RESULTS (PDF)

MONMOUTH, Ore. — The signature move of Monica Salazar's Portland State career has been shaving large chunks of time off her personal bests. The senior shaved 71 seconds off her 5k personal best during the course of the 2021 track season, and knocked 25 seconds off her 3k personal best during her last indoor season. Still, the pandemic had robbed her of a chance to update her cross country 6k personal best since she set in 2019.
 
That changed Friday, as she set close to a 90-second personal best at the Mike Johnson Classic, hosted by Western Oregon University at Ash Creek Preserve. Salazar finished 12th overall in 22:47.6, shattering her previous best of 24:15.1 from the 2019 Cougar Classic.
 
Salazar's big personal best helped the Viking women place third as a team, even without their full complement of runners as half of the team competed at the Roy Griak Invitational earlier Friday.
 
Phoebe Brown followed two spots behind Salazar at 14th overall, finishing in a time of 22:55.7.
 
Youth followed Brown and Salazar as five of the six other Viking finishers were in their first or second races in a Viking uniform. The one exception was junior Sophie Jones, who placed as the team's fourth runner at 35th overall in a time of 23:56.3. Freshman Sophia Hackett finished four spots ahead of Jones at 31st overall in 23:47.6, while sophomore Weronika Stanczak followed one spot back of Jones at 36th overall in 24:02.1.
 
Sophomore transfer Kynzie DeLeon finished as the Viking women's sixth runner while placing 45th overall in 24:26.0. Freshmen Campbell Faust and Madison Tafoya followed at 54th and 88th overall, respectively, in times of 24:56.6 and 27:12.3. 
 
Ian Vickstrom, like Salazar for the women, set a new 8k personal best in leading the Viking men at the Mike Johnson Classic Friday. Vickstrom, who hasn't competed in a cross country season since 2018 when he was a freshman, placed 14th overall in 25:46.7. Vickstrom's time Friday beat his previous 8k best by just under 14 seconds, topping his time of 26:00.4 from the 2018 Big Sky meet.
 
Brandon Hippe followed Vickstrom as the Vikings' second runner, as he placed 36th overall in 26:47.6. Mitchell Tolander finished as the Viking men's third runner, placing 58th overall in 27:26.8. Tolander's time put him within four seconds of his personal best, which he set at the 2019 Beaver Classic with a time of 27:22.81.
 
Twin brothers Andy and Erik Solano followed at 70th and 81st, respectively, as they rounded out the Vikings' team score while finishing in 27:52.3 and 28:18.4.
 
Zach Salcido and Rashid Muse also finished for the Vikings, placing 111th and 128th, respectively, in times of 30:13.1 and 31:50.1.
 
It will be another three weeks before the Vikings compete again, as the team will return for two meets on Saturday, Oct. 16. Half of the Vikings will head to Santa Clara, Calif., for the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational, while the rest compete at the L&C Invite, hosted by Lewis & Clark College, at Milo McIver State Park in Estacada, Ore.
 
 
Mike Johnson Classic
Ash Creek Preserve
Monmouth, Ore.
Sept. 24, 2021
 
Women's Top Ten Finishers (6k):
1. Luz Garcia, Western Oregon, 21:46.4; 2. Olivia Willett, Simon Fraser, 21:52.5; 3. Alison Andrews-Paul, Simon Fraser, 21:59.7; 4. Rosie Fordham, Alaska Fairbanks, 22:19.4; 5. Megan Roxby, Simon Fraser, 22:22.5; 6. Evelyn Collins-Winn, Portland, 22:28.3; 7. Ania Kapustka, Unattached, 22:32.1; 8. Kendall Kramer, Alaska Fairbanks, 22:34.2; 9. Claire Noort, Simon Fraser, 22:35.7; 10. Ellie Linnenburger, Eastern Washington, 22:36.7.
 
Women's Team Scores (6k):
1. Simon Fraser, 30 points; 2. Eastern Washington, 78 points; 3. Portland State, 113 points; 4. Cal State East Bay, 129 points; 5. Western Oregon, 150 points; 6. Pacific (Ore.), 157 points; 7. Alaska Fairbanks, 164 points; 8. Portland, 171 points; 9. George Fox, 233 points; 10. Linfield, 291 points; 11. UO Running Club, 313 points; 12. Willamette, 326 points; 13. Chemeketa CC, 369 points.
 
Portland State Runners (out of 123):
12. Monica Salazar, 22:47.6; 14. Phoebe Brown, 22:55.7; 31. Sophia Hackett, 23:47.6; 35. Sophie Jones, 23:56.3; 36. Weronika Stanczak, 24:02.1; 45. Kynzie DeLeon, 24:26.0; 54. Campbell Faust, 24:56.6; 88. Madison Tafoya, 27:12.3.
 
Men's Top Ten Finishers (8k):
1. Justin Hazell, Portland, 24:49.8; 2. Justin Roosma, Eastern Washington, 24:50.9; 3. Aaron Ahl, Simon Fraser, 25:07.0; 4. Clement Leduc, Portland, 25:20.4; 5. Eliason Kabasenche, Unattached, 25:22.5; 6. Thomas Salas, Portland, 25:24.3; 7. Charlie Dannatt, Simon Fraser, 25:27.0; 8. Kai Vickers, Portland, 25:32.5; 9. Noah Hasselblad, Eastern Washington, 25:32.9; 10. AJ Reyes, Portland, 25:36.5.
 
Men's Team Scores (8k):
1. Portland, 26 points; 2. Simon Fraser, 47 points; 3. Eastern Washington, 69 points; 4. Cal State East Bay, 151 points; 5. Western Oregon, 154 points; 6. Pacific (Ore.), 165 points; 7. George Fox, 188 points; 8. Portland State, 207 points; 9. UO Running Club, 243 points; 10. Willamette, 279 points; 11. Linfield, 326 points; 12. Alaska Fairbanks, 356 points; 13. Multnomah, 399 points; 14. Everett CC, 401 points. 
 
Portland State Runners (out of 138):
14. Ian Vickstrom, 25:46.7; 36. Brandon Hippe, 26:47.6; 58. Mitchell Tolander, 27:26.8; 70. Andy Solano, 27:52.3; 81. Erik Solano, 28:18.4; 111. Zach Salcido, 30:13.1; 128. Rashid Muse, 31:50.1.