Two of the South Coast’s best track and field athletes will continue their careers at top schools in the West.

Marshfield seniors Jared Bassett and Ali Worthen recently signed letters of intent to compete at the University of Portland and Seattle Pacific University, respectively.

The two Pirates, who both have won individual state titles, will be able to compete at schools noted for their respective specialties.

For Bassett, the opportunity to compete at one of the top distance schools in the nation was a dream come true.

“It was a pretty exciting decision for me,” he said. “They’ve got a pretty strong program.”

After winning the Class 5A state cross country title last fall, Bassett went to Springfield with his coach, Doug Landrum, and watched the Pilots compete at the NCAA West Regional cross country meet.

“We were very impressed with Portland,” Landrum said, adding that he’s happy Bassett signed with the private school for selfish reasons.

“His goal was to stay in the Northwest,” Landrum said. “I’ll love to see him run for the next several years, and now I can.”

The Pilots have qualified for the past several national meets — they were 14th last fall — and been a regular in the national rankings. They’ve dominated the West Coast Conference for decades, winning the past 29 league titles in cross country.

The school also was a good fit for Bassett’s future plans.

“It has the academics I want, and it’s not too big,” he said, adding that he hopes to study either sports medicine or nursing.

Bassett likely will redshirt the cross country season next fall and then compete in the indoor track seasons in the winter.

For Worthen, a three-sport star for the Pirates and multi-talented track and field athlete, Seattle Pacific provides an opportunity to train under a strong coaching staff as she hones her skills in the heptathlon.

“They have a great coaching staff,” she said. “They have a really good heptathlon program.”

Worthen has won two state titles in the high jump and another in the 300-meter hurdles.

“She’s one of the most dominant high school athletes in Oregon right now,” said Karl Lerum, Seattle Pacific’s head coach. “She will be an exciting addition to next year’s squad.”

Lerum has a reputation for developing athletes in the multi-event competitions.

“Karl Lerum is a decathlete by trade,” said Fran Worthen, Marshfield’s head coach and Ali’s mom. “He’s prepared to bring Ali along.”

During her Marshfield career, Worthen has shown skill in all the running and jumping events in the heptathlon, though she has only had limited experience in the throws. Fran Worthen thinks her daughter will blossom in college.

“I think my coaching staff has done an outstanding job with her,” she said. “We’re ready to hand her off to the next level.”

Seattle Pacific has been one of the top Division II track programs for years.

In the past 57 years, the Falcons have produced 22 national champions and 158 All-Americans. Last weekend, at the indoor championships, Seattle Pacific had six All-Americans, including the national champion in the mile, sophomore Jessica Pixler.

Ali Worthen was instantly comfortable with the coaching staff. One of Lerum’s top assistants, distance coach Doris Heritage, was a standout runner during the same era when Fran Worthen was one of the top female sprinters in the United States.

Though Ali Worthen has been a highly decorated volleyball and basketball player — she was the Midwestern League’s co-most valuable player in volleyball last fall — her future is specifically in track and field.

“I was really hoping to do two sports (in college),” she said. “But with the work the hep requires, I couldn’t afford to do another sport.”

Focusing on track year-round will be new for her.

“I’ll be excited to see what I can do in a full year,” she said.

Worthen, who plans to study health or business, had dreamed of competing with her older sister, Leah, at the University of Oregon. But she said the Ducks were only offering to pay for her books initially, with the chance of a larger scholarship after the first year.

In contrast, Seattle Pacific offered a full-ride scholarship, which made the decision easy.

“I think she’s excited that they have so much faith in her,” Fran Worthen said.

The Pirates currently are preparing for the upcoming season. Their first meet will be a dual against Thurston following spring break.