Season Statistics and Record Book | Meet Schedule | Live Results | Big Sky Conference

PORTLAND, Ore. - With another athlete qualified for the Big Sky Championships May 11-14, Joenisha Vinson (heptathlon), the Portland State Vikings will look to refine their talent and qualify a few more at the Oregon Relays, April 22-23, at Hayward Field.

IF YOU CAN'T GO, FOLLOW FROM HOME:
The Oregon Relays can be followed online at GoDucks.com. To follow the Vikings at the meet, click here or on the link at the top of the page.

LAST TIME OUT - VINSON GOES "BEAST MODE":
Junior Joenisha Vinson turned in one of the best performances of her career at the California Invitational heptathlon, hosted by Asuza Pacific April 13-14, winning the event with a final score of 5,227 points to top the Big Sky's leader board in the event this season.

An early indicator of what was to come for Vinson was in the first-event, the 100-meter hurdles. The Phoenix, Ariz., native broke her own school-record in the hurdles, with a time of 13.83 seconds and scored 1,003 points, marking the first time she has ever scored over 1,000 points in an event.

She would go on to record season-best marks in the high jump, 5-2.25, and the shot put, 36-7, on day one to finish with a score of 3,206. Day two was no different for Vinson as she leaped 18-5.25 in the long jump and set a 15 foot PR in the javelin with a throw of 119-9.

In the final event of the heptathlon, the 800-meters, she ran a time of 2:30.55 and ended with a seven-event point total of 5,227, the second-highest total in Portland State history. Vinson finished 223 points higher than her previous best score and 130 points shy of breaking former-Olympic Trial participant Robin Unger's record mark of 5,356.

Vinson's 5,227 point performance currently ranks her 19th in the NCAA this season. 19 athletes competed at last year's NCAA Championship in the heptathlon. To read about her day one and final results, follow the corresponding links.

SOME GOOD PRESS:
Last week on OregonLive.com, track and field columnist Ken Goe headlined Joenisha Vinson's performance and wrote some kind words on her accomplishments in California.

On Vinson's performance and the Vikings recent success in the multi-events, Goe wrote,
"Vinson is beginning to look like PSU's second breakthrough multi-events competitor in as many years. Last year, Nick Trubachik became the first Viking ever to qualify for the NCAA decathlon championships, and went on to finish eighth at the USA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa."

Credit for the success on this area of the track certainly goes to Assistant Coach Seth Henson '07, a former thrower and multis competitor for the Vikings from 2003-07. In his four years mentoring at Portland State, he's coached six conference champions and one all-american.

WEST REGION RANKINGS:
Portland State currently has three individuals and one relay team ranked in the NCAA's West region top-48, the qualifying standard for most events at the championship, held May 26-28 in Eugene, Ore. PSU has sent as many as nine athletes in the past to the regional (2006) and sent four last season.

Listed below are the Vikings who rank amongst the region's best.

WOMEN
Name | Event(s) | Rank
Geronne Black | 100m, 4x100 | 35th, 32nd
Karene King | 100m, 4x100 | 38th, 32nd
Anaiah Rhodes | 4x100 | 38th
Joenisha Vinson | 100m hurdles, 4x100 | 39th, 32nd

MEN
Name | Event(s) | Rank
Sean Mackelvie | Javelin | 14th

THE GOOD ARE GETTING GREAT:
The Portland State women's 4x100 relay team recorded the best time in school- history at the Mondo Invitational April 9, clocking a time of 45.24 seconds. The quartet of Geronne Black, Karene King, Anaiah Rhodes and Joenisha Vinson improved their season-best time by .68 seconds and trail the conference record, set by Cal State Northridge in1999, by .42 seconds.

They also rank 32nd in the West region and 60th nationally, taking into consideration that some schools have multiple relay combinations in the top-100. TCU has four different teams ranked in the top-20 in the region, while Houston also has three teams in the top-20

EARMARK THAT PAGE IN THE RECORD BOOK:
As mentioned before Joenisha Vinson had a big two-days down at the California Invitational, winning her section of the heptathlon. Looking back in the Vikings record books, with her time of 13.83 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles, it appears Vinson became the first heptathlete to score 1,000 or more points in an event at Portland State.

REWIND - 2010 OREGON RELAYS:
The Vikings had some favorable results at last year's Oregon Relays, highlighted by Tony Crisofulli's time of 1:49.76 in the 800-meters and 4x100 relay team's victory at 46.22 seconds. To read last year's recap, click here.

BIG SKY QUALIFIERS:
The athletes listed below have posted times or distances that qualify them for the Big Sky Outdoor Championship in Sacramento, Calif., May 11-14. The Vikings have met 21 qualifying standards this season with 16 athletes representing Portland State.

WOMEN
NAME | EVENT(S)
Geronne Black | 100m*, 200m
Katie Blue | 10,000m
Allison Burkett | Javelin
Adrienne Davis | Shot put
Karene King | 100m, 200m*
Mikeya Nicholson | Triple jump
Anaiah Rhodes | 100m
Amber Rozcicha | 800m, 5,000m
Joenisha Vinson | 100m hurdles, 200m, heptathlon*
4x100 relay team*

MEN
NAME | EVENT(S)
Jeff Borgerson | High jump
Tony Crisofulli | 800m
John Lawrence | 3000m steeplechase
Nate Lightner | 400m hurdles
Sean Mackelvie | javelin*
Andrew Salg | 10,000m
DeShawn Shead | 110m hurdles

* - Indicates the top-mark in the Big Sky this season.

COMING UP:
Portland State will return to action May 7 for its regular season closer, the Oregon Twilight meet, in Eugene, Ore. It will be the Vikings final chance to qualify athletes for the Big Sky Championship.