PORTLAND, Ore. — The last time the full Portland State track & field program competed, the Vikings set five school records at the Inland Northwest Invitational on Jan. 31. Head coach Joseph Blue said he was waiting for the first one to fall before that meet.
 
But now, as the Vikings return to Seattle for the second time this season at the Husky Classic Friday and Saturday, Blue says the program's focus has shifted from records to competition.
 
"We already know we can accomplish that," Blue said of setting records. "We just want to get better. So, if getting better means a record, then great. But it's not a thought. It never really was a thought, we just knew it was there.
 
"Now it's about the competition part of it. It's not about the times anymore. The times will play the way they play, but you have to compete and you've got to execute. That's the biggest thing."
 
The focus on competition is intentional as the Vikings look forward to the Big Sky Indoor Championships coming up at the end of the month. This weekend's Husky Classic should put the Vikings in their most competitive fields yet.
 
"They need to get the feeling of what it's like to run with high-level competition. And they've got to compete because if you do it here, then you know you can do it at conference," Blue said.
 
That includes those Vikings who set school records at the Inland Northwest Invitational. Out of those, only Daniel Coppedge will return to the same event as he opens the Husky Classic for the Vikings with the men's weight throw at 1 p.m. Friday. Coppedge added close two feet to the record he already owned in the weight throw, throwing 57-11.00 (17.65m).
 
Emma Stolte shaved three seconds off the school record in the women's 800 meters while finishing in 2:08.51 two weeks ago. She won't be running the 800 meters this weekend, though, as she instead jumps to the mile. Stolte opened her season in the mile, setting a personal best of 4:54.25 at the Silver & Blue Invitational on Jan. 9. She hasn't run a mile since then.
 
The other three records at the Inland Northwest Invitational came from the Vikings' sprinters. Jack Macdonald and Sienna Rosario set records in the men's and women's 300 meters, while Rosario also ran a leg on the Vikings' first-ever 4x200-meter relay alongside Ocean Rideout, Savannah Beasley and Ashley Peterson.
 
Macdonald will return to the 60 and 200 meters alongside fellow men's sprinters Dillon Brost, Isaiah Cadengo and Beckett Stolp in both events. Zach Payne and Aidan Sweenedy will join those four in the 200 meters.
 
Rosario will match Macdonald on the women's side of the sprints, running the 60 and 200 meters alongside several other Vikings.
 
The depth of athletes competing for the Vikings this weekend will allow the team to run four different relays between the men's and women's DMR Friday, and the men's and women's 4x400-meter relay Saturday. It'll be the first DMR for both the men's and women's teams, while it'll be the first 4x400-meter relay for the Viking women.
 
The Viking men ran their first 4x400-meter relay at the Inland Northwest Invitational. The foursome of Payne, Macdonald, Brost and Cadengo won their heat in 3:21.71 – the best 4x400 by the Viking men since 2017.
 
Relays will be a key piece of the Big Sky Indoor Championships in two weeks. That's why the Vikings are running them this weekend. It's a chance for the Vikings to show what they can do against the best competition they have faced this season.
 
"If you want to make a conference team, then this is where you execute and show that you belong on the bus. That you belong as a conference contender," Blue said.
 
"It's going to be a hard choice on both sides, but you've got to do it. I wanted it to be hard. If it was easy, then we've got other problems. But the fact that it's hard shows that we have a good group of quality kids that could show up at any time and take advantage of opportunities."
 
The Husky Classic represents the latest and best opportunity to do just that.
 
MEET INFO
Feb. 13-14 – Husky Classic – Seattle, Wash. (Dempsey Indoor)
 
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Live Results | Live Video
 
MEET SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 13
Time (PT) – Event (PSU Entries)
1 p.m. – Men's Weight Throw (Flight 1 of 1 – Coppedge)
2 p.m. – Men's Triple Jump (Flight 1 of 1 – Mathers, Niyongere, Parrow)
2 p.m. – Women's 60-Meter Hurdles (Beasley – Heats TBD)
2:08 p.m. – Men's 60-Meter Hurdles (Sweeney – Heats TBD)
2:15 p.m. – Women's 200 Meters (Abdel Halim, Beasley, Forst, Peterson, Rideout, Rosario, Wheat – Heats TBD)
2:30 p.m. – Men's 200 Meters (Brost, Cadengo, Macdonald, Payne, Stolp, Sweeney – Heats TBD)
~5 p.m. – Men's High Jump (Flight 1 of 1 – Mathers)
5:50 p.m. – Women's DMR (Section 1 of 1 – Portland State 'A')
6:20 p.m. – Men's DMR (Section 1 of 1 – Portland State 'A')
 
Saturday, Feb. 14
Time (PT) – Event (PSU Entries)
10 a.m. – Women's Shot Put (Flight 1 of 2 – Edwards, Fisher, Sayler)
10 a.m. – Women's Long Jump (Flight 1 of 2 – Latu-Alves, Rideout, Wheat)
10 a.m. – Women's 60 Meters – Prelims (Forst, Latu-Alves, Medina, Rideout, Rosario, Wheat – Heats TBD)
10:14 a.m. – Men's 60 Meters – Prelims (Brost, Cadengo, Macdonald, Stolp – Heats TBD)
10:30 a.m. – Women's 400 Meters (Peterson – Heats TBD)
10:48 a.m. – Men's 400 Meters (Payne – Heats TBD)
11 a.m. – Women's 60 Meters – Final
11:05 a.m. – Men's 60 Meters – Final
11:10 a.m. – Women's Mile (Section 10 of 10 – Stolte)
~12 p.m. – Men's Shot Put (Flight 1 of 2 – LaGris)
12:25 p.m. – Men's Mile (Section 1 of 7 – Abade, Smith)
1:25 p.m. – Men's 800 Meters (Section 3 of 8 – Ahmed)
2:35 p.m. – Women's 4x400-Meter Relay (Section 1 of 1 – Portland State 'A')
2:40 p.m. – Men's 4x400-Meter Relay (Section 1 of 1 – Portland State 'A')