Closing in on Big Sky

In two weeks the track and field squad will head off to the Big Sky Championships, but they won’t have to travel very far. Portland State will host the conference meet for the first time May 8–11 in Forest Grove. With the outdoor season’s end in sight, the team is getting closer to their goal of being Big Sky champions.

“[Winning it] would mean a lot,” assistant coach Seth Henson said. “Obviously it would to the coaching staff, because we know how hard we have worked and the adversity we have pushed through to be where we are at now. We are trying to do our part for Portland State athletics.”

The Vikings are still in the process of getting athletes qualified for the conference championships. Last weekend they sent athletes to two events—the Oregon Relays in Eugene and the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif.

Senior Geronne Black continued her tremendous run this year, recording a season-best time in the 100-meter event. The sprinter made it all the way to nationals during the indoor season, and is on pace to do it again outdoors in her final season as a Viking. Black will play a huge role in the success of the women’s team at the conference championships next month, but PSU will need points in plenty of other events in order to have a shot at the title.

“Our women are on track to…win the conference championship,” Henson said. “In our technical events, the jumps and throws, we are waiting on a few things that we have been working on in practice to stabilize. Once [they] do we are really going to have the numbers to go hit it on all cylinders.”

They seem to be on their way there, as freshman Sydney Johnson came through with a mark of 47.72 meters (156-07) in the discus throw, breaking the school record set back in 2006.

The men also had a solid outing for Portland State. Sean MacKelvie threw the javelin for the Vikings for the first time since injuring his elbow last year before nationals. Though MacKelvie’s throws did not qualify him for the conference meet, he was a welcome addition to the lineup.

“[MacKelvie] threw competitively this weekend, and his elbow was good,” Henson said. “To me, that is promising.”

While the women have garnered most of the accolades this year, the coaching staff is hoping that the men’s team will close out 2013 strong as well. Several members of the squad recorded top-10 results for the Vikings, including J.J. Rosenberg, who placed third in the 200-meter with a time of 22.20 seconds, and Rockwell Tufty and Tyson Stipic, who turned in top-five marks in the high jump and triple jump, respectively.

“I’m really hoping that the men can come together,” Henson said. “If those seniors can show up in the conference meet and be in the final in their respective events, and then finish in the top five, the men can get their 30 or 40 points and be in that eighth or ninth spot.”

Next weekend, PSU will travel to California to compete in Berkeley, followed by their last meet of the outdoor regular season in Eugene at the Oregon Twilight Meet.