OGDEN, Utah - For its performance at the Oregon Preview March 19, the Portland State women's 4x100-meter relay team has earned the Big Sky's Track Athlete of the Week. The quartet of Geronne Black, Karene King, Anaiah Rhodes and Joenisha Vinson ran a time of 45.92 seconds and was beaten by only Oregon at the meet.

Black opened the race for the Vikings, followed by Vinson, Rhodes and King to close the race for Portland State. The team was .01 shy of tying the PSU all-time record in the event, but currently stands 17th in the West region and 26th nationally. The relay team finished second at the 2010 Big Sky Outdoor Championship and just missed qualifying for NCAA West Regional in Austin, Texas.

It is the second weekly honor for the Viks this season, with King earning distinction Jan. 25 for running a 24.31 second 200-meters and 7.53 seconds in the 100-meters. The quartet should improve its mark this week, as they worked on making its exchanges more fluidly.

The relay team and the rest of the track squad will be back in actions March 25-26 at the Stanford Invitational.

NOTES OF INTEREST: Geronne Black earned Big Sky Athlete of the Week honors after the Oregon Preview last year by winning the 100-meters ... Portland State has finished runnerup in the 400-meter relay at the conference championship three times (2010, 2007, 2004) and has only won gold once (2006).