RESULTS

McMinnville, Ore. — The term "icebreaker" is supposed to be a metaphor. Not literal. And yet, the Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker became a metaphorical and literal icebreaker Saturday, as the Portland State track & field team opened its outdoor season amid a wintry mix of precipitation out at Linfield University's Maxwell Field.
 
The icy conditions made for a less than ideal start to the outdoor season for the Vikings. Even still, a handful of Vikings either bettered their indoor marks or set personal bests outright in their respective events.
 
Noah Meucci competed in a trio of throwing events Saturday. The highlight for Meucci came in the hammer, where he placed fifth with a best throw of 144-01 (43.93m). The mark came on Meucci's third attempt of the day, and moved him up to eighth all-time in the hammer at Portland State.
 
Meucci is coming off an indoor season in which he set the No. 5 and 8 marks all-time in the shot put and weight throw, respectively. Saturday's top 10 mark in the hammer gave him his third in his short Viking career.
 
Meucci also posted the top marks for the Vikings in the shot put and discus, finishing with best throws of 40-07.00 (12.37m) in the shot put and 123-01 (37.52m) in the discus. Fellow thrower Mikey LaGris added three feet to his best in the discus, throwing 103-06 (31.56m) on his second of three attempts.

On the women's side of the throws, Natalie Cunningham – the starting goalkeeper for the Portland State women's soccer team during the fall – made her Viking track & field debut Saturday. Cunningham's was a winning debut as she beat the No. 2 finisher in the women's shot put by nearly a full foot with a best mark of 37-03.25 (11.36m). The mark came on her fifth out of six attempts in the event, vaulting her above Mt. Hood Community College's Grace Lam-Tiang in the competition.
 
Elsewhere in the field, Alison Calvin-Stupfel added five inches to her indoor best in the long jump with a mark of 16-04.50 (4.99m). The mark still didn't beat her outdoor best in the event but placed her fourth in Saturday's competition.
 
Highlights for the Vikings on the track included an overall win for Ashley Peterson in the women's 400 meters. Peterson finished in 1:01.94, which wasn't a personal best, but put her 15 hundredths of a second ahead of the No. 2 finisher, George Fox's Elisabeth Jensen.
 
Ocean Rideout also shaved three-tenths of a second off her best in the indoor 200 meters while finishing her first outdoor 200 in 27.57 seconds to place third overall.
 
Ian Parks knocked six-tenths of a second off his best in the 800 meters, finishing 13th overall in 2:05.06. Amir Ahmed led a group of four Vikings in the event, placing fifth overall in 2:00.93.
 
Ania Kapustka set a PSU best on the women's side of the 800 meters, finishing third overall in 2:24.85. That wasn't better than her overall best of 2:12.92, but it bettered her previous best in a Viking uniform, which came at the UW Invitational on Jan. 27 with a time of 2:25.19.
 
GG Nitunga didn't have a previous mark to beat in the 100 meters, but his time of 11.54 seconds still placed him third overall.
 
The Vikings will now let the weather improve over the next two weeks before competing again at the L&C Spring Break Open on March 16.
 
Perhaps the fact that "Spring" is in the title of that meet will give the Vikings a better chance to see some sunshine. A better chance than a meet with "icebreaker" in the title, it turns out.
 
Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker
Maxwell Field
McMinnville, Ore.
March 2, 2024
 
Women's Results:
200m: 3. Ocean Rideout, 27.57; 30. Kiara Van Deusen, 33.07. 400m: 1. Ashley Peterson, 1:01.94; 7. Ania Kapustka, 1:04.93; 8. Ahmeah Brown, 1:05.05; 9. Elle Frazier, 1:05.33; 15. Liv Frazier, 1:08.12. 800m: 3. Ania Kapustka, 2:24.85; 9. Campbell Faust, 2:30.76; 12. Ashley Peterson, 2:32.33; 25. Meg DeVall, 2:46.77; Wendy Hare, DNF. 1,500m: 4. Laura Beghin, 4:43.88; 33. Dyllan Newville, 5:37.98. High Jump: 4. Alison Calvin-Stupfel, 4-09.75 (1.47m). Pole Vault: Carley Strand, NH. Long Jump: 4. Alison Calvin-Stupfel, 16-04.50 (4.99m). Shot Put: 1. Natalie Cunningham, 37-03.25 (11.36m).
 
Men's Results:
100m: 3. GG Nitunga, 11.54; 7. Dieumerci Migani, 11.69; 18. Hunter Leeder, 12.01; 19. Aleks Braich, 12.03; 27. Khari Dawson, 12.23. 200m: 17. GG Nitunga, 24.92; 29. Hunter Leeder, 26.17. 400m: 10. Eman Kargbo, 54.36. 800m: 5. Amir Ahmed, 2:00.93; 13. Ian Parks, 2:05.06; 32. Tom Thake, 2:11.92; 42. Lyness Ota, 2:18.61; Abdinajib Abade, DNF. Shot Put: 5. Noah Meucci, 40-07.00 (12.37m); 12. Karch Kipp, 36-10.25 (11.23m); 29. Mikey LaGris, 25-02.00 (7.67m). Discus: 13. Noah Meucci, 123-01 (37.52m); 26. Mikey LaGris, 103-06 (31.56m). Hammer: 5. Noah Meucci, 144-01 (43.93m).