RESULTS

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Luke Ramirez stole someone else's turf Saturday.
 
A day after he fought off an invasion from teammates in his primary event – the 1,500 meters – at the OSU High Performance Meet, Ramirez took a turn as an invader himself in the 800 meters. Normally the territory of Chase Lovercheck and James Bottrill, Ramirez posted the fastest 800-meter time by a Viking this season while finishing in 1:53.31.
 
Ramirez shaved four seconds off his prep personal best in the 800 meters as a result, less than 24 hours after he set a new best in the 1,500 meters with his finish in 3:50.77.
 
Ramirez's win in the 800 gave him the lead in the showcase event of the day for the Vikings for the second straight day. Friday, four of the Vikings' 10 personal bests came in the 1,500 meters, with Ramirez leading the way. Saturday, four of the five runners the Vikings sent to the line in the 800 set new seasonal or personal bests, with Ramirez out top once again.
 
Bottrill may have claimed the fastest time of the day if he had been in a faster heat. Bottrill ran a negative split in the second heat of the 800 meters, moving up from fifth to second in the bell lap while finishing in 1:53.85. That time was just off Bottrill's debut last week, when he finished in 1:53.34 at the Oregon Relays.
 
Lovercheck, meanwhile, continues to work his way back in shape after not making his season debut until midway through April. Lovercheck, a former All-Big Sky runner in the 800, has gotten faster each week, and finished in 1:53.95 Saturday to knock another two seconds off his seasonal best. Lovercheck debuted at 1:57.05 at the Lewis & Clark Invite on April 17, then ran 1:56.02 last Saturday at the Oregon Relays.
 
Lovercheck doesn't own the biggest week-to-week improvement within the Vikings' team, however. That belongs to freshman Rashid Muse, who's set a new personal best all four times he's run the 800 meters this season. Muse dropped three seconds off his time between the NW Distance Jamboree on April 3, when he finished in 2:07.22, to the John Knight Twilight on April 10, when he finished in 2:04.14. Four more seconds came off Muse's time at the Lewis & Clark Invite on April 17, when he finished in 2:00.00. Saturday marked Muse's first official time cracking two minutes in the 800 meters, as he finished in 1:57.49.
 
All told, it's only been four weeks since Muse made his 800-meter debut at the NW Distance Jamboree, and yet the freshman has shaved close to 10 seconds off his time in the event.
 
Muse also joined Bottrill and Jack Rubalcave, who finished his heat of the 800 in 2:00.36, in running negative splits Saturday.
 
Outside of the 800, the Vikings added two more collegiate or seasonal bests between the men's javelin and 110-meter hurdles.
 
Jean Rwandika provided the fireworks in the javelin, as he opened the competition with a throw of 194-00 (59.14m) on his first attempt of the day. That mark placed Rwandika fourth overall, and marked a seven-inch improvement over his previous collegiate best, which he set four weeks ago at the Hayward Premiere on April 2.
 
Rwandika's mark Saturday put him only 11 inches from entering the all-time top 10 at Portland State. Selmar Hutchins owns the current 10th-best mark with a throw of 194-11 (59.42m) from 2013.
 
Gloden, meanwhile, followed up his seasonal best in the 400 hurdles Friday, with a second seasonal best in the 110 hurdles Saturday. Gloden finished in 15.08 seconds this afternoon, knocking 12-hundredths of a second off the seasonal best he set at the John Knight Twilight on April 10.
 
The OSU High Performance meet represented the last big tune-up for the Vikings before the Big Sky Outdoor Championships on May 12-15. A few individuals may still compete at meets next weekend, but the bulk of the team won't compete again until conference.
 
OSU High Performance Meet
Whyte Track & Field Center
Corvallis, Ore.
April 30 – May 1, 2021
 
Women's Results:
1,500m (Invitational): 11. Kaila Gibson, 4:31.67. 1,500m (Section 1): 10. Sophie Jones, 5:04.92. 5,000m (Open): 13. Tatum Miller, 17:49.51; 20. Monica Salazar, 18:23.83. 3,000m Steeplechase: 4. Phoebe Brown, 11:16.99. 
 
Men's Results:
400m: 7. Chase Lovercheck, 51.74. 800m (Heat 1): 8. Chase Lovercheck, 1:53.95. 800m (Heat 2): 2. James Bottrill, 1:53.85. 800m (Heat 3): 5. Luke Ramirez, 1:53.31. 800m (Heat 6): 4. Jack Rubalcave, 2:00.36. 800m (Heat 7): 2. Rashid Muse, 1:57.49. 1,500m (Section 1): 3. Luke Ramirez, 3:50.77; 7. Josh Snyder, 3:52.98; 8. Sam Lingwall, 3:54.01; 10. James Bottrill, 3:56.23; 23. Keynan Abdi, 4:01.93. 1,500m (Open): 1. Ian Vickstrom, 4:00.74. 5,000m (Section 1): 10. Evan Peters, 14:48.48; 17. Truett Bostwick, 15:03.09. 5,000m (Open): 12. Kelly Shedd, 15:49.25; 18. Zach Grams, 16:13.44; 19. Erik Solano, 16:16.92. 110H: 2. Jordan Gloden, 15.08. 400H: 6. Jordan Gloden, 57.82. Long Jump: 11. Jaron Barrow, 21-01.50 (6.44m). Javelin: 4. Jean Rwandika, 194-00 (59.14m).