Sports Briefs

Long-time Viking to retire

During a 32-year career at Portland State, Teri Mariani has compiled an impressive list of achievements, including 29 years as head coach of the softball team, and a 14-month stint as the interim athletic director. At the end of this month, she will add another title: retiree.

After beginning her career at nearby St. Mary’s Academy, where she starred as a multi-sport athlete, Mariani enrolled at Portland State in 1970. At Portland State, Mariani excelled as a softball, basketball and volleyball player, and also worked in the athletic department. Following graduation, she became head coach of the softball team.

Mariani credits the people on campus and the city of Portland for her lengthy career.

“I love the Portland area,” Mariani said. “We had some great times. I had so much fun coaching.”

As a result of her productive tenure in the South Park Blocks, Mariani has been inducted into the Portland Metropolitan Softball Association Hall of Fame, Portland State Athletics Hall of Fame and Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.

The Portland State Athletic Department will recognize Mariani with an on-campus reception at the Native American Student and Community Center on May 27 at 4:30 p.m.

Soccer welcomes back familiar face

After completing her playing career at Portland State less than four years ago, Melanie Langley was hired as an assistant soccer coach for the Vikings earlier this week.

Langley spent the last two years as head coach of Division III Linfield College, where she compiled a 12-23 record.

Beginning her collegiate career at Mississippi State, Langley transferred to Portland State in 2001, where she earned three letters and started 19 games under the direction of former head coach Tara Erickson.

As the newest member of the Vikings coaching staff, Langley will now assist first-year head coach Laura Schott, who took over for the departed Tim Bennett after he resigned to accept an assistant coach position at Iowa State in February.

Schott believes that Langley’s deep roots in soccer in the Portland area and experience at Portland State should add another dimension to her staff.

Prior to her time at Linfield, Langley served as an assistant coach at Clackamas Community College, where the team compiled a two-year record of 37-3-3. Langley earned a bachelor of science in public health education from Portland State in June 2004.

Vikings add 6-foot-10 center

Fresh off its finest season at the Division I level and its first trip to the NCAA Tournament, Portland State has signed another piece that head coach Ken Bone believes can contribute to the Vikings’ effort to repeat as Big Sky Champions.

The new recruit is junior college transfer Dontatas Visockis, a native of Lithuania.

Visockis will have two years of eligibility remaining after playing at Butte College in California last year. After completing his last two years of high school in the United States, Visockis signed with Southern Mississippi, where he saw limited action before transferring to Butte.

“I think he’ll be able to help us right away,” Bone said of his newest player. “He’s a big, strong kid who gives us a presence on both ends of the court and in the paint.”

Visockis will likely fill the voids created by the graduation of big men Scott Morrison and J.R. Moore, and the transfer of forward Alex Tiefenthaler. The center, described as a typical back-to-the-basket post player, averaged 10.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for Butte College last season.

“With the departure of Scott Morrison and J.R. Moore and Alex Tiefenthaler, the post position is wide open,” Bone said.