ASUZA, Calif. - Junior Joenisha Vinson ended the day the same way she started it - In first-place. The Viking scored a Big Sky season-best of 5,277 points at the California Invitational heptathlon. It is the best score of her career and the second-best in school history.

Entering day one, the Phoenix, Ariz., native was 36 points ahead of Wisconsin's Deanna Latham. Vinson went on to record a season-best distance in long jump at 18 feet, 5.25 inches and 735 points.

Continuing with yesterdays trend of surprises, Vinson recorded a PR throw in the javelin of 119-9, to score 600 points and improve her overall score to 4,541 points, qualifying her for the Big Sky Championship in the event and shocking the competition. The throw put her in the top-10 in the javelin at PSU and improved her best-ever throw by exactly 15 feet.

In the final event, the 800-meters, Vinson was in the drivers seat for the heptathlon title in Asuza. She went on to run a time of two minutes, 30.55 seconds, .55 shy of tying her all-time best in the event, to score 686 points and claim the crown at 5,227 points.

The score is the best mark in the Big Sky this season and second-best all-time at Portland State. She was a mere 130 points from breaking Robin Unger's record of 5,356 points. Vinson's score this afternoon improved her career-best mark by 223 points.

All told, Vinson managed to record outdoor-bests in three events at the meet: 100-meter hurdles, shot put and the javelin competitions.

Portland State will return to action April 22-23 for the Brutus Hamilton Invitational, hosted by California. It will be the Vikings third and final trip to the Bay area.

Final Results:
Event | Mark | Score
100m hurdles | 13.84^ | 1003
High jump | 5-2.25 | 712
Shot put | 36-7* | 608
200m | 25.04 | 883
Long jump | 18-5.25 | 735
Javelin | 119-9* | 600
800m | 2:30.55 | 686
Total score: 5,227

^ - School-record
* - Personal-best