Portland State University Athletics

A decorated collegiate and post-collegiate runner, Jenna Hinkle joined the Portland State cross country and track & field program as a volunteer assistant before the 2021-22 season.

Hinkle's addition to the Vikings' coaching staff coincided with a huge leap forward for the Vikings during the 2021 cross country season. For the first time in program history, the Vikings had representation at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. Katie Camarena inserted some Viking green into the national meet after placing fifth at the NCAA West Regional, and finished 70th overall out of 250 of the best runners in the country.
 
Camarena’s appearance at nationals tied the bow around a season that included the:

• Best men’s team finish at NCAA West Regional (8th)
• Best women’s team finish at NCAA West Regional (11th, tied)
• Best women’s team finish at Big Sky Championships (3rd)
• Best individual finishes for a Viking woman at the Big Sky (3rd), NCAA West Regional (5th) and NCAA D1 National meets (70th, Katie Camarena every time)
• Best individual finish for a Viking man at the Big Sky Championships (14th, tied, by Jordan MacIntosh)
• First Top 10 regional ranking in USTFCCCA West Region (men ranked ninth on Oct. 18)

The Viking men’s eighth-place finish at the NCAA West Regional halved their previous best finish of 16th. Additionally, the Viking women’s third-place finish at conference beat their previous best finish by two spots.
 
The Viking women’s entire top five finished among the first 30 runners at the Big Sky meet, as depth was a theme throughout the season. The Vikings had never placed more than three runners in the top 30 before the 2021 meet, let alone five. The Vikings accomplished a similar feat at the NCAA West Regional where both teams placed their entire top five among the first 100 finishers. The men nearly placed their entire top five among the first 75 finishers, missing out by only two spots, while the women were one spot away from putting six runners in the top 100 of their race.
 
The highlight of the 2021 cross country season remained Camarena’s accomplishments, however. A transfer from UC Santa Barbara, Camarena made a quick impact in her time on the Park Blocks, as she would either set or become the Vikings’:

• First national cross country qualifier in Division I program history
• First USTFCCCA All-Region honoree in cross country
• Best individual finish at Big Sky Championships (4th)
• Best individual finish at NCAA West Regional (5th)
• 4k school record (at Viking Rust Buster, Sept. 3)
• 5k school record (at Big Sky Championships, Oct. 29)
• 6k school record (at Santa Clara Bronco Invitational, Oct. 16)

Hinkle came to the Vikings after three seasons as an assistant coach for the UC Santa Barbara program, where she had a standout collegiate career from 2014-18. Hinkle won the Big West Conference Cross Country individual title in 2017, a feat that earned her Big West Athlete of the Year honors. Hinkle also earned Big West Conference Athlete of the Year honors on the track in 2017 and 2018. In 2017, Hinkle received the honor after winning the conference title in the 1,500 meters and placing second in the 800 meters. In 2018, Hinkle swept the Big West 1,500- and 5,000-meter titles, while also placing second again in the 800 meters.
 
Hinkle’s success at the conference level carried over to the national level, where she qualified for the final site of the 2017 and 2018 NCAA National Championships in the 1,500 meters. Hinkle also qualified for the NCAA West Prelims in the 5,000 meters in 2018.
 
After college, Hinkle ran professional for the HOKA ONE ONE club, where she set personal bests in the 800, 1500 and 5,000 meters. Hinkle qualified for the 2019 USATF Outdoor Championships in the 1,500 meters, and also qualified for the 2019 USATF Indoor Championships in the 2-mile. Additionally, Hinkle was part of the team that won the USATF Club Cross Country National Championships in 2019.
 
In addition to her role as an assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara, Hinkle also served as the Director of the UCSB Cross Country Camp from 2018 to 2021. Hinkle managed all camp activities as part of that role, overseeing daily operations that included providing campers with comprehensive physical and mental training tools.
 
Hinkle holds a Sports Management Certification from UC Santa Barbara, which she received after graduating in 2018. Hinkle earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from UC Santa Barbara with a specialization in literature and the environment.