MEET NOTES

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State track and field program enters the national stage this weekend, as the Vikings will compete in five events at the NCAA West Preliminary rounds Thursday, May 29, to Saturday, May 31, at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville, Ark.
 
The Vikings will compete in four individual events at the meet, with freshman Genna Settle competing in the 100, junior Jasmine Woods competing in the 200, senior Sarah Dean competing in the 10,000, and junior Jazmin Ratcliff and freshman CeCelia Jackson competing in the 100-meter hurdles. The Vikings' 4x100-meter relay team will also compete at the meet.
 
The meet is set up as the preliminary rounds for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which will run June 11-14 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Consequently, there will be no championships settled at the NCAA West Preliminary rounds, as all events will end at the semifinal stage or earlier. The top 12 finishers in the final stage of each individual event and relay at the NCAA West Preliminary will advance to the national meet.
 
MEET SPECIFICS:
May 29-31 – NCAA West Preliminary – Fayetteville, Ark. – John McDonnell Field
 
NCAA WEST PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE (PSU entries):
Thursday, May 29
Track Events
Start (CT)                   Event (PSU entries)                                                           Round
6:55 p.m.                    Women's 100 Meters (Settle)                                        First Round
9:40 p.m.                    Women's 10,000 Meters (Dean)                                        Semifinal
 
Friday, May 30
Track Events
Start (CT)                   Event (PSU entries)                                                          Round
5:30 p.m.                    Women's 100-Meter Hurdles (Ratcliff, Jackson)             First Round
6:45 p.m.                    Women's 100 Meters (Settle)                                       Quarterfinal
8:25 p.m.                    Women's 200 Meters (Woods)                                     First Round
 
Saturday, May 31
Track Events
Start (CT)                   Event (PSU entries)                                                          Round
6:15 p.m.                    Women's 4x100-Meter Relay (Portland State 'A')           Quarterfinal
7:20 p.m.                    Women's 100-Meter Hurdles (Ratcliff, Jackson)             Quarterfinal
7:50 p.m.                    Women's 200 Meters (Woods)                                      Quarterfinal
 
LIVE RESULTS:
Live results from the NCAA West Preliminary rounds will be available here, and can be found on the men's and women's track and field schedule pages on GoViks.com.
 
LIVE VIDEO:
Live video from the NCAA West Preliminary rounds will be available here, and can be found on the men's and women's track and field schedule pages on GoViks.com. The broadcast Thursday, May 29, will start at 4:30 p.m. (CT), while the broadcasts on Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31, will start at 5 p.m. (CT) and 6 p.m. (CT), respectively.
 
COMING UP:
The top 12 finishers in each individual event and relay at the NCAA West Preliminary rounds will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, June 11-14, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS:
The Vikings finished the Big Sky Championships with four athletes ranked in the top 100 nationally across four different events this season. Senior Nevin Lewis and junior Jazmin Ratcliff rank the highest of the four, as Lewis ranks 30th in the nation in the decathlon, while Ratcliff ranks 30th in the 100-meter hurdles. Freshman CeCelia Jackson also ranks in the top 100 in the 100-meter hurdles, ranking 81st, while senior Sarah Dean ranks in the top 100 in the 10,000 meters (39th) and 1,500 meters (77th).
 
Vikings in National Rankings
Women:
1,500m
77. Sarah Dean – 4:22.30 – Oregon Twilight (5/9/14)
 
10,000m
39. Sarah Dean – 34:00.32 – Payton Jordan Invitational (5/4/14)
 
100m Hurdles
30. Jazmin Ratcliff – 13.34@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
81. CeCelia Jackson – 13.61@ – Big Sky Championships (5/14/14)
 
Men:
Decathlon
30. Nevin Lewis – 7,268 points – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/11/14)
 
@ - Time altitude adjusted
 
DIVISION I WEST RANKINGS:
The Vikings finished the Big Sky Championships with 23 marks ranked in the top 100 of their respective events on the final NCAA Division I West Outdoor Qualifying list. The final NCAA Division I West Outdoor Qualifying list was the basis of entry to the NCAA West Preliminary rounds, with the top 48 declared student-athletes in each individual event (except the combined events), as well as the top 24 declared relay teams, qualifying for the meet.
 
Vikings in West Rankings
Women:
100m
67. Genna Settle – 11.75 – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
82. Jasmine Woods – 11.80 – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
 
200m
81. Jasmine Woods – 24.02@ – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
84. Whitney Diggs – 24.03@ – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
 
400m
65. Whitney Diggs – 54.65 – Victor Lopez Classic (3/29/14)
 
1,500m
33. Sarah Dean – 4:22.30 – Oregon Twilight (5/9/14)
 
5,000m
97. Sarah Dean – 16:43.80 – Oregon Relays (4/19/14)
 
10,000m
19. Sarah Dean – 34:00.32 – Payton Jordan Invitational (5/4/14)
 
100m Hurdles
13. Jazmin Ratcliff – 13.34@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
38. CeCelia Jackson – 13.61@ – Big Sky Championships (5/14/14)
 
400m Hurdles
94. CeCelia Jackson – 1:01.71 – Oregon Relays (4/18/14)
 
4x100m Relay
51. Portland State 'B' (Woods, Settle, Simms, Ratcliff) – 45.39@ – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
98. Portland State 'A' (Ratcliff, Settle, Simms, White) – 46.07 – Victor Lopez Classic (3/29/14)
 
Long Jump
59. Baileh Simms – 19-05.25 (5.92m) – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
 
Triple Jump
100. Montaisha Moore – 38-09.00 (11.81m) – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
 
Discus
78. Sydney Johnson – 155-11 (47.53m) – Oregon Relays (4/19/14)
 
Javelin
72. Allison Burkett – 142-04 (43.38m) – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
 
Heptathlon
63. CeCelia Jackson – 4,864 points – Big Sky Championships (5/15/14)
 
Men
400m
85. Sheldon Prince – 47.59 – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/12/14)
 
3,000m Steeplechase
99. T-Roy Brown – 9:16.04 – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
 
High Jump
56. Rockwell Tufty – 6-09.75 (2.08m) – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
65. Nevin Lewis – 6-09.00 (2.06m) – Big Sky Championships (5/14/14)
 
Decathlon
17. Nevin Lewis – 7,268 points – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/11/14)
 
@ - Time altitude adjusted
 
BIG SKY RANKINGS (through May 20)
Women:
100m
4. Genna Settle – 11.61@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
5. Jasmine Woods – 11.62@ – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
6. Jazmin Ratcliff – 11.68@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
10. Baileh Simms – 11.84@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
13. Adia White – 12.00@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
 
200m
4. Jasmine Woods – 24.02@ – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
5. Whitney Diggs – 24.03@ – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
9. Genna Settle – 24.35 – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
11. Jazmin Ratcliff – 24.56 – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
T-15. Dejuanae Toliver – 24.97 – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/12/14)
 
400m
4. Whitney Diggs – 54.65 – Victor Lopez Classic (3/29/14)
18. Dejuanae Toliver – 56.87 – Oregon Relays (4/19/14)
 
800m
2. Sarah Dean – 2:10.61 – Willamette Invitational (3/29/14)
 
1,500m
1. Sarah Dean – 4:22.30 – Oregon Twilight (5/9/14)
 
5,000m
4. Sarah Dean – 16:43.80 – Oregon Relays (4/19/14)
 
10,000m
1. Sarah Dean – 34:00.32 – Payton Jordan Invitational (5/4/14)
12. Maggie Coleman – 37:34.62 – SF State Distance Carnival (4/4/14)
 
100m Hurdles
1. Jazmin Ratcliff – 13.34@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
3. CeCelia Jackson – 13.61@ – Big Sky Championships (5/14/14)
 
400m Hurdles
9. CeCelia Jackson – 1:01.71 – Oregon Relays (4/18/14)
 
3,000m Steeplechase
14. Maggie Coleman – 11:20.15 – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
16. Keikoanne Hollins – 11:44.17 – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
 
4x100m Relay
1. Portland State – 45.39@ – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
 
4x400m Relay
11. Portland State – 3:57.66 – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/12/14)
 
High Jump
T-19. CeCelia Jackson – 5-04.25 (1.63m) – Big Sky Championships (5/14/14)
 
Long Jump
5. Baileh Simms – 19-05.25 (5.92m) – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
12. CeCelia Jackson – 18-05.25 (5.62m) – Big Sky Championships (5/15/14)
 
Triple Jump
3. Montaisha Moore – 39-08.50 (12.10m) – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
 
Discus
7. Sydney Johnson – 155-11 (47.53m) – Oregon Relays (4/19/14)
18. Shae Carson – 141-05 (43.11m) – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
 
Javelin
11. Allison Burkett – 142-04 (43.38m) – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
 
Heptathlon
6. CeCelia Jackson – 4,864 points – Big Sky Championships (5/15/14)
 
Men:
100m
T-9. Michael Kubisiak – 10.71@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
 
200m
9. Sheldon Prince – 21.50 – Oregon Relays (4/18/14)
 
400m
5. Sheldon Prince – 47.59 – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/12/14)
17. Mitchell Gable – 48.86@ – Big Sky Championships (5/16/14)
 
800m
10. Nathan Fleck – 1:52.85 – Stanford Invitational (4/5/14)
 
1,500m
18. T-Roy Brown – 3:54.66 – SF State Distance Carnival (4/4/14)
 
10,000m
17. Jake Schwartz – 32:38.28 – Oregon Relays (4/18/14)
18. Jonathan Talik – 32:56.80 – Oregon Relays (4/18/14)
 
110m Hurdles
T-12. Kevin Robinson – 15.16 – Oregon Twilight (5/9/14)
 
3,000m Steeplechase
5. T-Roy Brown – 9:16.04 – OSU High Performance (5/2/14)
 
4x400m Relay
9. Portland State – 3:23.32 – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/12/14)
 
High Jump
T-4. Rockwell Tufty – 6-09.75 (2.08m) – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
T-6. Nevin Lewis – 6-09.00 (2.06m) – Big Sky Championships (5/14/14)
T-16. Tyson Stipic – 6-04.75 (1.95m) – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
18. Kevin Robinson – 6-04.00 (1.93m) – Willamette Invitational (3/29/14)
 
Long Jump
17. Nevin Lewis – 22-00.25 (6.71m) – Big Sky Championships (5/14/14)
 
Triple Jump
10. Gifton Okoronkwo – 45-03.25 (13.80m) – Big Sky Championships (5/17/14)
14. Tyson Stipic – 44-02.00 (13.46m) – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/12/14)
 
Javelin
18. Nevin Lewis – 171-03 (52.21m) – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/11/14)
 
Decathlon
2. Nevin Lewis – 7,268 points – Mondo Mid-Major Challenge (4/11/14)
15. Kevin Robinson – 5,718 points – Big Sky Championships (5/15/14)
 
@ - Time altitude adjusted
 
BIG SKY OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP:
The Vikings won four Big Sky titles and recorded 14 All-Big Sky performances at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships, May 14-17, at Lumberjack Stadium in Flagstaff, Ariz. Senior Sarah Dean, junior Jazmin Ratcliff, freshman Baileh Simms and the women's 4x100-meter relay team won the Big Sky titles for the Vikings. Ratcliff won the title in the women's 100-meter hurdles, and then came back to run the anchor leg on the Viking's title-winning 4x100-meter relay that broke the school record in the event. Ratcliff won the 4x100-meter relay along with junior Jasmine Woods, freshman Genna Settle and freshman Baileh Simms, who also won a Big Sky title in the long jump. Dean, meanwhile, ran away with the Big Sky title in the women's 1,500 meters, as she finished more than three full seconds ahead of the No. 2 runner in the event. Outside of the title winners, Woods earned All-Big Sky honors with second- and third-place finishes in the 100 and 200 meters, respectively, while freshman CeCelia Jackson and junior Montaisha Moore earned All-Big Sky honors with third-place finishes in the 100-meter hurdles and triple jump, respectively. On the men's side, sophomore Rockwell Tufty broke the school record in the high jump, jumping 6-09.75 (2.08m) while placing second in the event and earning All-Big Sky honors. Senior Nevin Lewis also earned All-Big Sky honors with a second-place finish in the decathlon, while sophomore Sheldon Prince earned All-Big Sky honors with a third-place finish in the 400 meters. Additionally, Ratcliff broke the school, championship and conference records in the 100-meter hurdles with her time of 13.26 seconds (13.34 after altitude conversion for Big Sky records) in the prelims of the event.
 
Big Sky Champions:
Women:
Sarah Dean – 1,500m – 4:34.88
Jazmin Ratcliff – 100m Hurdles – 13.30 seconds
Jasmine Woods, Genna Settle, Baileh Simms, Jazmin Ratcliff – 4x100m Relay – 45.11 seconds
Baileh Simms – Long Jump – 19-05.25 (5.92m)
 
All-Big Sky Performers:
Women:
Sarah Dean – 1,500m – 1st – 4:34.88
Jazmin Ratcliff – 100m Hurdles – 1st – 13.30 seconds
Jasmine Woods, Genna Settle, Baileh Simms, Jazmin Ratcliff – 4x100m Relay – 1st – 45.11 seconds
Baileh Simms – Long Jump – 1st – 19-05.25 (5.92m)
Jasmine Woods – 100m – 2nd – 11.55 seconds
CeCelia Jackson – 100m Hurdles – 3rd – 13.53 seconds
Jasmine Woods – 200m – 3rd – 23.88 seconds
Montaisha Moore – Triple Jump – 3rd – 39-08.50 (12.10m)
Men:
Rockwell Tufty – High Jump – 2nd – 6-09.75 (2.08m)
Nevin Lewis – Decathlon – 2nd – 7,235 points
Sheldon Prince – 400m – 3rd – 47.83 seconds
 
Conference Records Broken:
Women:
Jazmin Ratcliff – 100m Hurdles – 13.26 seconds (13.34 after altitude conversion) – Breaks Sacramento State's Nancy Searcy's 2007 conference record of 13.35 seconds
 
Big Sky Championship Records Broken:
Women:
Jazmin Ratcliff – 100m Hurdles – 13.26 seconds (13.34 after altitude conversion) – Breaks Weber State's Nsa Henshaw's 1998 record of 13.35 seconds
 
School Records Broken:
Women:
Jazmin Ratcliff – 100m Hurdles – 13.26 seconds – Breaks CeCelia Jackson's record of 13.53 seconds, set during the first day of the Big Sky heptathlon competition
Jasmine Woods, Genna Settle, Baileh Simms, Jazmin Ratcliff – 4x100m Relay – 45.11 seconds – Breaks Brooks, Black, Rhodes and Ratcliff's 2012 record of 45.19 seconds
Men:
Rockwell Tufty – High Jump – 6-09.75 (2.08m) – Breaks Brian Coushey's 1985 record of 6-09.00 (2.06m), which Nevin Lewis tied during the first day of the Big Sky decathlon
 
OREGON TWILIGHT RECAP:
Senior Sarah Dean broke the school record in the 1,500 meters Friday, May 9, at the Oregon Twilight meet at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Dean ran the 1,500 in 4:22.30 at the meet, setting over a six-second personal best in the event and breaking Bianca Martin's school record of 4:23.89. Additionally, Dean's time moved her into the Big Sky lead in the event by over two and a half seconds, and ranks her 31st on the NCAA West Outdoor Qualifying list, putting her in good position to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary meet. Besides Dean, four Vikings won their events at the meet, including junior Jasmine Woods, who led a 1-2-3 PSU finish in the women's 100 meters. Woods won the event in 12.06 seconds, while junior Jazmin Ratcliff and freshman Genna Settle finished second and third behind her in 12.18 and 12.21 seconds, respectively. Ratcliff also won the 100-meter hurdles at the meet, as she was the only runner to crack 14 seconds amid a heavy rain, finishing in 13.88. Sophomore Sheldon Prince and freshman Baileh Simms, meanwhile, won the men's 400 meters and women's long jump, respectively. Sophomore Rockwell Tufty also set a new seasonal best in the high jump at 6-08.25 (2.04m), and took three attempts at what would have been a school-record 6-10.25 (2.08m). Additionally, sophomore Kevin Robinson lowered his personal best in the 110-meter hurdles for the third straight meet, as he finished fourth amongst an elite field in 15.16 seconds.
 
DEAN WINS SECOND STRAIGHT BIG SKY WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK AWARD:
Senior Sarah Dean won her second straight Big Sky Women's Track Athlete of the Week award after her school-record performance at the Oregon Twilight meet. Dean is the first women's distance runner at Portland State to win the award twice in one season, and is only the second distance runner ever to accomplish the feat, following Tony Crisofulli's two awards in 2011.
 
PAYTON JORDAN INVITATIONAL RECAP:
Senior Sarah Dean set a near-50-second personal best in the 10,000 meters Sunday, May 4, while competing among an elite field at the Payton Jordan Invitational at the Cobb Track & Angell Field in Stanford, Calif. Dean's time vaults her into the Big Sky lead in the women's 10,000 meters this season, and ranks her 16th in the NCAA West Region. Dean's rank in the west region essentially assures her of finishing in the top 48 of the region, which would qualify her for the NCAA West Preliminary meet in Fayetteville, Ark., at the end of May. Additionally, Dean's time moves her within nine seconds of Debbie Myra's 27-year-old school record of 33:51.40 in the women's 10,000 meters, and ranks her 10th all-time in the event within the Big Sky Conference.
 
DEAN NAMED BIG SKY WOMEN'S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:
Senior Sarah Dean's performance in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational earned her Big Sky Women's Track Outdoor Athlete of the Week honors Tuesday, May 6. Dean's athlete of the week honor marks the first time a PSU women's distance runner has been so honored since Staci Bielenberg earned the award in 2005. The honor also continues a standout 2013-14 school year for Dean, as she became the first Viking runner to earn All-Big Sky honors in cross country since Melissa Tellford in 1999 in the fall, then broke the school record in the indoor mile during the indoor season. Dean has also qualified for the Big Sky meet in the 800, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters during the outdoor season, and has moved into the top five all-time at Portland State in six different events (second in indoor 3,000, fifth in outdoor 800, fourth in outdoor 1,500, third in outdoor 3,000, third in outdoor 5,000 and second in outdoor 10,000).
 
OSU HIGH PERFORMANCE RECAP:
The Vikings set or improved 11 Big Sky qualifying marks at the OSU High Performance meet Friday, May 2, at Whyte Track & Field Center in Corvallis, Ore. Freshman Genna Settle and junior Jasmine Woods accounted for four of the new or improved qualifying marks between them, as they finished 1-2, respectively, in both the 100 and 200 meters. Settle won the women's 100 in 11.75 seconds, .18 seconds better than her previous personal best, which she set at the Oregon Relays two weeks prior. Settle then ran 24.35 seconds in the 200 meters an hour later, setting another personal best by .18 seconds. Settle moved into fifth place all-time in the both the 100 and 200 meters with those performances. Woods, meanwhile, placed second behind Settle in both the 100 and 200 in personal-best times of 11.80 and 24.52 seconds, respectively. Woods' time in the 200 meters set a new personal best by .42 seconds, and moves her up to eighth all-time in the event at PSU. Junior Jazmin Ratcliff also improved her Big Sky qualifying marks in the 100-meter hurdles and 200 meters with personal bests in each event. Ratcliff ran the 100-meter hurdles in 13.63 seconds, .08 seconds better than her previous personal best, which she ran at the NCAA West Regional last season. Ratcliff's time moves her within just .04 seconds of Joenisha Vinson's school record of 13.59 seconds. Outside of the sprints, freshman Maggie Coleman and sophomore T-Roy Brown qualified for the women's and men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, respectively. Junior Montaisha Moore and senior throwers Allison Burkett and Shae Carson also improved or set new Big Sky qualifying marks in the women's triple jump, women's javelin and women's discus, respectively.
 
OREGON RELAYS RECAP:
The Portland State Vikings set 25 seasonal bests at the Oregon Relays Friday and Saturday, April 18-19 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Five athletes set seasonal bests in the women's 100 meters Saturday, led by Jasmine Woods, who set a huge personal best of 11.89 seconds. Junior Jazmin Ratcliff also qualified for the Big Sky meet in the 100 meters with her time of 11.93 seconds, a day after she qualified in the 200 meters with a personal-best time of 24.66 seconds. Senior Sarah Dean, meanwhile, placed fourth in the top section of the 5,000 meters in a personal-best time of 16:43.80. Dean's time qualifies her for the Big Sky meet in the 5,000 meters, giving her qualifying times in the 800, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters. Dean also moved up to third all-time in the 5,000 meters at Portland State with her time at the meet, giving her top-five marks in the 800 (fifth), 1,500 (fourth), 3,000 (third), 5,000 (third) and 10,000 (second). Junior Jake Schwartz and sophomore Jonathan Talik set big personal bests in the men's 10,000 meters, too, as they both nearly set two-minute personal bests with their times of 32:38.28 and 32:56.80, respectively. Sophomore Sydney Johnson and senior Allison Burkett also improved their Big Sky qualifying marks in the discus and javelin, respectively, as Johnson threw a seasonal-best 155-11 (47.53m) in the discus, while Burkett threw a seasonal-best 138-10 (42.32m) in the javelin. Additionally, sophomore sprinter Sheldon Prince set personal bests in the 100 and 200 meters at the meet, running 10.95 in the 100 and 21.50 in the 200 meters.
 
MONDO MID-MAJOR CHALLENGE RECAP:
Senior Nevin Lewis won the decathlon, and the Vikings set or bettered 10 Big Sky qualifying marks at the Mondo Mid-Major Challenge Thursday to Saturday, April 10-12, at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif. Lewis won the decathlon with 7,268 points, moving him to second all-time at Portland State after his debut in the event. Besides Lewis, freshman CeCelia Jackson qualified for the Big Sky with a third-place finish in the heptathlon with 4,722 points. Jackson also lowered her Big Sky qualifying time in the 100-meter hurdles to 13.86 seconds during the heptathlon competition, while five of the remaining seven new or bettered Big Sky qualifying marks came from the Vikings' sprinters. Of those, junior Jazmin Ratcliff lowered her time in the 100-meter hurdles to 13.94 seconds, while freshman Baileh Simms qualified in the 100 meters with her time of 12.06 seconds, and freshman Genna Settle lowered her times in the 100 and 200 meters. Settle ran the 100 in 11.96 seconds at the meet, and ran the 200 in 24.56 seconds. Sophomore Sheldon Prince also lowered his Big Sky qualifying time in the men's 400 while blowing past the rest of the 400-meter field in 47.59 seconds. Prince finished .95 seconds faster than the No. 2 runner in the 400 field, Kianti Gix of the Auc Elite professional club, and now stands just .21 second behind Anthony Robinson's school record of 47.38 seconds. Outside of the Vikings' sprinters, senior Sarah Dean also lowered her Big Sky qualifying time in the women's 1,500 meters while setting a new personal best of 4:28.50 in the event, while sophomore Sydney Johnson threw a seasonal-best 147-07 (44.99m) in the women's discus.
 
LEWIS NAMED BIG SKY MEN'S CO-FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:
Senior Nevin Lewis was named the Big Sky Men's Co-Field Athlete of the Week after winning the decathlon Friday, April 11, at the Mondo Mid-Major Challenge. Lewis scored 7,268 points in his debut in the event, a total that ranks him second all-time at Portland State, behind only NCAA All-American Nick Trubachik. Additionally, Lewis' score of 7,268 points leads the Big Sky by 600 points in the decathlon, and ranks him 15th in the nation. At 15th in the NCAA, Lewis has the potential to be the Vikings' third athlete to qualify for nationals in the combined events in the past five seasons.
 
STANFORD INVITATIONAL RECAP:
Senior Sarah Dean and freshman Nathan Fleck qualified for the Big Sky Championships in the women's 10,000 and men's 800 meters Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5, at the Stanford Invitational at Cobb Track and Angell Field in Stanford, Calif. Dean set her qualifying mark in the 10,000 meters Friday, as she finished 21st in the second section of the event in 34:49.18. Dean's time ranks her second in the Big Sky this season, and moves her up to second all-time in the 10,000 meters at Portland State. Dean's time also cross-qualifies her for the 5,000 meters in the Big Sky, since she beat the cross-qualifying standard of 37:00.00. Dean has now qualified in the 800, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters after just three outdoor meets this season. Fleck, meanwhile, hit the Big Sky qualifying mark in the 800 meters while finishing 39th in the event in 1:52.85. Fleck's time ranks him third in the Big Sky this season, and moves him up to ninth all-time in the event at Portland State. Fleck's fellow freshman Ben Richardson also set a new personal best in the 800 meters at the Stanford Invite, as he finished 80th overall in 2:00.14, edging his old PR of 2:00.55, which he set at the Willamette Invitational the week before.
 
SF STATE DISTANCE CARNIVAL RECAP:
The Viking distance crew set eight personal bests across six events at the SF State Distance Carnival Friday, April 4, at Cox Stadium in San Francisco, Calif. Freshman Maggie Coleman headlined the day for the Vikings, as she qualified for the Big Sky meet in the 10,000 meters with her time of 37:34.62. Coleman's time moved her to sixth in the Big Sky this season, and ninth all-time in the event at Portland State. Besides Coleman, junior Jake Schwartz and sophomore Jonathan Talik crushed their old personal best in the 5,000 meters, finishing in times of 15:23.76 and 15:23.86, respectively, 27 seconds better than each of their old records. Junior Erica Contos and sophomore T-Roy Brown each set records in the women's and men's 800 and 1,500 meters, as Contos finished the women's 800 in 2:17.43 and the women's 1,500 in 4:41.97, while Brown finished the men's 800 in 1:57.09 and the men's 1,500 in 3:54.66. Additionally, Junior Keikoanne Hollins and sophomore Neil Seibert set personal best in the 1,500 meters, as Hollins ran the women's 1,500 in 4:46.22, while Seibert ran the men's 1,500 in 3:59.38.
 
VICTOR LOPEZ CLASSIC RECAP:
The Portland State Vikings won five events at the Victor Lopez Classic Saturday, March 29, at the Rice University Track Stadium in Houston, Texas. Sophomore Sheldon Prince and freshman Whitney Diggs swept the men's and women's 400 meters for the Vikings, while Prince also won the men's 100 meters. Prince lowered his Big Sky-leading 400 time to 47.65 seconds in winning the men's 400, putting him just .27 seconds behind Anthony Robinson's 11-year-old school record of 47.38 seconds. Diggs, meanwhile, won the women's 400 meters in 54.65 seconds, a time that leads the Big Sky by more than a second. Outside of Prince and Diggs, freshman Baileh Simms won the women's long jump by four and a half inches, as she jumped a Big Sky-leading 19-04.25 (5.90m) at the meet. Junior Jazmin Ratcliff and freshman CeCelia Jackson also went 1-2 in the 100-meter hurdles, a week after the duo went 1-2 in the same event at the Oregon Preview. Jackson also qualified for the Big Sky meet in the 400-meter hurdles, as she finished fourth in the event in 1:02.48. Additionally, Ratcliff, freshman Genna Settle, Simms and sophomore Adia White finished second in the 4x100-meter relay in a Big Sky-leading 46.07 seconds.
 
WILLAMETTE INVITATONAL RECAP:
The Vikings set or bettered six Big Sky qualifying marks Saturday, March 29, at the Willamette Invitational at the Charles Bowles Track in Salem, Ore. Senior Sarah Dean led the Vikings' group of Big Sky qualifiers, as she won the women's 800 meters by over two and a half seconds. Dean finished in 2:10.61 at the meet, a time that leads the Big Sky by over two full seconds. Dean qualified in the 1,500 meters as well, as she placed third in the event in 4:32.87. Besides Dean, senior Allison Burkett qualified for the Big Sky meet while winning the javelin with a throw of 135-06.25 (41.30m). Sophomore thrower Sydney Johnson also won the discus at the meet Saturday while improving her Big Sky qualifying mark in the event with a throw of 142-07.25 (43.46m). Junior Jasmine Woods, meanwhile, qualified for the Big Sky in the 100 meters, placing second in 12.06 seconds. Additionally, sophomore Rockwell Tufty improved his Big Sky qualifying mark in the high jump while placing second in the event with a jump of 6-07.75 (2.03m). Freshman Roazena Miller won the women's 400 meters for the Vikings as well, finishing in 1:00.47.
 
OREGON PREVIEW RECAP:
The Vikings opened their 2014 outdoor schedule with nine Big Sky qualifying marks at the Oregon Preview Saturday, March 22, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Freshman Genna Settle and sophomore Michael Kubisiak gave the Vikings two Big Sky qualifiers while winning their respective sides of the women's and men's 100 meters. Settle won the women's 100 in 12.00 seconds, while Kubisiak won the men's 100 in a Big Sky-leading time of 10.72 seconds. Junior Jazmin Ratcliff and freshman CeCelia Jackson, meanwhile, went 1-2 in the 100-meter hurdles in Big Sky-qualifying times of 14.14 and 14.32 seconds, respectively. Sophomore Sheldon Prince also qualified in the 200 and 400 meters at the Oregon Preview, as he placed second in both in 21.81 and 47.88 seconds, respectively. Prince's time of 47.88 seconds in the 400 moved him up to No. 2 all-time in the event at Portland State, and ranked him atop the Big Sky in the 400 after week one. Besides Prince, sophomore Sydney Johnson, freshman Baileh Simms and sophomore Rockwell Tufty hit Big Sky qualifying marks in the women's discus, women's long jump and men's high jump, respectively. Johnson qualified in the discus with a throw of 141-08 (43.17m), while Simms qualified in the long jump with a jump of 18-07.25 (5.67m), and Tufty qualified in the high jump with a jump of 6-07.50 (2.02m). Additionally, seniors Sarah Dean and Nevin Lewis moved up the PSU career lists in the women's 3,000 meters and men's pole vault, respectively. Dean moved up to No. 3 all-time in the 3,000 with her time of 9:45.97 in the event, while Lewis moved up to fourth all-time in the pole vault with his mark of 14-07.25 (4.45m).
 
2014 INDOOR SEASON RECAP:
The Portland State Vikings won two Big Sky individual championships, set six school records and earned seven All-Big Sky performances during the 2014 indoor season. Freshman Gifton Okoronkwo and sophomore Sheldon Prince won the Vikings' two Big Sky titles, as they won the men's triple jump and 400 meters, respectively. Prince won his title in the 400 meters in a school-record time of 47.86 seconds. Prince lowered his own record with his time in the 400-meter final, and now leads the No. 2 time – Mitch Whalen and J.J. Rosenberg at 48.78 – by nearly a full second. Besides Prince, five other school records fell during the indoor season, including two others at the Big Sky Championships. Junior Jazmin Ratcliff crushed Joenisha Vinson's old record in the 60-meter hurdles, as she crossed the line in 8.35 seconds in the prelims of the event at the Big Sky meet. Freshman Whitney Diggs, meanwhile, broke the record in the 400 meters in the prelims, then lowered her time in the finals to 54.89 seconds, becoming the first PSU runner to crack 55 seconds in the women's 400. Diggs placed third in the finals of the 400 meters to earn All-Big Sky honors in the event, while sophomore Michael Kubisiak (3rd in 60m), Okoronkwo (1st in triple jump), Prince (1st in 400m), Ratcliff (2nd in 60m Hurdles; 3rd in 60m) and freshman Baileh Simms (2nd in long jump) all earned All-Big Sky honors as well. The Viking distance crew, meanwhile, set the other three school records earlier in the season, as T-Roy Brown, Sarah Dean and Camelia Mayfield set records in the men's 3,000 meters, women's mile and women's 5,000 meters, respectively. Brown set the record in the men's 3,000 meters at 8:21.04 at the season-opening UW Indoor Preview on Jan. 18. Dean and Mayfield, meanwhile, set their records two weeks later at the UW Invitational (Jan. 31-Feb. 1), with Dean setting the new women's mile mark at 4:51.32, and Mayfield breaking her own record in the women's 5,000 meters by over 40 seconds with a time of 17:02.49.
 
Big Sky Champions:
Men:
Gifton Okoronkwo – Triple Jump – 48-05.25 (14.76m)
Sheldon Prince – 400m – 47.86
 
All-Big Sky Performers:
Men:
Gifton Okoronkwo – 1st – Triple Jump – 48-05.25 (14.76m)
Sheldon Prince – 1st – 400m – 47.86
Michael Kubisiak – 3rd – 60m – 6.88
Women:
Baileh Simms – 2nd – Long Jump – 19-05.50 (5.93m)
Jazmin Ratcliff – 2nd – 60m Hurdles – 8.44
Whitney Diggs – 3rd – 400m – 54.89
Jazmin Ratcliff – 3rd – 60m – 7.50
 
PSU School Records Broken:
Men:
T-Roy Brown – 8:21.04 – 3,000m
Sheldon Prince – 47.86 – 400m
Women:
Sarah Dean – 4:51.32 – Mile
Whitney Diggs – 54.89 – 400m
Camelia Mayfield – 17:02.49 – 5,000m
Jazmin Ratcliff – 8.35 – 60m Hurdles
 
RESURGENT MEN:
The Portland State men's track and field team has had strong indoor and outdoor season in 2014, as the men's team had its best showing at the Big Sky Indoor Championships since 2005 this season, and record its best score at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships since 2010. The Viking men scored 39 points at the Big Sky Indoor meet, which represented the second-best total in program history, behind only the 54 the team scored in 2005. The team's youth has led the resurgence, as 30.5 of the team's 39 points at the indoor meet came from freshmen or sophomores, while 21.5 of team's 29.5 points at the outdoor meet came from underclassmen. Both of the team's Big Sky champions during the indoor season were underclassmen as well, while five of the team's six All-Big Sky performers between the indoor and outdoor seasons were underclassmen.
 
YOUTH UPRISING:
Youth has not been wasted on the young for the Vikings, as five of PSU's seven All-Big Sky performances at the Big Sky Indoor Championships (Feb. 27-March 1) came from underclassmen, as well as six of PSU's 14 All-Big Sky performances at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships (May 14-17). Additionally, 14 of the team's 22 automatic Big Sky qualifiers for the indoor meet were underclassmen, as well as 17 of the Vikings' 31 Big Sky automatic qualifying marks during the outdoor season. The strong showing from the Vikings' youth has been a blessing for Portland State, as the men's roster features 18 underclassmen among its 22 athletes (seven freshmen, 11 sophomores), while the women's roster features 18 underclassmen among its 29 athletes (10 freshmen, eight sophomores).
 
BIG SKY PRESEASON POLL:
The Portland State women's and men's track and field teams were picked fifth and ninth, respectively, in the Big Sky's preseason coaches' poll. Northern Arizona was picked to sweep the titles, and was a unanimous selection on the men's side. Northern Arizona earned 121 points and all 11 first-place votes in the men's poll, well ahead of second-place Sacramento State (104 points) and third-place Montana (88 points). The Northern Arizona women, meanwhile, topped their side of the poll with 116 points and seven first-place votes. Sacramento State followed the NAU women with 104 points and four first-place votes, while Montana and Weber State tied for third with 94 points. The Viking women finished with 76 points on their side of the poll, while the Viking men finished with 37.
 
VIKINGS UNDER COACH HARRISON:
Six-year head coach Ronnye Harrison has led the Portland State men's and women's track and field teams to several records in his tenure at the school. Harrison has coached 33 Big Sky individual champions in his tenure, including 22 in the sprints. Additionally, four athletes have been named Big Sky Athletes of the Meet, while athletes have won 50 athletes Big Sky silver and bronze medals (26 silver, 24 bronze) and earned 83 All-Big Sky honors. The Vikings also won six straight Big Sky titles in the outdoor 100 meters from 2008-13 under Harrison, and set six Big Sky Conference records (women's indoor 55, indoor 60, indoor 200, outdoor 100, outdoor 200 and outdoor 100-meter hurdles).