Biography
Nursing major … OC’s only Google Cloud Academic All-American (in any sport) during the 2018-19 academic year, joining husband Sawyer Pehkonen (a 2017-18 AAA honoree) as a recipient of that prestigious honor … Multi-sport prep standout who developed into a solid contributor for the Eagles … Returned to cross country in 2017 after missing the 2016 season … Immediately earned a starting spot in cross country as a freshman … Married to former OC track standout Sawyer Pehkonen … Contributes on relays and in individual events in track and field, including one that smashed a 30-year-old OC record in the outdoor distance medley relay in 2018 … Has personal-best times of 20:16 in the 5,000 meters, 19:39.2 in 5,000-meter cross country, 5:38.62 in the mile, 5:05.83 in the 1,500 meters and 2:27.24 in the 800 meters … 2018-19: Google Cloud Academic All-America third-team selection for cross country/track and field … Google Cloud Academic All-District selection for cross country/track and field … All-Great American Conference second-team honoree in the indoor distance medley relay … Named to the Heartland Conference academic Honor Roll’s President’s List (both semesters) … Named as a Great American Conference Distinguished Scholar … Named to the Great American Conference Academic All-Conference List (spring semester) … Recipient of Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award … During cross country season, competed in six meets … Posted best career 6,000-meter time in the Heartland Conference Championship in Laredo, Texas, finishing 50th 24:58.9 … In the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championship in Denver, posted a time of 25:30.5 over 6,000 meters, finishing 154th … During indoor track season, competed in four meets … Ran her career-best mile time of 5:38.52 in the inaugural GAC Indoor Championships in Norman, finishing 11th … Also at the GAC indoor meet, earned All-GAC second-team honors in the distance medley relay, running the leadoff leg on a squad that included Leisa VanVooren, Kelsey Simmons and Kelsey Castillo and posted a time of 13:01.52 to finish fourth … During outdoor track season, competed in five meets … Recorded career-best 800-meter time of 2:27.24 in Wichita State’s K.T. Woodman Classic … At the GAC Outdoor Championships in Shawnee, ran her best 1,500-meter time of season, placing 17th in 5:13.75 … 2017-18: Ran in two cross country meets … Named to the Heartland Conference academic Honor Roll’s President’s List (both semesters) … Named as a Great American Conference Distinguished Scholar … Named to the Great American Conference Academic All-Conference List (spring semester) … Recipient of Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award …Ran career-best 5K cross country time of 19:32.2 at the Missouri Southern Stampede … Did not compete during indoor track season … During outdoor track season, ran in six meets … Ran career-best time of 5:05.83 in the 1,500 meters at the East Texas Invitational in Commerce, Texas … At the Great American Conference Championships in Magnolia, Ark., finished 21st in the 1,500 (5:19.29) and 25th in the 800 (2:37.92) … Ran the final (1,600-meter) leg on the OC outdoor distance medley relay team that broke the program’s oldest mark in the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa … The quartet of Kelsey Castillo, Leisa VanVooren, Kelsey Simmons and Meyers finished in 12:30.39, breaking the former record (set in 1988) by nearly 30 seconds … 2016-17: Did not run in cross country … Named to the Heartland Conference academic Honor Roll’s President’s List (spring semester) … Named to the Great American Conference Academic All-Conference List (spring semester) … Recipient of Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award … Did not compete during indoor track season … During outdoor track season, competed in five meets, running the 800 meters and 1,500 meters … Best 800-meter time was 2:28.28 at Wichita State’s K.T. Woodman Classic … Top 1,500-meter time was 5:06.37 at the GAC Championships in Searcy, Ark. … Also ran the 800 at the GAC meet, finishing in 2:36.80 … 2015-16: Ran in five cross country meets … Named to the Heartland Conference academic Honor Roll’s President’s List (fall and spring semesters) … In collegiate cross country debut, placed 63rd in the Central Oklahoma Land Run with a time of 21:28.94 … Covered the Missouri Southern Stampede course in 20:00.78, good for a 123rd-place finish … At Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree, was the team’s No. 4 runner, finishing 39th in 21:12.2 … In Heartland Conference Championship in Laredo, Texas, helped team to a third-place finish by placing 60th in 26:05.0 over the 6,000-meter course … Running another 6,000-meter race in the NCAA Division II South Central Region Championship in Canyon, Texas, placed 162nd in 27:29.70 … Did not compete during the indoor or outdoor track and field seasons … Previous school: Attended Greenwood High School in Greenwood … Finished seventh individually at Arkansas Class 6A meet as a senior with a time of 20:47.20 over the 5,000-meter course, helping team to a third-place finish … Also was a soccer standout, making the Arkansas Activities Association All-Star team as a senior and earning recognition on the Southwest Times Record's All-Area Girls First 11 honor squad as a midfielder.
