RESULTS

EUGENE, Ore. — The Portland State track & field program proved itself worthy of an epic stage Friday, as six of the nine Vikings competing at the newly remodeled Hayward Field set new top 10 marks at Portland State.
 
Josh Snyder and Kaila Gibson led the way for the Vikings at the Hayward Premiere. Snyder broke a 39-year-old school record in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, while Gibson became just the second Viking to crack 34 minutes in the women's 10k. Gibson's time also stands as a possible NCAA West Prelims qualifying mark.
 
It was a performance fitting of the legendary stadium, which before Friday, hadn't hosted a meet since the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
Snyder provided the top highlight of the day for the Vikings. Considering he jogged the last 20 meters of his record-breaking performance, he could be in line to give the Vikings more highlights later in the season. Regardless, Snyder finished the steeplechase in 9:07.69 Friday, dipping under the old record that Ben Plumb set at 9:09.54 in 1982.
 
Snyder's record was a longtime coming for the junior. The last time Viking fans saw him run a steeplechase was way back in 2019 when he finished in 9:43.15 at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships as a freshman. Snyder didn't get a chance to better that time in 2020 due to the pandemic, so his time Friday marked a 45-second improvement over his previous best in the event.
 
Snyder also beat the winning time at the 2019 Big Sky Outdoor Championships, which Montana State's Duncan Hamilton won with a time of 9:10.17. Snyder's time Friday would have won the Big Sky title at three of the last six Big Sky championships, though some of those races were at elevation.
 
Gibson, meanwhile, became the first Viking since 11-time NCAA Division II All-American Debbie Myra to crack 34 minutes in the women's 10,000 meters. Gibson narrowly missed breaking Myra's school record in the 10k, finishing in 33:55.99, four-and-a-half second behind Myra's record of 33:51.40.
 
Gibson's time still gives her a chance at an NCAA West Prelims qualifying spot, even despite the NCAA cutting the field size down to 32 from the typical 48 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using 2019 as a guide, Gibson's time would have ranked her right on the cutoff at 32nd in the NCAA West Region. This year might be a different story, though, as athletes will have fewer meets in which to pursue a qualifying mark.
 
Gibson steadily moved up the field Friday after starting out conservatively. The sixth-year senior ran the first few laps third from the back, but then picked off almost half the field while ending up 14th in a competitive group of runners.
 
Fellow Viking Cayla Seligman also ran the 10k Friday, finishing 25th in 35:09.71. Seligman's time moved her up to sixth all-time in the 10,000 meters at Portland State.
 
Seligman was making both her season and outdoor track debut for the Vikings after transferring from Colorado. The same was true for Tom Richardson, a transfer from Boise State, though Richardson added a third different debut as he also debuted in the steeplechase. Richardson joined Snyder in the event and more than proved his steeplechase chops while finishing in 9:14.30. That time would have marked the fastest time by a Viking since Plumb's record in 1982 if not for Snyder.
 
Keynan Abdi kept the momentum going on the track for the Viking men, as he followed Snyder and Richardson with the fastest 5,000-meter time by a Viking since 2001. Abdi ran with the lead group until the final two laps, and crossed the line in 14:26.08. Abdi's finish marked a 16-second personal best for him outdoors, and moved him up to fifth all-time in the event at Portland State.
 
Braden Masanga, like Gibson, nearly gave the Vikings a second school record Friday, as he took three attempts at what would have been a record height of 4.90 meters, but missed on all three. Masanga did clear a bar at 4.75 meters, moving him up to second all-time outdoors behind Ben Cogdill (4.80m in 2007).
 
Masanga, who was making his season debut Friday, crushed Cogdill's indoor record in 2020, going more than a foot past it while clearing 16-07.25 (5.06m) at the UW Invitational. That mark remains the all-conditions best at Portland State in the pole vault.
 
Jean Rwandika opened the men's javelin with four straight throws that went past his old PSU best in the event. Rwandika topped out at 193-05 (58.96m), close to nine feet better than his previous PSU best, which he set at the 2019 OSU High Performance Meet. Rwandika, who was also making his season debut Friday, finished six feet short of his prep personal best, which he set at 199-09 (60.88m).
 
Hunter Storm knocked four seconds off her personal best in the women's 5,000 meters, finishing in 17:41.20. That beats the time she set three weeks ago at the OSU PNW Team Clash, where she finished in 17:45.16.
 
Luke Ramirez opened the meet for the Vikings in the men's 1,500 meters, and went five seconds under the personal best he came into the season with for the second straight meet. Ramirez ran the fastest 1,500-meter time by a Viking since 2004 while finishing in 3:51.04 at last week's Texas Relays, and followed that up with a time of 3:51.53 Friday.
 
The Vikings remain in Eugene for a rare home meet Saturday, which they'll host at Lane Community College's Titan Stadium. Events begin at 4 p.m., while Logan Fisher, Rashid Muse and Jack Rubalcave open the meet for the Vikings, as they run in the second section of the men's 800 meters at 4:15 p.m.
 
Hayward Premiere
Hayward Field
Eugene, Ore.
April 2, 2021
 
Women's Results:
5,000m (Section 1): 11. Hunter Storm, 17:41.20. 10,000m (Invite): 14. Kaila Gibson, 33:55.99; 25. Cayla Seligman, 35:09.71. 
 
Men's Results:
1,500m (Section 2): 5. Luke Ramirez, 3:51.53. 5,000m (Section 1): 6. Keynan Abdi, 14:26.08. 3,000m Steeplechase: 9. Josh Snyder, 9:07.69; 11. Tom Richardson, 9:14.30. Pole Vault: T-4. Braden Masanga, 15-07.00 (4.75m). Javelin: 7. Jean Rwandika, 193-05 (58.96m).