Confidence abounds at championships

With the forecast calling for temperatures into the hundreds this weekend, Portland State will be looking to burn up and outlast the competition at the 2008 Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif.

Events in the decathlon and heptathlon got under way Wednesday afternoon. Following day one of the 10-event competition, Vikings sophomore Nick Trubachik was in the driver’s seat.

Trubachik took first place in the shot put and high jump, establishing new personal bests in both events. His jump of 6’8.25″ was a five-inch improvement over his previous season best, and was 4.75 inches higher than second place. Portland State junior Vince Kinney, from Lynwood, Wash., was in fourth place in the decathlon after day one.

“The first day was really good,” said head coach Kebba Tolbert after the first day. “We’re right where we need to be and in good position for a great day two.”

Tolbert’s prediction was exactly right, as the Vikings enjoyed a successful second day. Trubachik finished the decathlon in first place, and Kinney wrapped up the event in third.

Trubachik took top billing in the javelin and second place in the 110m hurdles, both aiding his first-place finish, while Kinney performed superbly in nearly every competition on both days.

The rest of the meet kicks off Friday at 1 p.m., with the start of the women’s hammer throw, an event that Portland State senior Caressa Sims is favored to win.

Sims has the best throw in the Big Sky this season with a school record toss of 57.82 meters (189’8″), but said she was unaware of her first-place standing in the conference until Thursday morning.

“I just realized where I was seeded at,” Sims said. “I try not to pay attention to what other people are doing and just focus on my goals. I want to throw 60 meters-plus (196’9″) and get over 200 feet. I do it in practice all the time, but haven’t been able to put it together in a meet yet.”

Sims is just one of several Vikings searching for gold this weekend.

Trubachik and Kinney entered the meet ranked one-two in the decathlon. Sophomore sprinter Jernise Saunders has recorded the fastest time in the Big Sky this season, with a 100m time of 11.95 seconds, and sophomore Nkeiru Ugwoaba is only 12.5 inches shy of having the best triple jump in the conference.

The Vikings also boast three-time Big Sky Champion senior Trevor Rollinger, who is seeded second in the 400m hurdles. Tolbert likes his team’s chances of bringing home some gold, but was not about to make any predictions.

“I don’t know, that’s why they have the meet,” Tolbert said. “When we go into an event ranked first, we should win. When we go into an event ranked second, I think we should win. If we have a really good meet, we could get five championships, but it could be more, could be less.”

The weather will likely affect the performance of some of the athletes, as some forecasts predict highs of 103 degrees Friday and 101 degrees Saturday.

Hornet Stadium, which features one of the fastest track surfaces in North America, was the site of the 2003, 2005 and 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships, as well as the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.

“It’s a great facility–obviously conducive to great performances,” Tolbert said. “But, being at a championship, our performance level goes up exponentially anyway.”