This school year has been a good one for many of the men’s and women’s sports teams that call Portland State home. It has been a season of firsts; a season of conference titles and new head coaches.
It has also been a season of continued excellence, including, for example, NCAA Tournament appearances and the shattering of school records.
The following is just a small cross-section of the achievements of various Portland State athletic teams.
Men’s basketball
By making the NCAA Tournament last year, the Vikings left themselves with high expectations for this season. They did not disappoint. Under head coach Ken Bone, the team finished the season with a solid 23-10 record overall and a conference record of 11-5.
The Vikings would go on to win the conference tournament on a last-minute heroic play from juniors Dominic Waters and Julius Thomas. They would defeat Montana State to earn their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
But in another move that echoed the previous season, the Vikings were knocked out of the tournament in the first round in a 77-59 loss to Xavier.
At the conclusion of the season, the temptation to compete in the Pac-10 proved too much for Bone and he left the South Park Blocks to head to Washington State. He has been replaced by former associate head coach Tyler Geving.
Women’s basketball
The Vikings achieved a landmark this year in reaching their first postseason in team history. Though they lost in the Big Sky Conference Championship game to powerhouse Montana, they received the conference’s WNIT bid.
They finished their season with the same overall record as the men’s team (23-10), but amassed an impressive conference record of 14-2 under head coach Sherri Murrell. Senior Kelsey Kahle broke the school record for career points while taking down 10 other Portland State career records.
The Vikings would defeat cross-town rival Portland in the first round of the WNIT before losing in the second round to Oregon State.
Men’s tennis
With head coach Brian Parrot taking over the reigns this year, the team garnered their best season record to date. A record of 9-14 doesn’t sound overly impressive on paper, but it signifies the progress that is being made.
Sophomore Chris Rice had an exceptional year. In fact, his personal record of 15-8 is the most successful in school history. He was voted to the Big Sky Conference Second Team by the coaches of the other conference teams.
Women’s volleyball
The Vikings made their first postseason since becoming a Division I athletic institution this year and attended the NCAA Tournament. Over the past two seasons under head coach Michael Seemann, the team has achieved an impressive 41-18 record.
Senior Nique Fradella was a pillar of strength for her team. Statistically, she was the best setter in the Big Sky Conference and was voted into the conference’s Second Team. The Vikings would lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Washington.
Wrestling
After 53 years, a Portland State athletic institution is no more. The team had struggled to be competitive in the Pac-10, and this year was no different. They finished last out of the nine teams competing in the conference championship in March, but scored twice as many points and placed twice as many wrestlers as in the previous year.
After an inquiry into the team’s viability, a task force decided that the team would be dissolved. It came as a blow to Portland State’s athletic legacy, especially when taking into account all of the progress that the team had made.
Women’s softball
Incoming head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk could hardly have done better leading her team. For the second time in four years, the softball team found itself competing in the NCAA Tournament after capturing the Pacific Coast Softball Conference.
One of their biggest accomplishments was winning a series against Sacramento State, something they had been unable to achieve in previous seasons.
Senior center fielder Jackie Heide broke PSU’s career home run record and was voted PCSC’s Co-Player of the Year. The Vikings would lose in the Stanford Regional to the host Cardinal and Nevada to end their season.