OSU release - RENO, Nev. – Oregon State turned in a strong team performance at the MPSF Indoor Track & Field Championships, highlighted by a conference title from Kate Laurent in the 3,000 meters.  After placing fourth in the event a year ago, Laurent returned to the championship stage and delivered a breakthrough performance, capturing the conference crown in 9:37.67 to score 10 points for the Beavers. She also earned a podium finish in the 5,000 meters for the second straight year, placing third in 16:57.24.  The distance group continued to stack points in the 3,000-meter final, where Noemi Lundgren placed third in 9:39.98, Molly Latincsics added a seventh-place finish, and Ainsley Herron took eighth. In the 5,000 meters, Latincsics placed seventh, while Lundgren, Payton Smith and Delaney Ulrich added depth performances.  The Beavers also saw major contributions from their underclassmen in the combined events. Freshmen Peyton Craven and Kate Kubacki made their conference championship debuts in the pentathlon, finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, while both recording personal best scores. Kubacki later ran a personal best of 8.90 in the 60-meter hurdles to improve her standing on OSU's all-time list, and both athletes added points across multiple events, including the long jump, high jump and shot put.  Jillian Brown delivered a podium finish in the 800-meter final, placing third in 2:10.62. Maya Baechler scored in both the mile and 800 meters, finishing fourth in the mile alongside Ainsley Herron in fifth, with Ruby Broadbent also scoring.  The distance medley relay of Maella Hodgson, Riley Patera, Jenna O'Beirne and Cadence Kasprick added a fourth-place finish to the team total.  Dede Norman scored in both the high jump and long jump, while Lexi Hunt and Callie Brandes contributed in the high jump. Jaida Bell recorded a personal best in the long jump to move into Oregon State's all-time top 10 and added a point in the triple jump.  On the track, Riley Patera advanced to the 400-meter final and ran a personal best to move up the program list, while the 4x400-meter relay closed the championships with a scoring performance that now ranks fourth all-time at Oregon State.  The Beavers closed the MPSF Championship weekend with 72.75 points for a fourth-place team finish.