RESULTS

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Except if you're a Portland State cross country runner. The Vikings raced at the same distances as they did two weeks ago in their season opener – women's 4k, men's 6k – and nearly improved across the board Saturday at the Gator Cross.
 
All 11 men and 10 of the 11 women competing for the Vikings Saturday at Fort Steilacoom Park improved their times from two weeks ago. Additionally, all of the Viking men improved by at least 20 seconds, while the Viking women had nine runners improve by at least 45 seconds.
 
Abdi Ibrahim headlined the improvements with a new school record in the men's cross country 6k. Ibrahim shaved 50 seconds off his time two weeks ago at the Linfield Harrier Classic, finishing in 17:33.1 while placing ninth overall in the men's race. Ibrahim's time put him 25 seconds under the old record that Jordan MacIntosh set at 17:58.70 at the Viking Rust Buster in 2021.
 
Ibrahim wasn't alone in re-writing the PSU record book. Freshman Nick Moore – just outside the all-time top 10 two weeks ago – entered the record book with the No. 6 mark all-time, finishing in 18:30.2 on the men's side. For the women, Emma Stolte and Ania Kapustka ran the No. 2 and No. 4 marks all-time in the cross country 4k with their times of 14:08.3 and 14:09.1, respectively.
 
Luke Gillingham and Taylor Nichols were both unlucky to join their teammates in the all-time top 10 of their respective distances. Gillingham finished in 18:52.4 – nearly a minute faster than his time two weeks ago – which would have been the No. 10 mark all-time if not for Moore entering the top 10 Saturday. Nichols finished the women's 4k in 14:26.7, which would have ranked her ninth all-time if not for Stolte and Kapustka entering the top 10 ahead of her.
 
From a team perspective, the women had slightly tighter bunching than the Viking men. That helped the women edge the men with a fifth-place finish (138 points) to a sixth-place finish (175 points) for the men.
 
Stolte and Kapustka led the way for the women at 26th and 28th overall, respectively. Nichols followed at 36th overall. Freshmen Irina López and Viola Alessandrini closed out the team score while finishing 42nd and 46th in times of 14:26.7 and 14:39.4, respectively.
 
Emily Schmitke and Addison Capozzi finished on each other's hips at 53rd and 54th overall, respectively. Schmitke's time of 14:58.2 represented an 84-second improvement from her first collegiate race two weeks ago. Capozzi finished right behind in 14:58.3.
 
Three Vikings then finished within five spots of each other, starting with Campbell Faust at 59th overall in 15:06.9. Wendy Hare followed at 61st overall in 15:15.2 – the biggest improvement for any Viking as Hare's time was 135 seconds faster than her time two weeks ago. Freshman Talise Wapsheli then followed two spots behind Hare at 63rd overall in 15:21.3. Aida Coté, a middle-distance runner during the track season, rounded out the Viking women's contingent at 95th overall in 18:32.5.
 
For the men, the Vikings were a little short-handed, racing without Abdinajib Abade who had finished second in the team's lineup two weeks ago. So while Ibrahim finished ninth overall for his second straight top 10 finish to start the season, Moore followed 27 spots back at 36th overall. Gillingham finished 16 spots behind him at 52nd overall, while fellow freshman Landen Sandoval crossed 17 spots behind Gillingham at 69th overall in 19:20.7.
 
Sandoval's finish started a wave for the Vikings. Tom Thake closed out the men's top five while finishing 72nd overall in 19:23.9. Freshman Kyle Chen followed right behind at 73rd overall in 19:25.4. Aidan Brown finished eight runners behind Chen at 81st overall in 19:32.8, while Luis Muradas and Mika Sarver Huber crossed in 87th and 93rd, respectively, in 19:59.3 and 20:24.3.
 
Lyness Ota (111th, 21:01.0) and Victor Ramirez (117th, 21:47.8) rounded out the Viking men's runners. Ramirez's time represented an 80-second improvement from two weeks ago, which was the biggest improvement for any of the Viking men's runners.
 
The Vikings won't run a women's 4k or men's 6k again this season. They'll step up to a 5k (for the women) and 8k (for the men) at the Willamette Invitational on Oct. 5.
 
They have three weeks to train for those distances, though. And we all saw what two weeks of training can do Saturday.
 
Gator Cross
Fort Steilacoom Park
Lakewood, Wash.
Sept. 14, 2024
 
Women's Top Ten Finishers (4k):
1. Juliette Forstrom, Portland, 13:06.1; 2. Annika Esvelt, Seattle Pacific, 13:08.6; 3. Samantha Prusse, Portland, 13:22.6; 4. Teresa Perez, Portland, 13:26.6; 5. Jane Roloff, Portland, 13:28.2; 6. Rachael Watkins, Simon Fraser, 13:30.3; 7. Sophie Wright, Western Washington, 13:34.5; 8. Maya Ewing, Seattle Pacific, 13:36.1; 9. Ila Davis, Western Washington, 13:37.2; 10. Ashley Reeck, Western Washington, 13:38.6.
 
Women's Team Scores:
1. Portland, 25 points; 2. Western Washington, 50 points; 3. Seattle Pacific, 81 points; 4. Simon Fraser, 82 points; 5. Portland State, 138 points; 6. Central Washington, 182 points; 7. Northwest U, 228 points; 8. Everett CC, 246 points.
 
Portland State Runners (out of 103):
26. Emma Stolte, 14:08.3; 28. Ania Kapustka, 14:09.1; 36. Taylor Nichols, 14:26.7; 42. Irina López, 14:39.4; 46. Viola Alessandrini, 14:44.0; 53. Emily Schmitke, 14:58.2; T-54. Addison Capozzi, 14:58.3; 59. Campbell Faust, 15:06.9; 61. Wendy Hare, 15:15.2; 63. Talise Wapsheli, 15:21.3; 95. Aida Coté, 18:32.5.
 
Men's Top Ten Finishers (6k):
1. Nate Lantz, Portland, 17:19.9; 2. Nolan Hosbein, Portland, 17:20.8; 3. Ahmed Sado, Portland, 17:20.9; 4. Cameron Stein, Portland, 17:21.1; 5. Daniel Racle, Portland, 17:23.0; 6. Johan Correa, Central Washington, 17:24.6; 7. Giuliano Scasso, Unattached, 17:25.5; 8. Leo Donlea, Timberline Athletic Club, 17:27.5; 9. Abdi Ibrahim, Portland State, 17:33.1; 10. Ramon Rodriguez, Central Washington, 17:43.2.
 
Men's Team Scores:
1. Portland, 15 points; 2. Western Washington, 74 points; 3. Timberline Athletic Club, 93 points; 4. Central Washington, 97 points; 5. Simon Fraser, 126 points; 6. Portland State, 175 points; 7. Northwest U, 214 points; 8. Seattle Pacific, 241 points; 9. Green River College, 259 points; 10. Saint Martin's, 273 points; 11. Evergreen, 276 points; 12. Everett CC, 328 points; 13. Olympic College, 384 points.
 
Portland State Runners (out of 134):
9. Abdi Ibrahim, 17:33.1; 36. Nick Moore, 18:30.2; 52. Luke Gillingham, 18:52.4; 69. Landen Sandoval, 19:20.7; 72. Tom Thake, 19:23.9; 73. Kyle Chen, 19:25.4; 81. Aidan Brown, 19:32.8; 87. Luis Muradas, 19:59.3; 93. Mika Sarver Huber, 20:24.3; 111. Lyness Ota, 21:01.0; 117. Victor Ramirez, 21:47.8.