CASCADE CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE
EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell junior cross country and track student-athlete Sayer Pescosolido has been announced as the male recipient of the Cashell Family Impact Scholarship, awarded by the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
Established in 2023 with a gift from Robert (CCC commissioner), Heather and Elizabeth Cashell, the fund provides two scholarships awarded annually to one female and one male from among the student-athletes attending CCC schools who have displayed a significant and positive “impact” on their respective campuses.
Pescosolido serves the men’s cross country and track & field teams as a captain, and representative to the Bushnell Association of Student Athletes, while also serving as the vice-chair of the Cascade Conference ASA, and he was chosen as the winner of Bushnell’s Impact Award as well.
Head Coach Kyle Will said, “While Sayer is a talented athlete his greatest asset is his care for, and the impact he has on his team, our school, our community, and the CCC, and it was for these reasons that he was selected to receive this prestigious honor from the CCC.”
In addition to being an invaluable member of the cross country and track & field program, Sayer is also very active in other roles on campus. He works part time in admissions, giving campus tours. He serves in student programs, where he helped coordinate campus-wide “Beacon Nights” program, giving students positive and fun school-sponsored events each week, coordinated the intramurals program, and serves as the Orientation Coordinator where he was influential in making multiple positive changes which were very well received by students and staff.
Sayer was also asked to serve this year as a Peer Mentor in the pilot year of a new program, in which he worked over 75 hours, co-instructing the First-Year Seminar class, and offering assistance to incoming students across personal, social, spiritual and academic endeavors.
While some of these are paid positions, Sayer does this to give back to the school and his fellow classmates and teammates. “Community is a big part of what I feel we do well here at Bushnell,” said Will, “and it is largely because of young men and women like Sayer who go out of their way to connect with their fellow students.”
Sayer also played a large role in team efforts to serve the larger Eugene/Springfield community. Cross Country and Track average over 20 hours of community service per athlete this year with multiple organizations. Sayer personally participated in most of these projects. This included Embrace the Community Day, the Food for Lane County canned food drive, and our Christmas Adopt-a-Family. He volunteered on campus move-in day, helping first-time collegiate students move into their dorm rooms. He participated in our team’s “feed the community” day in which they spent time in Eugene’s homeless community passing out food, water, and emergency blankets. He also volunteered at both the Eugene Marathon and the Run to Stay Warm 5k/10k race, serving as a course marshal and at the finish line. He even served last summer with a rotation of 3-4 athletes and coaches, serving at the Lane County Food Bank in July and August.
As part of Bushnell’s “Embrace the Community Day”, Sayer joined the men’s cross country team as they volunteered at Everyone Village, a dynamic transitional shelter program for people experiencing homelessness. There they did some work in their community garden and helped with weatherproofing tiny homes.
Coach Will added, “Sayer is not only well liked by his teammates and classmates, but he is highly respected as well. He lives out his Christian faith in all his relationships and walks humbly alongside teammates, never hesitating to give them time if they ask. What makes him so remarkable is that he doesn’t seek recognition. He simply shows up, gives his best, and makes others better. His humility and heart for others is what makes him a true leader and community builder.”
Teammate Logan Gant said, “What truly shines about Sayer is the demeanor that he carries within the large roles he engages. He expertly balances refreshing honesty, passion, humor, and a deep care for those around him. From a practical standpoint he does all the little things right and more. He is the first person to practice, he leads workouts, carries an uplifting attitude, and provides meaningful contributions to our coaching staff. He inspires me to be a better runner and well-rounded athlete.”
Pescosolido joins Bushnell softball player Gracie Hamilton as the first two Beacon recipients of the award.