Saechao Signs With OIT

TURNER, Ore.–  The resume of Cascade’s Kalina Saechao speaks for itself.

She won state at the Shot Put, finished second at the Discus at the State Meet as a junior on the heels of winning the District Title in both.  That came on the heels of winning both district titles as a sophomore, finishing State Runner-Up in the Shot Put and placing ninth in the Discus that year at the State Meet.

Oh, and she qualified for State as a freshman, placing ninth in the Shot Put after finishing District Runner-Up that year.

In simple words, she can throw and she throws well.

Pete Vandeneynnde spoke at her signing to Oregon Institute of Technology, OIT, about the work she put in between her sophomore and junior years.  Going into the sixth and final round of the Shot Put her sophomore year, Saechao led the field the whole time from the first round through the fifth until Astoria’s Lily Meadows sixth-and-final-throw placed her ahead of Saechao.  The then-sophomore couldn’t overcome the Astoria thrower on her final throw, but it weighed on her in a positive fashion:

It motivated her and to have that support with her coaches has helped her become even better as a thrower and as an athlete.

“When it comes to the competition part of it, from leading to getting second, I think it encouraged me to work harder and to work in the offseason.  Prior to that, I didn’t really focus on the off-season, by not getting the Championship it really helped encourage me to work harder,” Saechao said.  “I think what really makes me successful, the coaches out here are really supportive in every aspect and the athlete’s just want to be the best that they can.  The coaches really care about you and they want you to be your best.”

And the next year, a similar circumstance happened.  Saechao, then a junior, led through the first five rounds.  In the throwing events, you get three preliminary throws and if you place in the Top 9, you go to the finals and get three more throws.  In the sixth round, Estacada’s Abby Behrman pulled ahead by an inch and led the State Meet with a throw of 39-feet-2.5-inches.  Saechao dug deep for her final throw and surpassed Ferguson with a throw of 39-feet-11.5-inches, a full 11-inches ahead of the Rangers’ thrower.

Going into her senior year, Saechao is aiming for one last State Championship run, or throw in Saechao’s case before she heads to Klamath Falls to join the Owls of OIT.

“This offseason, I’ve just been weight lifting with Coach V and like he said, I’ve been working up the muscle,” said Saechao of this year.

Saechao is planning on entering the Medical Imaging Program at OIT and getting her bachelor’s degree in that field.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald