Complete meet notes (PDF)

PORTLAND, Ore. — Delayed just over a week due to the cancellation of the Oregon XC Preview for unhealthy air conditions last week, the Portland State cross country will finally make its 2017 debut at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle this Saturday.
 
The meet will mark the debuts for several Vikings, including new head coach David Hepburn, who took over the program after serving as a track & field assistant and recruiting coordinator for the past two seasons.
 
"As head coach, I intend to continue to focus on building a strong program here, starting with the team culture," Hepburn said. "Coming off of team camp last week, I feel confident we are on the right path. Our individual focus will be on improving one's self every day."
 
Also making his cross country debut will be assistant coach Josh Seitz, who has overseen the Vikings' distance groups since he joined the program in January.
 
Hepburn and Seitz will juggle two very different looking teams in the men's and women's cross country teams this season. The men have a whopping 16 athletes listed on their roster, but only four of those ran for the Vikings last season. The women, meanwhile, have only nine athletes listed on their roster, but five of those nine ran last season.
 
The five Viking women who ran last year are all juniors and seniors, including Sarah Medved, who earned All-Big Sky honors with a 10th-place individual finish at the Big Sky Championships. Medved was the third Viking women's runner in the past four seasons to earn All-Big Sky honors, after nobody had done it since 1999.
 
Kaila Gibson should join Medved as a team leader for the Viking women, according to Hepburn, after she finished as the Vikings' second runner at the Big Sky Championships last season.
 
"Both Kaila and Sarah have looked great in workouts and we expect big seasons from them," Hepburn said. "We also have a freshman in Meggie Karp that looks to be a solid contributor as well. Jocelyn Reynolds and Alana Chaplin will also look to continue improving their times, and freshman Hannah Tomeo has come in looking fit and ready to round out our conference squad."
 
Alex Cisneros, meanwhile, should provide some much-needed senior leadership for what will be an inexperienced Portland State men's team this season.
 
Cisneros finished last cross country season on a tear, as he broke a 13-year-old school record in the cross country 10,000 meters with his finish in 30:29.8 at the NCAA West Regional. Cisneros followed it up with another school record in the indoor 5,000 meters while making his 2017 indoor track debut at the UW Invitational in January.
 
Things turned against Cisneros soon after that, however, as he broke a bone in his leg and unwittingly ran through the injury at the Big Sky Indoor Championships in February. Cisneros and trainers caught the fracture after the conference indoor meet, forcing Cisneros to sit out the outdoor track season.
 
Saturday's meet in Seattle will mark Cisneros' return for the Vikings, with nine Vikings running behind him in Justin Wikler, Elmer Shelevy, Jason Rae, Erik Solano, Andy Solano, Jack Rubalcave, Jayson Maule, Nigel Leonis, Austen Hvidsten.
 
Of those, only Wikler has cross country experience with the Vikings, while Hvidsten – a middle distance runner – ran track for the Vikings last season.
 
Wikler had a breakout season for the Viking men last cross country season, when he shaved more than 90 seconds off his 8k personal best coming into the season. Wikler also beat his 10k personal best at the NCAA West Regional by close to two-and-a-half minutes with his finish in 33:27.0.
 
"Alex looks fit as ever coming off his injury," Hepburn said of the Viking men. "He should be ready for a huge season, when he'll be leading the way for us. We expect team captain Justin Wikler to continue his improvement, too, and Jacob Emeterio has returned from summer fit and ready to make some noise.
 
"Quite a few freshman are in the hunt to fill out our conference team. We're paying close attention to Jack Rubalcave and Andy Solano, and newcomer Elmer Shelevy also looks to contend for a conference team spot as well."
 
The cancellation of the Oregon XC Preview means the Vikings will have a shortened season with only three regular-season meets before the Big Sky Championships in Ogden, Utah, on Oct. 28. After Saturday, the Vikings head to the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Sept. 30, and the Bronco Invitational on Oct. 14.
 
The postseason meets follow that, by which point the debuts will be over for the Vikings and it'll be time to see if Medved, Cisneros, or someone else on the team can bring home some postseason accolades.
 
MEET INFO:
Sept. 16 – Sundodger Invitational – Seattle, Wash. (Lincoln Park)
 
MEET SCHEDULE:
11 a.m.            Women's 6,000 Meters
11:35 a.m.      Men's 8,000 Meters
 
PSU ENTRIES:
Women: Kaila Gibson, Meggie Karp, Hannah Tomeo, Alana Chaplin, Jocelyn Reynolds, Alana Baldwin-Joiner
Men: Alex Cisneros, Justin Wikler, Elmer Shelevy, Jason Rae, Erik Solano, Andy Solano, Jack Rubalcave, Jayson Maule, Nigel Leonis, Austen Hvidsten
 
PSU'S HISTORY AT THE SUNDODGER INVITATIONAL:
The Portland State cross country teams will make their third straight appearance at the Sundodger Invitational Saturday, after competing at the meet off an on from 2000-12.
 
The Viking men's best finish came in 2003 and 2004, when they placed third both years. The Vikings placed third out of seven teams in 2003, and then posted their best finish relative to the size of the field with a third-place finish out of 10 teams in 2004. Michael Devenport recorded the best individual finish by a Viking men's runner at the 2004 meet, when he finished 10th overall in 24:36.08.
 
Only Alex Cisneros and Justin Wikler have previously competed at the Sundodger Invitational out of the Viking men's runners. Cisneros and Wikler have run at the 2015 and 2016 versions of the Sundodger Invitational, with Cisneros placing as the Vikings' second runner both times.
 
The Viking women recorded their best finish ever at the Sundodger two seasons ago, when they placed fourth out of nine teams at the meet. Individually, Amber Rozcicha recorded the highest finish by a Viking women's runner at the meet with her 10th-place finish in 2012. Rozcicha also posted the fastest 6k time ever by a Viking women's runner at the 2012 meet, as she finished in 21:20.24.
 
Kaila Gibson, Alana Chaplin and Jocelyn Reynolds competed for the Vikings at the Sundodger Invitational last season, with Gibson placing as the Vikings' second runner and 22nd overall in 22:15.20.
 
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Vikings will compete in their second meet of the season two weeks from Saturday, when they head down I-5 for the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Sept. 30. The men will run an 8,000-meter race at the Willamette Invite that starts at 9:30 a.m., while the women will run a 5,000-meter race that starts at 10:20 a.m. Willamette will host the meet at Bush Park, with the finish on the track at McCulloch Stadium.