Former Astoria runner competes in Olympic trials

Gary Henley, The Daily Astorian, Ore.
·1 min read

Jun. 23—Astoria had a connection in this year's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, which continues this week at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Kaylee Mitchell, who recently completed her redshirt sophomore year at Oregon State University, ran in Sunday's first heat of the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Wearing her Oregon State uniform, Mitchell finished 32nd in 10 minutes, 26.69 seconds. Heat 1 was won by Emma Coburn, of New Balance, in 9:21.32.

Mitchell was off her personal best pace of 9:48.30, which she set May 14 at the Katherine B. Loker Stadium in Los Angeles.

"I'm incredibly proud of this journey that Kaylee has been on," said Louie Quintana, Mitchell's coach at Oregon State. "It's certainly not the result she was looking for, but just gaining the experience of competing at the Olympic trials is huge. She is a sophomore and she will be back and better at these big meets. There are big things ahead for the Beavers."

Mitchell's personal best was accomplished at the Pac-12 Championships, and set a new Oregon State school record.

Mitchell attended Astoria High School in 2015 and 2016, before transferring to Sprague High School after her sophomore year.

Last spring, she finished seventh in the Pac-12 cross-country championships, leading the Beavers to a school-record fourth place team finish.