Showdown in the west

Despite a disappointing team finish in the Big Sky Championships two weeks ago, the Portland State track and field team will be represented by three athletes competing in four events at the NCAA West Regional in Northridge, Calif., this weekend.

Headlining the roster of Portland State athletes who have qualified for the elite meet is senior thrower Caressa Sims. Joining Sims will be sophomores Jernise Saunders and Nkeiru Ugwoaba.

A converted sprinter, Sims is making her second trip to the West Regional Championships in as many years after qualifying in the shot put and the hammer throw.

“Caressa has trained extremely hard and is ready for this,” said assistant coach Seth Henson. “She is trusting us and taking the cues we have given her for continued improvement.”

Saunders will run in the 100-meter dash after winning the event at the Big Sky Championships. Saunders improved throughout her first season at Portland State after transferring from Minnesota State, progressing especially well over the last several weeks.

With her sudden improvement, Henson predicts Saunders will place among the top eight.

“She is starting to buy into our system and developing some patience in her race strategy,” Henson said.

Saunders’ time of 12.07 is the slowest of the 16 runners competing in the event, but she will only need to finish in the top eight to advance to the finals, the goal the coaching staff has set for her.

After a freshman season that included top-three finishes at the Big Sky Championships in triple jump and as a member of a 4x100m relay team, Ugwoaba demonstrated her versatility by qualifying for the NCAA Regional in the triple jump this year.

In addition to finishing among the top nine and advancing to the finals, Ugwoaba looks to take advantage of the fine conditions and weather at the meet, and potentially break the school record in the event.

“She has cleaned up her approach and now has a very realistic shot at turning some heads and getting that [school] record,” Henson said.

Following her disappointing finish in the hammer throw at the conference championships, an event she was expected to win, Henson said Sims has responded this week with intense practices and weightlifting sessions that could qualify her for the national championships.

“We wish all our kids trained as hard as Caressa has,” Henson said. “She has already broken two school records in her events, but she can throw even better. She has left all of that pressure and frustration in Sacramento.”

Though their numbers may be few, all three athletes have an opportunity to break the school records in their respective events or establish new marks amid the pressure of the NCAA Regional meet.

One Viking who will not be making the trip is sophomore Nick Trubachik. Although Trubachik earned first place in the decathlon at the Big Sky Championships, his final time came up just short of qualifying for the NCAA West Regional.