Complete meet notes (PDF)

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Vikings have had Halloween circled on their calendar for months, but not because of the costumes and candy. Since the summer, the Portland State cross country teams have been building and preparing for the Big Sky Conference Championships on Oct. 31. The grueling days of practicing and putting in miles will finally be put to the test on Saturday in Cedar City, Utah.
 
The Portland State women are hopeful they are peaking at the right time. The lady Vikings won their final two meets leading up to the conference title race. They prevailed in the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Oct. 3 and paced the field in Oct. 17's Emerald City Open in Seattle.
 
Portland State senior Amanda Boman was the individual victor in each of the Vikings' team victories. She is the Vikings' best chance for a high individual finish at the Big Sky Championships.
 
At the 2014 conference championships, Boman was Portland State's second-fastest runner, coming in 27th overall. Two of the other four point-scorers from last season's sixth-place team are set to run again as the Vikings vie for a higher finish. Junior Cheryn Trapp placed 31st while
sophomore Sarah Medved took 39th.
 
The Portland State men are coming off a third-place finish at the Emerald City Open. The top Viking on the men's team this season has been sophomore Alex Cisneros. At the Big Sky Championships last year, Cisneros was the fastest Viking by more than a minute as he placed 27th. Portland State ranked 10th on the Big Sky leaderboard.
 
Joining Cisneros for another run at the Big Sky Championship are seniors John Talik and Neil Seibert. Talik took 55th while Seibert placed 66th last year.
 
In both the men's and women's races, everyone in the conference will be looking to dethrone Northern Arizona who swept both championships last season.
 
The women's 5,000-meter championship is slated for 10:00 a.m. with the men's 8,000-meter scheduled to follow at 11:00 a.m.
 
 
MEET INFORMATION
LOCATION: Cedar Ridge Golf Course
                     200 E. 900 N., Cedar City, Utah  84721
 
SCHEDULE:
10:00 a.m. – Women's 5,000-meter race
11:00 a.m. – Men's 8,000-meter race
 
PSU ENTRIES:
Women: Amanda Boman (Sr.), Nevina De Luca (Fr.), Kaila Ann Gibson (Fr.), Kennedy Martin (Jr.), Sarah Medved (So.), Jocelyn Reynolds (Fr.) Cheryn Trapp (Jr.)
Men: Aaron Campbell (Sr.), Alex Cisneros (So.), Ben Richardson (Jr.), Spencer Russell (Sr.), Neil Seibert (Sr.), John Talik (Sr.), Justin Wikler (So.)
 
TEAMS COMPETING:
Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State, Southern Utah, Weber State.
 
PSU'S RECENT HISTORY AT THE BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIPS:
The Portland State women placed sixth in 2014 in Grand Forks, N.D., while the men took 10th. Camelia Mayfield was the Vikings' top woman in the No. 15 slot. As a junior, Amanda Boman cracked the top 30 at No. 27. Alex Cisneros had a nice showing as a freshman as he placed 27th to lead the Viking men.
 
In the 2013 men's race in Bozeman, Mont., Portland State was led by Andrew Landstrom in 43rd place. Sarah Dean was the Vikings' top finisher in 7th place. The Portland State men and women each placed 10th in the team competition.
 
THE COURSE:
The course, laid out at Cedar City, Utah's Cedar Ridge Golf Course takes runners along fairways and greens, and around sand traps and water hazards. The course is highlighted by iconic southern Utah red rock cliffs lining the perimeter.
 
LOOKING AHEAD:
The NCAA West Regional will take the Vikings back to Seattle for the third time this season. The Regional is scheduled for Nov. 13. Should any Vikings qualify, the NCAA Nationals are the following week in Louisville, Ky.