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PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State track and field teams will send 21 student-athletes to the 2012 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships this week, May 9-12 at Montana State's Track and Field Complex. Junior Geronne Black leads the Vikings into the Championship ready to regain the title of women's 100-meter dash champion. Mandy Keifer will lead things off for the Vikings in the women's heptathlon on Wednesday. 

FOLLOW LIVE
The 2012 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be streamed live online via Big Sky TV. It can also follow along with live stats beginning Wednesday from the championship central page. 
 
STORYLINES
• Junior Geronne Black is the all-time Big Sky record holder in the 100-meter dash and won the Big Sky Championship in 2010.
• Portland State has won seven-of-the-last-eight Big Sky Championships in the women's 100-meters.
• Can Portland State shake up the final team standings? The Vikings women were selected to finish fourth in this year's outdoor preseason poll, while the men were pick to finish ninth.
• Sean Mackelvie leads the Big Sky in the men's javelin; can he hold on to his lead and bring home the event title?
• How many women's sprinters will score points for the Vikings? Eight sprinters have qualified in five different events.
• Can the women's team score 100 points for the first time since 2007 (109.5)?
• Can both of the women's relay teams (4x100 and 4x400-meter) medal like they did at the indoor championship?
 
2012 PORTLAND STATE FIELD
WOMEN
NAME – EVENT(S)
Geronne Black – 100m*, 200m, 4x100m*
Sierra Brooks – 100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x400m
Allison Burkett – Javelin
Brandy Castillo – 5000m
Shae Carson – Discus
P'Lar Dorsett – 100mH, 100m
Ashley Frazier – 400mH, 4x400m
Sarah Hanchett – 800m, 1500m
Hanna Johnson – Shot Put
Mandy Keifer – Heptathlon, Javelin
Dominique Maloney – 400m, 200m, 4x400m
Montaisha Moore – Triple Jump
Jazmin Ratcliff – 100m, 200m, 4x100m
Anaiah Rhodes – 100m, 200m, 4x100m*, 4x400m
Amber Rozcicha – 5000m
Cassandra Sidner – 100mH, 100m
Ali Super  – Javelin
 
MEN
NAME | EVENT(S)
John Lawrence – 3,000 SC, 1500m
Sean Mackelvie – Javelin, Triple Jump
Jake Ovgard – 100m, 200m
Jaret Rockenbach – Shot Put
* - Indicates 2011 All-Conference Honor
 
2011 BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIPS REWIND
Then-junior Joenisha Vinson finished second in the women's heptathlon competition with a score of 5,117 points to claim her first silver medal in the event. While on the men's side, freshman Luke Leddige scored 6,100 points to finish ninth overall to kickoff competition for the Vikings.
 
Former Viking Karene King set the then-Portland State record in the 100-meters and set the Big Sky Conference record in the 200-meters on the first full day of competition for the Vikings. Then-juniors Tony Crisofulli and Joenisha Vinson set school-records as well, flying through the 800-meters at 1:49.02 and 13.72 in the 100-meter hurdles, respectively. All three posted their times in the preliminaries and entered the finals with top marks.
 
Karene King led thVikings to a seventh-place finish with gold medals in the 100-meters, 200-meters and the 4x100 relay. PSU trailed fifth-place, Weber State, by a single point in the final team standings and scored 65 points overall, 20 of which came from King individually.
 
All told including the heptathlon, the Vikings won a total of eight medals at the championship, the most recorded since Head Coach Ronnye Harrison took over the track and field program in the fall of 2008.
 
TAKING OVER THE RECORD BOOKS:
Junior sprinter Geronne Black continues to make an impact in the Portland State record books. Black set the Big Sky Conference and Portland State all-time record in the women's outdoor 100-meter dash this season at the Brutus Hamilton Open/Invitational on April 28 with a time of 11.52 in the event finals. Her time breaks the previous conference record of 11.55 set by Joyce Rainwater of Eastern Washington in 1995. Along with her outdoor 100-meters record, she holds the Portland State and Big Sky Conference all-time record in the indoor 60-meter dash.
 
KEEPING THE TRADITION ALIVE
Over the last eight years Portland State has dominated the women's 100-meters at the Big Sky Championship, winning seven of the last eight championships and four-consecutive in the event. Junior Geronne Black owns the top time this season in a record setting time of 11.52.
 
Below is a list of the Vikings Big Sky Champions in that event, with the year and winning time's listed.
 
2011: Karene King, 11.83
2010: Geronne Black, 11.92
2009: Jernise Saunders, 11.79
2008: Jernise Saunders, 12.07
2006: Utica Edgecombe, 11.92
2005: Ena Shemi, 12.36
2004: Ena Shemi, 11.79
 
HONORED AGAIN
For the second consecutive week, senior Sean Mackelvie has been named the Big Sky Conference's Male Field Athlete of the Week as announced by the conference Tuesday.
 
Mackelvie, a senior from Wilsonville, Ore., posted a season-best distance of 219-05 (66.87m) in the javelin throw. His distance improves on his Big Sky leading mark for the event. He is one of five Big Sky throwers to pass the 200-feet mark this season.
 
Mackelvie's season best is seven-feet further than that of second best this season. He takes the seven-foot advantage into the 2012 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championship.
 
He has positioned himself nicely to qualify for the NCAA West Region in the event ranking 21st in the west region going into the Big Sky Championship.
 
WHERE THEY RANK - REGIONALLY
This is a crucial week for many Vikings if they hope to advance to the NCAA West Regional May 24-26 in Austin, Texas. With other conference championships starting this week, athletes from other schools may pass the PSU athletes in the regional rankings. Not including the relays, the top-48 athletes advance to the regional competitions. Here are PSU athletes that rank in the top-50 in the region.
 
WOMEN
NAME – EVENT (RANK)
Geronne Black – 100-meters (15th)
 
MEN
NAME – EVENT (RANK)
Sean Mackelvie – Javelin (21st)
  
LOOKING TO REGAIN THE CROWN
Junior Geronne Black is the only Viking going into this week's championship to have previously won a title at the Big Sky Championship. She is looking to continue the Portland State streak of four consecutive titles in the 100-meter dash.
 
BIG SKY OUTDOOR CHAMPIONS AT PSU
WOMEN
2003: Lisa Gunderson, high jump
2004: Ena Shemi, 100m
2005: Ena Shemi, 100m, 200m; erry-Ann Blackwood, 100m hurdles, long jump; Gayle Imran-Sideris, triple jump; Ashley Quay, high jump
2006: Utica Edgecombe, 100m; Kerry-Ann Blackwood, long jump; 4x100 relay team
2008: Jernise Saunders, 100m
2009: Jernise Saunders, 100m, 200m
2010: Geronne Black, 100m
2011: Karene King, 100m, 200m; 4x100m relay team
 
MEN
2003: Jim Sattem, 100m
2005: Trevor Rollinger, 400m hurdles
2006: Trevor Rollinger, 400m hurdles; Jordan Senn, Javelin
2007: Trevor Rollinger, 400m hurdles
2008: Nick Trubachik, Decathlon
2010: Nick Trubachik, Decathlon
 
OTHER OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP FACTS
• Best Team Finish (Women): 2nd |156 points | 2006
• Best Team Finish (Men): 8th | 65 points | 2006
• 2010 BSC Outstanding Field Athlete: Nick Trubachik
• Lisa Gunderson (high jump) is the only four-time All-Big Sky at Portland State., 2001-04
• Trevor Rollinger (400m hurdles, 2005-07) and Nick Trubachik (decathlon, 2008-10) are the only PSU men to be named all-conference three-straight years.
• Ena Shemi (100m) was a three-time All-Big Sky selection, 2003-05.