Viks run away with new records ��

The Portland State track and field teams headed to Albuquerque, N.M. for the Cherry & Silver Invitational this weekend, and the results were extraordinary for the Vikings. Two new school records were posted, new athletes qualified for the Big Sky Conference Championship and new personal records were set.

On the women’s side, sophomore Geronne Black broke the school record in the 60-meter sprint, running it in 7.46 seconds and shaving .02 seconds off the previous PSU record. The new school record is .12 second faster than her prior personal record that was set last year at the New Balance College Invitational in New York.

Junior hurdler Joenisha Vinson also broke a standing Portland State record in the 60m hurdles. Vinson ran the event in 8.64 seconds and finished second overall in her preliminary event, and fifth in the finals.

Three other well-performing women runners were senior Karene King, junior P’Lar Dorsett and sophomore Amber Rozcicha.

King ran the 200m in 24.31 seconds—nearly a quarter of a second faster than her personal record—and moved her up to the second spot in the conference for that event. She also moved up to third in conference in the 60m.

Dorsett ran the 60m in 7.85 seconds and the 60m hurdles in 8.7 seconds, which earned her a fourth-place finish in the race.

Rozcicha had a weekend full of accomplishments as well. She posted a new personal record in the 800m with a time of 2 minutes and 15.77 seconds, which won her the event and qualified her for next month’s Big Sky Conference Championship. Rozcicha is now leading the conference standings in the event and ranked sixth in the PSU record book.

In the field events, freshman Shae Carson threw a new personal record of 40 feet, 4.75 inches in the shot put.

On the men’s side, junior Tony Crisofulli ended up finishing fourth overall in the 800m with a time of 1:52.81. Crisofulli ranks second in the conference and is qualified for the Big Sky Championship.

Junior J.J. Rosenberg posted a time of 22.53 seconds in the 200m, missing the Big Sky qualifying time by .23 seconds. Rosenberg’s time moved him up to seventh in the Portland State record books.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams will return to the University of Washington this weekend for the UW Invitational. ?