) rank among the best marks ever performed at the 2A level in Oregon. He also finished as high as second in the old 1A/2A State Cross Country meet.
Andrew Transfers to EOU from the University of Oregon where he was a member of the Ducks Track and Field program for the better part of two years.
Orie Gamez: Orie was another versatile athlete at Oakridge, finishing as high as 11th in the Oregon State Meet in Cross Country and placing at the state Track meet in the 100, 200, 400, 4 x 400 relay and 1500 at various times. Orie won the 100 in 2007 and the 200 in 2006 and was runner up on two other occasions in the 200 and once in the 400.
As a mark of her versatility, Orie spent the past year as a member of Western Oregon University’s basketball team where she saw action as a guard in her Freshman year. At EOU, Orie will focus on the 200 and 400 meter events, where her HS PR’s (25.52 and 58.43) will make her very competitive.
Samantha Boyd: Samantha is another very versatile athlete. “Sam” is coming fresh out of High School and finished her High School career in fine style when she helped lead the Oakridge Girls squad to a State Team title at the 2A meet in Monmouth back in May. Sam placed in 4 events at this years state meet (3rd in the 100 hurdles, 2nd in the 300 hurdles, 4th in the HJ and anchored the winning 4 x 400 relay).
Sam will see (among other events) action in the hurdles and quite likely the Combined (multi) events here at EOU and will split her time with the Volleyball squad where she has also signed with Coach Kaki McClain.
All three of these athletes have the potential to be impact performers at the conference and national level and come from a very fine High school program where long time Head Coach Ron Hebert has given them a very solid foundation for the next level. The EOU T&F Staff is very excited to have them with us.