Sports briefs

Wagner steps in as Director of Basketball Operations

The Portland State women’s basketball team recently named Chelsea Wagner its new director of basketball operations.

Wagner, a former standout at the University of Oregon, finished her final season in 2005-06. She met Vikings’ first-year head coach Sherri Murrell through mutual friends and competition within the Pacific-10, when Murrell’s Washington State Cougars played the Ducks.

Wagner will perform many work functions from the office, but plans to receive guidance from Murrell to assist in pursuing future goals.

“I do all the administration stuff like team travel, working with boosters basically and all the paperwork stuff,” Wagner said. “NCAA rules say that I can’t do any of the day work stuff like on-court coaching but ultimately I would like to be a coach.”

Portland State’s coaching staff is currently full. Therefore, Wagner is unable to assist as a coach and will primarily contribute in an administrative role, completing tasks such as film editing and acting as the community coordinator.

A stellar athlete at Oregon, Wagner received several all-conference honorable mentions and helped lead the Ducks into the NCAA Final Four. She is excited to be a Viking and learn under Murrell.

“I can learn a lot from the coaches. Just watching how Coach Murrell works and learning all this stuff now will help me when I get to where I want to be,” Wagner said.

–Tucker Miller

Weber State sweeps Vikings 3-0

After starting the season 7-0 in Big Sky play, Portland State suffered its second straight conference loss at the hands of the Wildcats Thursday night.

Weber State cruised to a three-game sweep behind a .307 hitting percentage, the team’s second highest of the season. The Vikings fared far worse, compiling a lowly .094 hitting percentage. Entering the match, Portland State sat in first place in hitting percentage among Big Sky squads.

–Nathan Hellman