Winning weekend
It was a beautiful day in Monmouth, Ore., Friday, April 30,2004. It was also the day that the Viking women’s Track and Fieldteam beat both Western Oregon and University of Portland at theWestern Oregon Invite at McArthur Field.
The Viking men beat their River-city rivals, the UP Pilots(56-52), but they lost to the WOU Wolves (106-49). It was theViking’s second scoring meet. The first team scoring meet, both thePSU men’s and women’s teams won the Hornet Open, in March bydefeating host Sacramento State and Southern Oregon. The Vikingwomen claimed 10 of the 13 first-place wins last Friday.
The Viking women placed first in several individual-runningevents. Starting off with the women’s 100-meter dash, four Vikingscompeted and placed among seven runners. Junior Ena Shemi tookfirst place with a time of 12.17 seconds. Following her in thirdwas junior Olivia Palmero (12.40); Kerry-Ann Blackwood fourth, witha time of 12.61 and Ashley Quay sixth, with a time of 13.28. Shemialso took first in the women’s 200, with a time of 25.11 andPalmero third, with a time of 25.57.
In the 400, senior Brady Randall took first with a time of58.45, and freshman Ashley Pugh placed fourth (1:05.52) out of fourrunners total for the event. Portland State took the top four spotsin the Women’s 800-meter dash.
Freshman Staci Bielenberg placed first with a time of 2:17.79.Following her was three other Vikings taking second, third andfourth places respectively: Mandy Peterson (2:19.89), TylarStephenson (2:20.47), and Bobyea Krishnek (2:21.70). Bielenbergtook first in the 1500 (4:40.42). Krishnek (4:43.26) and Peterson(4:44.74) also placed in the 1500 at third and fourth. Junior AnneKawasaki placed seventh (4:50.73) and Brooke Urhausen placed tenth(5:09.81) out of eleven runners.
Senior Andrea Schwartz gallantly strode into first place in the3000 with a time of 10:30.78. Mallory Moye took third with a10:56.72 finish time. Portland State placed first in both the 4x100and 4×400 meter relays.
Freshman Lynae Newby placed first in the Pole Vault event with a3.35 m throw. Kerry-Ann Blackwood took first place in the LongJump. Blackwood jumped 5.56 m for her first place mark, where asfellow teammates Ashley Quay (5.24 m) and Brady Randall (4.80 m)took third and sixth places.
However, Quay placed second in the Triple Jump with her 10.53 mjump, and Randall also placed seventh in the Javelin Throw with athrow of 27.54 m. Andrea Clark took second in the Javelin Throwwith at mark of 38.70 m.
The Portland State men’s team didn’t have as much winning luckas the women did Friday. The three first-place wins for the Vikingmen’s team came from freshman Kennith Mackins, Keith Gill, andJordan Senn. Mackins took his first in the men’s 100 with a time of10.98. Gill’s 14.69 time in the 110. Gill also placed second in the200 with a time of 22.80.
Head Coach Tolbert said, “Keith had a huge breakthrough thisweekend. I’m really proud of him. He’s matured so much and hasreally invested a lot of himself into his performances these lastfew months.”
Jordan Senn gave his all for his first place mark of 67.94 inthe Javelin throw. “Jordan’s series of throws was the highlight ofthe meet. He has several tosses over 200 feet topped by a 222-11.He hasn’t practiced in a few weeks due to spring football so theseries is even more impressive and shows how driven he is,” saidHead Coach Tolbert. PSU Assistant Coach Sandy Moran added, “Jordanhad an excellent combination of explosiveness and relaxation today,which can be credited to his excellent body control and mentaldiscipline.”
Jayson Schmidt placed third in the Shot Put Event (14.26 m),eighth in the 400-Meter hurdles (37.68) and sixth in the HammerThrow (32.22 m). Other noteworthy marks from Friday’s meet camefrom junior Blake Flanders, freshman Brandon Lopez, senior EvanGarich, and junior Mike Schwoebel. Flanders (3:58.70) and Lopez(3:59.86) placed second and third in the 1500-Meter Run. Garichplaced second in the 800-Meter Run (1:54.03), and Schwoebel placedthird in the 3000-Meter Run with his time of 8:57.12.
Other contributors to the Viking men’s team points in variousevents came from Josias Flynn, Darrell Blount, Eric Azor, and PaulMiller.
Head Coach for Portland State, Kebba Tolbert, said, “We had agreat meet at Western Oregon this weekend. It was just what weneeded heading into the Big Sky Championships.”
The Big Sky Championships will be held at Weber State in Ogden,Utah May 12. Portland State has less than a week left to preparefor the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships. Ten PSU menqualify for nine events and 14 Viking women are eligible to competein 14.
