Complete Meet Notes (PDF)

THE STARTING BLOCKS
Seattle has been kind to Portland State track & field runner Kaila Gibson. The fifth-year senior has twice broken the indoor school record in the 5,000 meters at Dempsey Indoor, and Gibson came within six seconds of the school record in the 3,000 meters at the UW Indoor Preview earlier this season.
 
Friday could be a sentimental day for Gibson, then, as she runs her last collegiate race at Dempsey Indoor at the Husky Classic, Feb. 14-15. Gibson and sophomore Chase Lovercheck will be the only two Vikings competing at the meet, as both runners gear up for the Big Sky Indoor Championships two weeks from this weekend.
 
Both Gibson and Lovercheck have a few things to sort out ahead of the conference meet, and the Husky Classic – a meet that the Vikings weren't originally scheduled to compete at – emerged as the best way to figure those things out.
 
Gibson has a decision to make ahead of conference. She could solo in either the 3k or 5k, or she could double in both events as she's done in each of the last two years.
 
"We have some decisions to make as far as what she wants to compete in. If she wants to double, or whatever, and what that looks like at conference," head coach David Hepburn said of Gibson. "Pretty simple there. Simple and self-explanatory. She just didn't get to race before because she was sick and so the idea was 'let's go up there and do what we were going to do last time.'"
 
Gibson scratched from the UW Invitational due to illness. The UW Invitational had been the meet where Gibson broke the school record in the 5k in each of the past two seasons. Gibson shouldn't have any problems summoning the same type of performance at the Husky Classic, where Hepburn says he's hoping Gibson can break the school record for a third time.
 
Gibson set the latest 5k record at 16:33.38 last season, shaving 25 seconds off the record she set the previous year at 16:58.7.
 
"We just want to see where Kaila is," Hepburn said. "It'd be cool to see her PR, which would obviously end up being a school record. She's looking pretty good."
 
Lovercheck will be less concerned about time than race tactics as he competes in the 800 meters Saturday. Lovercheck set an indoor best with his time of 1:54.80 two weeks ago at the UW Invitational, but walked away disappointed with his race tactics, saying he had more in the tank at the finish line.
 
Lovercheck was scheduled to race at the Portland Indoor Two last weekend, but opted to compete at the Husky Classic instead in order to race in a tougher heat.
 
"He's still young. We've talked about him maturing as far as being able to race and take control of a race. Sit-and-kick or wire-to-wire, what do those races feel like mentally?" Hepburn said of Lovercheck. "If you can get away with sitting-and-kicking, especially when you get to conference time when you have a prelim and a final, that'll help. Being able to manage all that will be important to Chase because when you get to conference, you can't win the final if you don't get in the final. He's got to be able to manage two different races."
 
Lovercheck could still race again at the Portland Indoor Three next weekend before the Vikings head to the Big Sky Indoor meet, Feb. 27-29, in Pocatello, Idaho. That won't be the case for Gibson, as Friday's 5k will be her last race before conference.
 
Friday's 5k will also, of course, be Gibson's final collegiate race in Seattle, and while it won't be her primary goal – preparing for conference trumps all – wouldn't it be poetic if Gibson breaks the 5k record for a third straight year in her Seattle finale.
 
MEET INFO:
Feb. 14-15 – Husky Classic – Seattle, Wash. (Dempsey Indoor)
 
TENTATIVE MEET SCHEDULE:
Friday, Feb. 14
Running Events
Start (PT)                    Events (PSU entries)
5 p.m.                          Women's 5,000 Meters (Gibson – Sections TBD)
8:10 p.m.                     Women's 5,000 Meters – Invitational (Gibson – Sections TBD)
 
Saturday, Feb. 15
Running Events
Start (PT)                    Events (PSU entries)
1 p.m.                          Men's 800 Meters (Lovercheck – Sections TBD)
3:10 p.m.                     Men's 800 Meters – Invitational (Lovercheck – Sections TBD)
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings get one final meet in before conference as they return for the third of three meets hosted by the University of Portland and George Fox University at the Portland Indoor Three, Feb. 22-23. Like the previous two iterations of the meet, Saturday's events will take place at George Fox's Multi-Use Facility in Newberg, Ore., while Sunday's events will take place at the University of Portland's Chiles Center.