PORTLAND, Ore. — There's no sound more satisfying in the fall than that of leaves crunching under pounding feet. With the calendar still late in August, we might be a few weeks away from that, but when you hear it it's as sure a sign as any that the cross country season is around the corner.
 
For the Portland State cross country program, the falling leaves may be an appropriate metaphor as the Vikings seek a renewal of sorts within a new era under head coach Jonathan Marcus.
 
Marcus, who joined the Vikings in late July, will oversee a dramatic roster turnover during his first year at the helm. Only two of the eight women who ran for the Vikings at last year's Big Sky Championships will be back this fall, and only one of the eight men. The total number on each roster has also dropped. The Vikings enter their first race Friday – the Linfield Harrier Classic at Joe Dancer Park in McMinnville, Ore. – with 14 women and five men currently listed on their rosters.
 
So, rebirth and regrowing the program will be very much top of mind for Marcus early in his tenure.
 
"It's a new era in Portland State cross country and track & field. It's a rebuilding year and an expanding year," Marcus said. "What we're trying to do here is bring track back and sustain our excellence that the program has enjoyed the last couple of years in the distance events. We're just building and trying to get better day in and day out."
 
Marcus listed three pillars to his rebuild of the program: gratitude, unity and strength. The program will hit those three pillars, according to Marcus, if they can come together as a group to achieve results in competition and in the classroom (unity), withstand the mental and physical challenges of achieving both (strength), and remain thankful throughout (gratitude).
 
From a practical perspective, that means the Vikings will take the long approach throughout the fall. Friday's season opener is more of a welcome-back rust buster than a true first test of the season. Even more so than past seasons, the Vikings will be working towards peaking at the championship meets of the Big Sky Championships and NCAA West Regional this fall.
 
"The way we're approaching the season, and how we'll approach all seasons moving forward, is it's about strategic excellence at certain targeted meets," Marcus said. "For us, it's fundamentally going to be Big Sky and NCAAs – regionals and, if we qualify, nationals. Every other meet is deemed preparatory in nature. So, we're going to learn, try to do things, experiment. You know, just get out there and kind of do a dress rehearsal as we get ourselves ready for the championship crucible here in six weeks."
 
The long build will feature multiple events outside of meets as well. In lieu of a team retreat, the Vikings are planning several team-bonding events throughout the season. One of those Marcus called "Bite of Portland" where the team will eat together at a different Portland restaurant every week.
 
"Portland, one of the great things about it, there's so much variety of cuisine available from a diverse walk of life. So, this week, we're going to go to Last Thursday and sample some Filipino-Hawaiian fusion. Next week will be some Pho," Marcus said. "We're really trying to create these activations to go and sample different parts of Portland that maybe people never even knew existed. And yeah, just kind of fall in love with the city and what the city has to offer."
 
One of the program's offices has also been converted into what Marcus is calling a "Smoothie Bar and Snack Shack." Additionally, Marcus has fit two couches into his own office with the hope that once or twice a week, runners will come by, grab a fruit smoothie or snack and hang out for a moment before continuing on with their day.
 
"One of the big things that's going to be different moving forward is x-factors as I call them. And nutrition is one of those x-factors," Marcus said. "We tend to work them out and worry about training a lot, but we don't put as much emphasis on restoration and healing and recovering from training. But now with the ability to do that on the NCAA level, that was kind of my first big spend as director of the program, was to invest in sustainable nutrition supplies for the entire cross country/track & field program throughout the year. I think it's going to be the thing that helps us get a lot better a lot faster. Not just this season, but over the course of the next few years."
 
The other element Marcus has reworked is the staff. Megan Wagenaar, a current member of the Bowerman Track Club Elite roster, has joined the program as its full-time assistant. Additional members of the staff will also be coming on board in the coming weeks. Wagenaar's addition is significant given it'll be the first time in more than a decade that the Vikings have had a full-time female assistant coach on staff. The Vikings have had women as volunteer or part-time assistants the last several years, but not a full-time coach.
 
"Bringing Megan in was because I heard a loud need from the women on the roster about having more consistent in-office leadership from women," Marcus said. "Megan had outstanding credentials and she's a second head coach. It's just a great working partnership. She brings something that I don't."
 
The push to add a female assistant came in Marcus' first two weeks on the job when he went through the roster, calling each runner and listening to their suggestions. That's something he promised to do throughout his tenure, as well – listen. It's not only part of the rebuild, but part of what he says will be his and his coaching staff's identity.
 
And it's what they hope will see them return to the top three of the Big Sky Conference very soon. The Portland State women were third at the Big Sky cross country meet just two years ago, while the men were third last season. Both set program records for highest finishes, and Marcus wants the Vikings to return to that level as soon as possible.
 
"The objective is to be a podium program. And so, it's about strategic excellence in areas, but also strategically growing the program in those areas of excellence step-by-step, year-by-year. And so, the idea is to one, have a lot of fun, but two, also be highly competitive at the Big Sky level and regional and national level, in everything that we do," Marcus said.
 
Just wait and listen for the crunching of the leaves.