Earlier this month Portland state enshrined a group of former athletes in the PSU Hall of Fame. Here’s a quick rundown of the Vikings that were honored:
•Kiauna Anderson played four seasons (1998–2001) on the Portland State softball team. She was selected for the All-West Region in 1998, the All-Western Athletic Conference in 2000, and the NFCA Academic All-American honors for an outstanding career both on and off the field. In 2011 she set a single-season record with
17 doubles.
•Nique Fradella starred for the PSU volleyball team from 2006–‘09. In her first year she was named the Big Sky Outstanding Freshman, and in her senior year she was named the Big Sky MVP. Her 4,817 career assists ranks second all-time.
•Wide receiver Stuart Gaussoin set records for yards and receptions in 1979—the year he was named an All-American—and currently remains in the top-10 in both categories. He also set a record for most catches in a game in 1979, with 16 against Northern Colorado.
•PSU’s current golf success would not be possible without Felicia Johnston, who laid the foundation in the early 2000s. She won three Big Sky Conference titles during her six years (2001–‘07) at PSU, each of which resulted in a trip to the NCAA tournament. In 2003, PSU finished 16th in regionals—their best finish to date. She was awarded the Big Sky Coach of the Year three times.
•Terri Jo Kelly Schlatter helped hoist PSU volleyball’s first National Championship trophy in 1984, and was integral to their runner-up finish in 1983 as well. Her career with PSU continued for nine years after she graduated as an assistant coach.
In 1981, the PSU volleyball team lost 16–14 in the final frame of the AIAW National Championships to Texas. They went 46–11–1 and 12–0 in conference play that season. And what exactly is the AIAW? The Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, or the association that governed women’s sports until the NCAA came along. Coincidentally, 1981 was the last active year of the AIAW, when after an initial voting tie between Division 1 members, some naysayers were swayed and the AIAW was gradually dissolved.
•Before playing for the Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears, Jordan Senn was netting a career high 127 stops for the Vikings, and acting as an anchor for 2006’s record-setting defensive unit. He was selected Academic All-Big Sky four times, All-Big Sky Conference once, and three times received honorable mention. Besides playing great football, he also set the school record in the javelin.
•Kelsey Kahle—where to begin? Frankly, the list of her accomplishments on the basketball court cannot be contained in an organized paragraph. She finished her career as PSU’s all-time leading scorer with 2,049 points; as the all-time leading rebounder with 879; she was first in double-figure scoring games (100), 20-point games (43), and 30-point games (7); she once set the Stott Center on fire in 2007 by scoring 41 points against Sacramento State; she was a four-time All-Big Sky Conference selection; a four-time Academic All-Big Sky selection; she was an 11-time Big Sky Player of the Week; and her 122-straight games started remains a school record to this day. She graduated in ’09 and is currently working as an assistant coach at North Marion High, her other alma mater.