PORTLAND, Ore. — In a distance-heavy track & field program, cross country season makes for a long fall for the middle-distance runner. Chase Lovercheck and James Bottrill know that all too well.
 
But fall is behind us now, which means Lovercheck, Bottrill and two newcomers – Wendy Hare and Ahliah Nordstrom – will lead the Vikings into the indoor track & field season this Saturday at the UW Indoor Preview in Seattle.
 
If the Vikings don't have the most eager crew at Dempsey Indoor Facility Saturday, then something has gone wrong. While Lovercheck and Bot trill have been waiting the entire fall to compete again as Vikings, Hare and Nordstrom have been waiting for this since last spring.
 
They've waited that long because they're the rare none-distance runners within the Vikings' program. Since the program shifted to a distance focus in 2019, the Vikings have had few non-distance runners. But Hare and Nordstrom – a hurdler/multi and thrower, respectively – are ready to diversify the Vikings' events now that they're finally competing for the team.
 
"It's just been an idea that's been percolating. 'Can we do this? Can we open up the doors for a few more track kids?'" Portland State head coach David Hepburn said of adding Hare and Nordstrom.
 
Nordstrom will compete in the women's shot put, becoming the first Viking to do so in that event since 2020. Hare, meanwhile, will race in the women's 60-meter hurdles and 600 meters, as she works her way into a potential multi for the Vikings.
 
Lovercheck and Bottrill will look like grizzled veterans by comparison Saturday. Lovercheck will be racing in a PSU singlet for the first time since June 11 at the Portland Track Festival, where he ran his first natural sub-1:50 800 meters, finishing in 1:49.51. That meet came two weeks after Lovercheck became the first Viking to qualify for the NCAA West Prelims in the men's 800 meters since Tony Crisofulli in 2011. Lovercheck qualified thanks to a second-place finish at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships, his second time on the Big Sky podium but first since 2019.
 
Lovercheck ran his way into that kind of shape thanks to a series of races over the latter half of the outdoor season. From April 14 to the Big Sky meet, Lovercheck raced four of the five weekends while lowering his 800-meter time on all but one occasion.
 
That's the formula Lovercheck and Hepburn hope to repeat this indoor season. To race, and then race some more.
 
"The more he races, the better he gets. We've seen that the last couple of years. We're just going to start that process earlier and kind of push it a bit instead of slow-playing it," Hepburn said of the plan. "He's comfortable with it. I'm comfortable with it. We're going to test it out."
 
For Bottrill, his long wait to compete again may have been a blessing in disguise. An injury limited his impact last season. Otherwise, Hepburn believes he could have been right there with Lovercheck over the latter half of the season.
 
"James just came back from Australia. It was summertime there, so he's feeling pretty good. Just got to get out there and put the race wheels on," Hepburn said of Bottrill.
 
Lovercheck and Bottrill will follow the same schedule as each other Saturday. They'll first race in the men's 1,000 meters at 11:50 a.m. before doubling back in the 600 meters at 1:35 p.m. It's a double that should test the pair right away, as they try to get their racing legs under them.
 
"It'll be a great workout for them, see where they're at. See where their fitness is. They both want to run fast so they'll be racing their way into shape. They're just excited to get up there and do some things," Hepburn said of the pair.
 
Hare will open the day for the Vikings at 9:45 a.m. Saturday with the first round of the women's 60-meter hurdles. And once the gun goes off for that race, the long-awaited indoor debuts for four Vikings will be underway.
 
MEET INFO
Jan. 14 – UW Indoor Preview – Seattle, Wash. (Dempsey Indoor)
 
TENTATIVE MEET SCHEDULE
Saturday, Jan. 14
Time                Event (PSU Entries)
9:45 a.m.         Women's 60-Meter Hurdles – Prelims (Hare – Section 6 of 6)
11:50 a.m.       Men's 1,000 Meters (Bottrill, Lovercheck – Section 1 of 3)
12:25 p.m.       Women's 60-Meter Hurdles – Finals (TBD)
1 p.m.              Women's Shot Put (Nordstrom – Flight 2 of 2)
1:15 p.m.         Women's 600 Meters (Hare – Section 1 of 3)
1:35 p.m.         Men's 600 Meters (Bottrill, Lovercheck – Section 2 of 3)