PORTLAND, Ore. — Ari Smith snapped a 15-year victory drought for the Portland State men's cross country team last Friday. The last men's runner to win a race for the Vikings was Zach Carpenter in 2011. Carpenter actually won two races that year, the first two of the season. So, Smith can try to repeat that feat this Friday, as he leads the Viking men and women into the Ash Creek Collegiate in Monmouth, Ore.
 
Smith and the men's team will open the meet for the Vikings with a 6k race at 5 p.m. Friday at Ash Creek Preserve. The women will follow with a 5k at 5:45 p.m.
 
The 6k is a slight step up from the 5k the Vikings ran last week at the Lewis & Clark XC Opener. Smith shaved more than 30 seconds off his own school record in the 5k while finishing in 15:01.7. Luke Gillingham and Landen Sandoval joined him in the top 10 while finishing third and 10th in 15:06.0 and 15:48.2, respectively.
 
The 6k shouldn't trouble Smith and the other men's runners too much as it's still well below the championship distances (8k and 10k) they'll race later in the season. Smith already ranks seventh all-time in the 6k, having finished last year's Ash Creek Festival in 18:34.0.
 
It'll be the same course for Smith and the other Vikings as last year. They actually raced their twice last year between the Ash Creek Festival and Mike Johnson Classic. The Vikings will return to the Mike Johnson Classic this year, meaning they should be plenty familiar with the course at Ash Creek Preserve.
 
For the women, Sam Sharp posted a top 10 finish at the Ash Creek Festival last year. Her 5k time of 18:45.1 at last year's meet still stands as her personal best.
 
Sharp was the second runner in the Viking women's wave of runners who finished fourth through eighth last week at the Lewis & Clark XC Opener. Stina Tagesson led that group with a finish in 18:38.1. Sharp followed in 18:45.5, while Libby Fox (18:48.6), Brianna Mazilu (18:53.9) and Addison Capozzi (19:04.9) finished behind her.
 
The wave of runners nearly earned the Viking women the team win last week. They finished second in the end to Lewis-Clark (Idaho), which went 1-2-3 to finish with 26 points to the Vikings' 30.
 
A similar wave of runners this Friday will put the Viking women in contention again at the Ash Creek Collegiate. The Viking women had their own individual winner at this meet last year, as Emma Stolte won in 17:21.6.
 
The Vikings will be hunting for more wins this year, whether it's Smith for the second straight week on the men's side or a team win for either program.
 
MEET INFO
Friday, Sept. 11 – Ash Creek Collegiate – Monmouth, Ore. (Ash Creek Preserve)
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Live Results
 
MEET SCHEDULE
Time (PT) – Event
5 p.m. – Men's 6k
5:45 p.m. – Women's 5k