PORTLAND, Ore. - Following an opening weekend at the Pacific Preview, which saw the Vikings collect eight wins at the meet, the Portland State track and field team will send 38 athletes to the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field. The first event scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

LAST WEEKEND
Head Coach Ronnye Harrison entered several athletes into events they do not generally race. Some of the athletes faired well at the meet. At the head of that list was senior Karene King, who won the 400-meters with a time of 59.99 seconds. Right behind King in second-place was junior Anaiah Rhodes who finished with a time of one minute, 2.01 seconds.

Junior Tony Crisofulli, a bronze medalist in the 800-meters two weeks ago, ran in the 400-meters and finished fourth with a 49.74. He only missed the school's all-time top-10 by .26 seconds. Sophomore Nate Lightner, a 200 and 400-meters runner for PSU, raced in the 800-meters and finished sixth with a time of 2:01.79.

Some of the athletes who competed in their regular events include event winners sophomore Geronne Black (200-meters, 25.50), senior Adrienne Davis (shot put, 42-0.75), senior John Lawrence (3,000-meter steeplechase, 9:28.78), sophomore Sean Mackelvie (javelin, 195-5), junior DeShawn Shead (110-meter hurdes, 14.60) and junior Joenisha Vinson (100-meters, 12.47).

Mackelvie's throw in the javelin moved him up to No. 8 in the Vikings all-time record book, surpassing David Moore (2007-10).

The Viks final win of the weekend came during the 4x100-meters relay when the squad, made-up of Vikings Black, King, Rhodes and junior P'Lar Dorsett, finished the race with a time of 46.29 seconds. The time was the fourth-fastest time in Portland State history.

Freshman Allison Burkett made her Portland State debut at the meet and finished second in the javelin with a throw of 128 feet, 10 inches, the sixth-best in PSU history. Classmate Shae Carson also performed well at the meet, finishing second in the discus, 123-5, and shot put, 37-11.50, competitions.

REWIND - 2010 OREGON PREVIEW
The Vikings were carried by speed and endurance at last year's Oregon Preview as Geronne Black, Karene King and Amber Rozcicha recorded victories at Hayward Field.

Black posted a 12.09 in 100-meters and aided the 4x100 relay team to a time of 46.48 seconds. King was also a member of the relay team but ran 24.75 in the 200-meters to crack through the Vikings top-10. And finally, Rozcicha won her heat in the 1,500-meters with a time of 4:38.89.

A LOT CAN CHANGE IN A YEAR
Five weeks ago at the Don Kirby Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., senior Karene King broke the school's indoor record in the 200-meters with a time of 24.02. The time was also good enough to break her home country's indoor national record, British Virgin Islands.

At last year's Oregon Preview, King ran a breakout time in the 200-meters with her 24.75. Though it was her first outdoor race of the season, her fastest time as a Viking happened during the 2010 indoor season when she ran 24.87 seconds Feb. 6 in New York City.

Who ever said hard work never pays off...

EYES ON THE PRIZE
The Vikings have qualified eight individuals to the NCAA West Regional and two individuals for the NCAA Outdoor Championships the last two years under Head Coach Ronnye Harrison. Three of the Vikings four 2010 regional qualifiers return to this year's team.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT LAST WEEK
Portland State released the track and field team's outdoor season preview in a video feature late last week. If you did not see it, click the video below.



BIG SKY QUALIFIERS:
The athletes listed below have posted times or distances that qualify them for the Big Sky Outdoor Championship in Sacramento, Calif., May 11-14.

MEN
Name | Event(s)
John Lawrence | 3000m steeplechase
Sean Mackelvie | javelin
DeShawn Shead | 110m hurdles

NEXT UP
The Vikings heptathletes and decathletes will participate in the Cal Multi Event March 23-24 and the rest of the squad will compete at the Stanford Invitational March 25-26. It will be the only event of the season for the multis to qualify for the Big Sky Championship.