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PORTLAND, Ore. — It's showtime once again for the Portland State track and field teams as they head into the Big Sky Outdoor Championships at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash., this weekend.
 
The Big Sky outdoor meet comes just over two months after the Vikings went into the Big Sky Indoor Championships hoping to challenge for a conference women's title only to stumble on the final day of the meet. The outdoor meet, then, represents the Vikings' chance at redemption, as they once again look to finish in a top spot in the Big Sky standings.
 
"Everyone has to approach their event with a bit more confidence," PSU head coach Ronnye Harrison said about the team's approach to the meet. "Some comments I've heard [from the athletes] in recent weeks are not comments of confidence, and I'm an ex-Marine. I don't believe I can lose. And so I'm hoping that will permeate throughout the team, and we'll get some things done this weekend.
 
"We have a very good team – just everyone has to know that they're on a very good team, and when the baton is handed to you for your event, to give that type of performance. The polls ended up being right indoors because of a lack of confidence. They didn't end up being right because people knew what we were going to do."
 
Confidence will be especially key for the Vikings considering the team will need to beat the form chart if they hope to challenge for a conference title on the women's side. The Viking women have lots of top-end talent that could challenge for individual titles, but will also need athletes to help fill out the team score with sixth-, seventh-, or eighth-place finishes.
 
"We just need everyone to take their events and go for a PR. The one thing I'm trying to stress with the athletes – get to finals, get to finals."
 
The Vikings will also need to score points in bunches in a couple of different events, and should be poised to do so, as they have multiple athletes ranked in the top eight in the Big Sky in six different events going into the meet.
 
The 100-meter hurdles could be the Viking women's best chance to pick up a lot of points, as the trio of sophomore CeCelia Jackson, senior Jazmin Ratcliff and sophomore Akayla Anderson enter the meet ranked first, second and tied for third, respectively, within the Big Sky. Additionally, Ratcliff led a strong finish from the trio in the finals of the indoor 60-meter hurdles, as she won the event in a school-record 8.33 seconds, while Anderson and Jackson followed with second- and fifth-place finishes, respectively.
 
"My hope is that we will get what we almost had indoors, which is a 1-2-3 finish. I told them that I don't really care who is one, two or three, only that those three come in together."
 
Jackson overtook Ratcliff for the Big Sky lead in the outdoor 100-meter hurdles at the Sacramento State Open last weekend, but Ratcliff led the conference for the majority of the season and enters the meet as the defending champion in the event, after breaking the school, meet and conference records in the finals of the event last season.
 
Senior Jasmine Woods and sophomore Genna Settle also rank second and third, respectively, in the 100 meters for the Vikings, while Ratcliff and sophomore Baileh Simms could add a third or fourth scorer for the Vikings in the event, as they enter the meet tied for 10th in the conference.
 
Woods and Settle will be in a battle for the individual title in the 100, too, alongside Sacramento State's Caprice Powell, who has led the Big Sky for much of the season. Woods beat Powell head-to-head at last weekend's Sacramento State Open, however, setting the three of them up for a potentially explosive 100-meter final, providing everyone qualifies.
 
Woods also ranks second to Powell in the 200 meters, but will be coming off her best performance in the 200 meters last weekend, when she blew away the field at the Sacramento State Open with a seasonal-best time of 23.92 seconds.
 
"Jasmine Woods is, to me, the best overall sprinter in this conference. Her times don't always reflect that, but it's about execution [at the Big Sky meet]."
 
Settle and fellow sophomore Whitney Diggs could also score for the Vikings in the 200 meters, as they enter the meet ranked sixth and seventh in the event, respectively.
 
Additionally, sophomore Baileh Simms leads a strong contingent for the Vikings in the women's long jump, as she has led the Big Sky in the event for much of the season off her personal-best mark of 19-08.00 (5.99m) at the Stanford Invitational on April 3. Freshman Ta'mara Richey ranks close to Simms at third in the Big Sky, however, off her mark of 19-06.00 (5.94m) at the OSU High Performance meet on May 1.
 
Richey should also be one of the contenders in the women's triple jump, where junior teammate D'nara Jones could also score for the Vikings. Richey has been locked in at third in the Big Sky in the triple jump for a while, but set a new personal best in the event with a jump of 39-06.00 (12.04m) at the Oregon Twilight last weekend.
 
Meanwhile, the Viking women's strongest event should be the women's 4x100-meter relay, which the Vikings have led the conference in since the start of the outdoor season. The Vikings also beat their closest competition head-to-head last weekend, as they beat the Hornets' 4x100-meter relay team with a seasonal-best time of 45.24 seconds at the Sacramento State Open.
 
"We're not really focused on competing against anyone else but the clock in [the 4x100-meter relay]," Harrison said. "The conference record, I believe, is 44.82 [set by Cal State Northridge in 1999]. That is what I want. If we do that, I'm pretty sure we'll be out front."
 
Senior Camelia Mayfield will also look to lead a strong showing from the Viking women's distance crew, as leads the Big Sky in the 10,000 meters going into the meet, and will also run in the 5,000 meters.
 
The Viking men, meanwhile, will also hope to beat their 12th-place finish at the indoor meet, and should have the athletes to do so, starting with junior Rockwell Tufty, who broke his own school record in the men's high jump earlier this season.
 
"Rocky is an exciting young man. What I hope will happen this weekend is that he'll stay within himself because if he does, he'll jump high. He's not short on energy for competition. He's at a point in his career where something big could happen, and I hope it happens this weekend."
 
It all starts Friday for the Vikings, after the conclusion of the multi events, which will run Wednesday and Thursday. Friday will mostly consist of preliminary heats on the track, though all field events will be finals at the meet.
 
If the Vikings do well Friday, then they could position themselves for a run at the top of the conference Saturday, when the Viking women and men could each carve out their own redemption.
 
NOTE: In addition to the Big Sky Outdoor meet, the Vikings will also send athletes to the Portland Twilight meet Sunday, which will serve as a last chance to improve regional qualifying marks since the qualifying period for the NCAA West Preliminary ends at midnight Sunday.
 
MEET INFORMATION:
May 13-16, 2015 – Big Sky Outdoor Championships – Cheney, Wash. (Roos Field)
May 17, 2015 – Portland Twilight – Portland, Ore. (Eldon Fix Track & Fred Wilson Field)
 
LIVE RESULTS:
Live results will be available for the Big Sky Outdoor Championships this weekend. Fans can find the link to live results on either track and field schedule page on GoViks.com.
 
BIG SKY OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Friday, May 15
Field Events
Start (PT)                  Event (PSU entries)
10 a.m.                        Men's Hammer (Oni)
10:30 a.m.                  Men's High Jump (Robinson, Stipic, Tufty)
11 a.m.                        Women's Javelin (Bell)
12:30 p.m.                  Men's Long Jump (Schmidt)
3:30 p.m.                    Women's Long Jump (Jones, Richey, Settle, Simms)
 
Running Events
Start (PT)                  Event (PSU entries)
2:50 p.m.                    Women's 100-Meter Hurdles – Prelims (Anderson, Jackson, Ratcliff)
3:25 p.m.                    Women's 400 Meters – Prelims (Diggs)
3:40 p.m.                    Men's 400 Meters – Prelims (Prince)
3:55 p.m.                    Women's 100 Meters – Prelims (Ratcliff, Settle, Simms, Wayne, White, Woods)
4:20 p.m.                    Women's 800 Meters – Prelims (Beng, Tollefson)
4:35 p.m.                    Men's 800 Meters – Prelims (Brown, Richardson, Russell)
4:50 p.m.                    Women's 400-Meter Hurdles – Prelims (Jackson, Miller)
5:25 p.m.                    Women's 200 Meters – Prelims (Diggs, Settle, Woods)
5:40 p.m.                    Men's 200 Meters – Prelims (Prince)
6:05 p.m.                    Women's 10,000 Meters – Final (Coleman, Hendricks, Mayfield, Trapp)
6:50 p.m.                    Men's 10,000 Meters – Final (Landstrom, Macias, Schwartz, Talik)
 
Saturday, May 16
Field Events
Start (PT)                  Event (PSU entries)
10:30 a.m.                  Women's High Jump (Jackson)
10:30 a.m.                  Men's Triple Jump (Nixon, Oni)
1:15 p.m.                    Women's Triple Jump (Jones, Richey)
1:30 p.m.                    Women's Discus (Johnson)
 
Running Events
Start (PT)                  Event (PSU entries)
12 p.m.                       Women's 4x100-Meter Relay – Final (Portland State 'A' – Ratcliff, Settle, Woods, Simms)
12:10 p.m.                  Men's 4x100-Meter Relay – Final (Portland State 'A' – Pfefferkorn, Schmidt, Prince, Gable)
12:35 p.m.                  Men's 1,500 Meters – Final (Brown, Richardson)
12:50 p.m.                  Women's 100-Meter Hurdles – Final (Determined After Prelims)
1:10 p.m.                    Women's 400 Meters – Final (Determined After Prelims)
1:20 p.m.                    Men's 400 Meters – Final (Determined After Prelims)
1:30 p.m.                    Women's 100 Meters – Final (Determined After Prelims)
1:50 p.m.                    Women's 800 Meters – Final (Determined After Prelims)
2 p.m.                          Men's 800 Meters – Final (Determined After Prelims)
2:15 p.m.                    Women's 400-Meter Hurdles – Final (Determined After Prelims)
2:35 p.m.                    Women's 200 Meters – Final (Determined After Prelims)
2:45 p.m.                    Men's 200 Meters – Final (Determined After Prelims)
2:55 p.m.                    Women's 5,000 Meters – Final (Mayfield, Trapp)
3:25 p.m.                    Men's 5,000 Meters – Final (Landstrom)
3:45 p.m.                    Women's 4x400-Meter Relay – Final (Portland State 'A' – Tollefson, Beng, Woods, Ratcliff, Diggs)
3:55 p.m.                    Men's 4x400-Meter Relay – Final (Portland State 'A' – Gable, Pfefferkorn, Nixon, Russell, Prince)
 
PORTLAND TWILIGHT
Sunday, May 17
Field Events
Start (PT)                  Event (PSU entries)
6 p.m.                          Combined Men's & Women's Long Jump (Richey)
6:30 p.m.                    Men's High Jump (Tufty)
 
Running Events
Start (PT)                  Event (PSU entries)
6 p.m                          Women's 100-Meter Hurdles (Anderson, Jackson, Ratcliff)
6:10 p.m.                    Women's 100 Meters (Settle, Woods)
6:20 p.m.                    Women's 400 Meters (Diggs)
7:05 p.m.                    Men's 800 Meters (Brown)
7:40 p.m.                    Women's 200 Meters (Settle, Woods)
8:15 p.m.                    Men's 1,500 Meters (Brown)
8:55 p.m.                    Men's 5,000 Meters (Brown)
 
COMING UP:
Qualifying for the NCAA West Preliminary meet closes at the end of the day Sunday, with the top 48 declared student-athletes in each individual event and top 24 declared relay teams qualifying for the meet. Several Vikings remain in contention for making the meet, which will take place May 28-30 in Austin, Texas.
 
SACRAMENTO STATE OPEN RECAP:
Senior Jasmine Woods won the 100 and 200 meters, and ran a leg on the Vikings' winning 4x100-meter relay team, as she led the Vikings to a good head-to-head showing against their Sacramento State counterparts at the Sacramento State Open, May 9, at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif. Woods won the 100 in 11.69 seconds, edging her primary competition within the Big Sky Conference – Sacramento State's Caprice Powell – at the line. Woods also blew away Sacramento State's Dominique Whittington in the 200 meters, winning in 23.92 seconds to Whittington's 24.19 seconds. Additionally, the Vikings and Hornets – first and second in the 4x100-meter relay in the Big Sky, respectively – went head-to-head again in the short relay, with the Vikings coming out on top once again, finishing in a seasonal-best 45.24 seconds to the Hornets' time of 45.89. Sophomore Whitney Diggs also won the 400 meters in 55.06 seconds, her second-best time of the outdoor season, while fellow sophomore CeCelia Jackson set a seasonal best in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing in 13.62 seconds to move into the Big Sky lead in the event.
 
OREGON TWILIGHT RECAP:
Triple jumpers Ta'mara Richey and D'nara Jones led the Portland State track and field teams with a pair of personal bests at the Oregon Twilight, May 8, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Richey and Jones finished second and third, respectively, in the triple jump, with Richey passing Jones for second with a huge personal best on her last attempt of the day. Richey jumped 39-06.00 (12.04m) at the meet, nearly a full foot over her prep personal best in the event, and exactly a foot longer than her previous best this season, which she set at 38-06.00 (11.73m) at the Stanford Invitation over a month ago. Jones, meanwhile, held second place until Richey's final attempt, as she moved up the standings with another huge personal best of 38-02.00 (11.63m). Junior Tyson Stipic and sophomore Ben Richardson also set a pair of personal bests in the high jump and 1,500 meters, respectively. Stipic set a new best with his clearance of 6-07.00 (2.01m) at the meet, tying him for fourth in the event. Richardson, meanwhile, shaved a couple of ticks off his personal best in the 800 meters, as he finished the 'B' section of the event in 1:53.87. Richardson's time beats his old best of 1:54.18, set on the same track at the Oregon Relays three weeks ago.
 
PAYTON JORDAN INVITATIONAL RECAP:
Senior Camelia Mayfield broke 17 minutes in the 5,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational, May 2, at Cobb Track and Angell Field in Stanford, Calif. – the second straight meet in which she's beaten that barrier. Mayfield finished the 5,000 in 16:59.83 at the Payton Jordan Invitational, just behind her personal best of 16:58.50, which she set at the Oregon Relays on April 17. Sophomore Cheryn Trapp also ran with Mayfield in the 5,000 at the meet, but did not finish the race.
 
MT. HOOD TRACK FESTIVAL RECAP:
Freshman Nyalual Beng shaved close to four seconds off her personal best in the 800 meters, as she led a small group of Vikings at the Mt. Hood Track Festival, May 2, at Earl Klapstein Stadium in Gresham, Ore. Beng placed third overall in the 800 in 2:14.47, more than 3.5 seconds better than her prep personal best of 2:18, and well ahead of her previous seasonal best at Portland State of 2:18.12. Two other freshmen joined Beng with their own personal bests at the meet as well between Ethan Cotton in the 1,500 meters and Shasta Wilson in the javelin. Cotton crossed the line in the 1,500 in 4:30.09, more than three seconds better than his previous personal best, which he set at 4:33.21 at the John Knight Twilight meet earlier this season. Wilson, meanwhile, beat her previous best in the javelin by nearly eight feet with a throw of 120-03.75 (36.67m) at the meet.
 
OSU HIGH PERFORMANCE RECAP:
Sophomore Genna Settle blew away the field while setting a meet record in the 100 meters, while junior Rockwell Tufty broke his own school record in the men's high jump, as the pair of them led the Vikings at the OSU High Performance Meet, April 30-May 1, at Whyte Track and Field Center in Corvallis, Ore. Settle won the 100 meters in 11.70 seconds, .19 seconds faster than her nearest competitor, and more than a full quarter of a second faster than the previous meet record of 11.96 seconds. Settle's time also set a new personal best for the sophomore, and moved her up to fifth all-time in the 100 meters at Portland State. Tufty, meanwhile, cleared 6-10.25 (2.09m) to break his own school record in the event. Tufty set the record at 6-09.75 (2.08m) initially, but beat that by half an inch at the OSU meet. Additionally, the rest of the Vikings added four more event wins at the meet, starting with sophomore Baileh Simms, who led a great showing from the Vikings in the women's long jump. Simms won the event with a jump of 19-06.25 (5.95m), edging out freshman teammate Ta'mara Richey, who finished a quarter of an inch back of Simms at 19-06.00 (5.94m). Senior Jazmin Ratcliff, meanwhile, added another event win in the 100-meter hurdles, as she lowered her Big Sky-leading time in the event with her finish in 13.78 seconds. Fellow senior Jasmine Woods also won the 200 meters for the Vikings, as she edged out Oregon State Kerissa D'Arpino at the line to win in 24.26 seconds to D'Arpino's 24.27 seconds. Woods also ran the third leg of the Vikings' 4x100-meter relay team that won its third race of the season. Woods joined regular relay teammates Ratcliff, Settle and Simms to blow away the field, as they finished more than a second ahead of their closest competitor in 45.76 seconds.
 
OREGON RELAYS RECAP:
Sophomore Akayla Anderson won the 100-meter hurdles in a personal-best time, while juniors Major Oni and T-Roy Brown set historic marks in the men's hammer and 1,500 meters, respectively, at the Oregon Relays, April 17-18, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Anderson won the 100-meter hurdles in 13.87 seconds, breaking through for an over half-second seasonal best in the event that moved her into a tie for third in the Big Sky this season, behind only teammates Jazmin Ratcliff and CeCelia Jackson. Oni, meanwhile, set the best mark in the men's hammer in over 40 years with his mark of 163-02 (49.74m) on the first day of the meet. Oni now ranks second only to Steve James' school record of 176-00 (53.64m), which James set way back in 1971. Additionally, Brown set the best mark in the men's 1,500 meters in over 10 years on the same day. Brown finished the 1,500 in 3:51.25, the best finish by a Viking since Mike Kebbe ran the 1,500 meters in 3:50.40 in 2004.
 
MT. SAC RELAYS RECAP:
The Vikings nearly set seasonal bests across the board at the Mt. SAC Relays, April 17, at Hilmer Lodge Stadium, as the Vikings competed in six different events. Senior Jasmine Woods led the Vikings' bevy of seasonal bests, as she paced the Vikings in the 100 and 200 meters. Woods finished the 100 in a personal-best 11.63 seconds, moving her up to third all-time in the event at Portland State and behind only all-time sprinting greats Geronne Black and Karene King. Sophomore Genna Settle followed Woods in both the 100 and 200 meters, while senior Jazmin Ratcliff and sophomore CeCelia Jackson moved up to first and second, respectively, in the Big Sky in the 100-meter hurdles. Ratcliff took the conference lead with her time of 13.83 seconds, while Jackson finished just behind at 13.85. Additionally, the Vikings' 4x100-meter relay team of Ratcliff, Settle, Woods and sophomore Baileh Simms lowered their Big Sky-leading time in the event to 45.54 seconds.
 
JOHN KNIGHT TWILIGHT RECAP:
The Portland State women's 4x100-meter relay team set the meet record while winning the event at the John Knight Twilight meet at Western Oregon University's McArthur Field on April 10. The Viking women's short relay team finished in 45.94 seconds, beating the old record of 47.72, set in 2011, by nearly two full seconds. The Vikings' time also marked the second straight meet the Vikings have cracked 46 seconds in the event, following the team's seasonal-best time of 46.65 seconds at the Stanford Invitational. Outside of the relay, the Viking men added three more event wins between T-Roy Brown in the 1,500, Andrew Landstrom in the 5,000 and Rockwell Tufty in the high jump. Brown and Landstrom blew away the competition while winning each of their events, as Brown won the men's 1,500 meters by over three seconds, while Landstrom won the men's 5,000 meters by nearly 16 full seconds. Both Brown and Landstrom won their events in personal-best times, too, as Brown finished the 1,500 in 3:54.08, while Landstrom finished the 5,000 in 15:19.98. Tufty, meanwhile, won the men's high jump in seasonal-best mark of 6-06.00 (1.98m).
 
STANFORD INVITATIONAL RECAP:
The Vikings set or bettered five Big Sky-leading marks at the Stanford Invitational, April 3-4, at the Cobb Track and Angell Field in Stanford, Calif. Senior Jasmine Woods, sophomore Baileh Simms and seniors Jazmin Ratcliff and Camelia Mayfield all set individual leading marks, while the Vikings' 4x100-meter relay team set the leading mark in the conference as well. Woods and Mayfield lowered their leading times at the meet, as Woods won the 100 in 11.71 seconds, while Mayfield set a huge personal best in the 10,000 meters with her time of 34:35.88. Simms, meanwhile, took a commanding lead in the women's long jump, as she jumped a personal-best 19-08.00 (5.99m), just under six inches greater than the No. 2 mark in the conference, which Simms' freshman teammate Ta'mara Richey set at 19-02.50 (5.85m) at the same meet. Ratcliff, the 2014 Big Sky champion in the 100-meter hurdles, also reclaimed the lead in her primary event, as she finished the prelims of the short hurdles in 13.97 seconds. The Vikings then capped the meet with a Big Sky-leading time in the 4x100-meter relay on the meet's second day, as they finished in 45.65 seconds.
 
TEXAS RELAYS RECAP:
Portland State senior Jasmine Woods ran a Big Sky-leading 11.78 seconds in the prelims of the 100 meters, as she and three other Vikings competed against an elite field at the Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium on March 27. Woods' time beat her old personal best in the 100 by two-hundredths of a second, and moves her up to sixth all-time at Portland State. Additionally, Woods narrowly missed qualifying for the finals of the 100 out of an elite field that featured athletes from national sprinting powers Texas A&M and LSU. Clemson's Sabria Hadley claimed the final qualifying spot with her time of 11.74 seconds, just four-hundredths of a second faster than Woods. Sophomore Baileh Simms also hit a Big Sky qualifying mark while placing fourth in the 'B' section of the women's long jump at the meet. Simms jumped 18-08.50 (5.70m) on her fourth attempt in the event, moving her up to fourth in the Big Sky Conference. Sophomore Genna Settle set a seasonal best with her time of 12.04 seconds in the 100 meters as well, while Settle, Woods, Simms and senior Jazmin Ratcliff collectively set a seasonal best in the 4x100-meter relay with their time of 46.32.
 
ROSE CITY PREVIEW RECAP:
The Vikings' sprinters dominated the team's first home meet since 2000, going 1-2-3 in four different events while winning two others, as the Vikings hosted the Rose City Preview on March 21 at Earl Klapstein Stadium in Gresham, Ore. The Vikings swept the top three spots in the women's 100 and 200 meters, as well as the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles. Sophomore Whitney Diggs also won the 400 meters in a Big Sky-qualifying 55.29 seconds, while the Vikings won the 4x100-meter relay by nearly a full second. Senior Jasmine Woods led the Vikings' sprinting showcase, as she won the 100 and 200 meters at the meet, and ran one of the legs of the Vikings' winning 4x100-meter relay team. Woods won the 100 and 200 meters while hitting Big Sky qualifying times in each event, running the 100 in 11.88 seconds, and the 200 in 24.42 seconds. Senior Jazmin Ratcliff, meanwhile, led the Vikings' sweep in the 100-meter hurdles, as she started her defense of her 2014 Big Sky title in the event with a Big Sky-qualifying time of 14.20 seconds. Sophomores CeCelia Jackson and Akayla Anderson followed Ratcliff in second and third, respectively, while Jackson also hit a Big Sky qualifying mark with her time of 14.40 seconds. Additionally, Jackson led the Vikings' sweep in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing ahead of teammates Roazena Miller and Anderson. Junior Sheldon Prince also hit a Big Sky qualifying mark in the men's 400 meters, as he placed third in the event in 48.45 seconds.
 
LINFIELD ERIK ANDERSON MEMORIAL ICEBREAKER RECAP:
The Viking distance crew led Portland State at the season-opening Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker in McMinnville, Ore., on March 6-7. The Vikings hit five Big Sky qualifying marks at the meet between three marks in the women's 10,000 meters and two in the men's 800 meters. Senior Camelia Mayfield led the Vikings' three qualifiers in the women's 10,000 meters, as she placed second in the event in 36:00.94. Sophomores Maggie Coleman and Cheryn Trapp followed Mayfield with qualifying marks of their own, as Coleman placed fifth in 36:32.11, while Trapp placed ninth in 37:40.11. Sophomore Nathan Fleck and junior T-Roy Brown, meanwhile, qualified in the men's 800 meters while placing first and second, respectively, in the event. Fleck won the event in 1:52.82, while Brown placed close behind in 1:53.06.
 
VIKINGS IN NATIONAL RANKINGS:
The Vikings have six athletes ranked in the top 100 in the nation in their respective events, led by senior Camelia Mayfield, who ranks 69th in the women's 10,000 meters off her time of 34:35.88 at the Stanford Invitational on April 3. Junior Rockwell Tufty, meanwhile, ranks as the second highest Viking in the national ranks, as he ranks 73rd in the men's high jump with his school-record mark of 6-10.25 (2.09m) at the OSU High Performance Meet on May 1. Additionally, the Portland State 4x100-meter relay team and sophomore CeCelia Jackson moved into the national ranks with their times at last weekend's Sacramento State Open, and rank 76th and 80th in the nation now, respectively. Senior Jasmine Woods also ranks 92nd in the nation with her time of 11.63 seconds in the 100 meters, set at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 17, while sophomore Baileh Simms ranks 96th in the nation with her mark of 19-08.00 (5.99m) in the long jump, set at the Stanford Invitational on April 3.
 
VIKINGS IN NCAA WEST RANKINGS:
More important than the national rankings, however, is the fact that the Vikings have five athletes ranked in the top 48 in the NCAA west region in their respective events, putting them in position to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas, May 28-30. The top 48 declared student-athletes in each individual event qualify for the preliminary meet, as well as the top 24 declared relays teams. Sophomore Baileh Simms and freshman Ta'mara Richey each currently stand in position to qualify for the meet in the women's long jump, as they rank 36th and 44th, respectively in the NCAA west. Seniors Jasmine Woods and Camelia Mayfield also rank in the top 48 of their primary events, as they rank 38th and 39th in the 100 and 10,000 meters, respectively. Sophomore CeCelia Jackson, meanwhile, moved into qualifying position last weekend, as she finished the 100-meter hurdles in 13.62 at the Sacramento State Open, moving her up to 34th in the NCAA west rankings. The qualification period for the NCAA West Preliminary ends at the end of the day on May 17, making this weekend's Big Sky Outdoor Championships and Portland Twilight the Vikings' last chances to move up in the regional rankings.
 
BUBBLE WATCH:
Besides the five Vikings currently in position to qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary, the Vikings also have several more athletes contending for qualifying spots going into the final weekend of the qualifying period. The Vikings have five athletes or relays within 10 spots of qualifying, starting with junior Rockwell Tufty, who ranks just on the wrong side of the qualifying bubble at 52nd in the men's high jump. Tufty put himself on the qualifying bubble with his school-record mark of 6-10.25 (2.09m) at the OSU High Performance meet, just half-an-inch short of the current final qualifying mark of 6-10.75 (2.10m). Sophomore Genna Settle also ranks tied for 52nd in the NCAA west in the 100 meters with her time of 11.70 seconds, just .02 seconds behind the current last qualifier in the event. Senior Jazmin Ratcliff, meanwhile, needs to move up in the regional rankings in the 100-meter hurdles if she wants to qualify in the event for a third straight season. Ratcliff stands just .05 seconds behind the final qualifying time, as her seasonal best of 13.78 seconds puts her just outside of the field at 54th in the NCAA west. Fellow senior Jasmine Woods, who remains in good position in the 100 meters, also put herself on the qualifying bubble in the 200 meters with a seasonal-best time of 23.92 seconds at last weekend's Sacramento State Open. Woods now ranks 58th in the NCAA west, .13 seconds behind the final qualifying time. The Vikings' 4x100-meter relay team also might still qualify for the NCAA West Preliminary, as they moved up to 31st in the NCAA west with their seasonal-best time of 45.24 seconds at the Sacramento State Open. Only the top 24 declared relay teams make the regional meet, so the Vikings will need to lower their time past the current final qualifying time of 45.07 seconds, which would set a new Portland State record. It's still possible for an athlete or relay not ranked in the top 48 or top 24 in the NCAA west to make the regional meet, as competitors still need to declare for each event, and some spots may open up if athletes opt out of one event in favor of another.
 
VIKINGS IN NCAA WEST TOP 50:
Women:
100m
38. Jasmine Woods – 11.63 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
 
10,000m
39. Camelia Mayfield – 34:35.88 – Stanford Invitational (4/3/15)
 
100m Hurdles
34. CeCelia Jackson – 13.62 – Sacramento State Open (5/9/15)
 
4x100m Relay
31. Portland State – 45.24 – Sacramento State Open (5/9/15)
 
Long Jump
36. Baileh Simms – 19-08.00 (5.99m) – Stanford Invitational (4/3/15)
44. Ta'mara Richey – 19-06.00 (5.94m) – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
BIG SKY QUALIFIERS:
Eighteen Vikings qualified for the Big Sky Championships across 13 different events. Qualifying marks assured the athlete of competing at the conference meet in Cheney, Wash., this weekend, providing that there weren't more than 20 athletes who had hit the qualifying mark in the event. In that case, only the top 20 athletes in the event advanced to the conference meet. Overall, each individual event was made up of a 20-athlete field, except in the combined events, where the top 16 qualified. After the athletes with the qualifying standards, the rest of the field for each event was filled out following the descending order list within the conference.
 
PSU Big Sky Auto Qualifiers:
Women:
Akayla Anderson – 100m Hurdles – 13.87 – Oregon Relays (4/18/15)
Maggie Coleman – 10,000m – 36:32.11 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/6/15)*
Whitney Diggs – 200m – 24.40 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
Whitney Diggs – 400m – 54.95 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
CeCelia Jackson – 100m Hurdles – 13.62 – Sacramento State Open (5/9/15)
Sydney Johnson – Discus – 151-10 (46.27m) – John Knight Twilight (4/10/15)
D'nara Jones – Triple Jump – 38-02.00 (11.63m) – Oregon Twilight (5/8/15)
Camelia Mayfield – 5,000m – 16:58.50 – Oregon Relays (4/17/15)*
Camelia Mayfield – 10,000m – 34:35.88 – Stanford Invitational (4/3/15)*
Jazmin Ratcliff – 100m Hurdles – 13.78 – OSU High Performance Meet (5/1/15)
Ta'mara Richey – Long Jump – 19-06.00 (5.94m) – OSU High Performance Meet (5/1/15)
Ta'mara Richey – Triple Jump – 39-06.00 (12.04m) – Oregon Twilight (5/8/15)
Genna Settle – 100m – 11.70 – OSU High Performance Meet (5/1/15)
Genna Settle – 200m – 24.29 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
Baileh Simms – Long Jump – 19-08.00 (5.99m) – Stanford Invitational (4/3/15)
Cheryn Trapp – 10,000m – 37:40.11 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/6/15)*
Jasmine Woods – 100m – 11.63 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
Jasmine Woods – 200m – 23.92 – Sacramento State Open (5/9/15)
 
Men:
T-Roy Brown – 800m – 1:53.06 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/7/15)
Nathan Fleck – 800m – 1:52.82 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/7/15)
Sheldon Prince – 400m – 48.45 – Rose City Preview (3/21/15)
Spenser Schmidt – Long Jump – 22-08.50 (6.92m) – Oregon Relays (4/17/15)
Rockwell Tufty – High Jump – 6-10.25 (2.09m) – OSU High Performance Meet (5/1/15)
 
* - Time cross qualifies the athlete for the 5,000 meters
 
VIKINGS IN BIG SKY TOP 20:
Women:
100m
2. Jasmine Woods – 11.63 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
3. Genna Settle – 11.77 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
T-10. Baileh Simms – 12.01 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
T-10. Jazmin Ratcliff – 12.01 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
T-17. Whitney Diggs – 12.15 – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
200m
2. Jasmine Woods – 23.92 – Sacramento State Open (5/9/15)
6. Genna Settle – 24.29 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
7. Whitney Diggs – 24.40 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
20. Jazmin Ratcliff – 24.85 – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
400m
4. Whitney Diggs – 54.95 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
 
800m
20. Kris Tollefson – 2:14.24 – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
1,500m
14. Camelia Mayfield – 4:34.62 – Rose City Preview (3/21/15)
 
5,000m
9. Camelia Mayfield – 16:58.50 – Oregon Relays (4/17/15)
 
10,000m
1. Camelia Mayfield – 34:35.88 – Stanford Invitational (4/3/15)
8. Maggie Coleman – 36:32.11 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/6/15)
16. Cheryn Trapp – 37:40.11 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/6/15)
19. Katie Hendricks – 38:49.74 – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
100m Hurdles
1. Jazmin Ratcliff – 13.83 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
2. CeCelia Jackson – 13.85 – Mt. SAC Relays (4/17/15)
T-3. Akayla Anderson – 13.87 – Oregon Relays (4/18/15)
 
400m Hurdles
10. CeCelia Jackson – 1:02.62 – John Knight Twilight (4/10/15)
14. Roazena Miller – 1:03.51 – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
4x100m Relay
1. Portland State – 45.24 – Sacramento State Open (5/9/15)
 
4x400m Relay
10. Portland State – 3:54.86 – Rose City Preview (3/21/15)
 
High Jump
T-6. CeCelia Jackson – 5-05.25 (1.66m) – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
Long Jump
1. Baileh Simms – 19-08.00 (5.99m) – Stanford Invitational (4/3/15)
3. Ta'mara Richey – 19-06.00 (5.94m) – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
13. Genna Settle – 18-01.75 (5.53m) – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
Triple Jump
3. Ta'mara Richey – 39-06.00 (12.04m) – Oregon Twilight (5/8/15)
7. D'nara Jones – 38-02.00 (11.63m) – Oregon Twilight (5/8/15)
 
Discus
11. Sydney Johnson – 151-10 (46.27m) – John Knight Twilight (4/10/15)
 
Javelin
20. Haley Bell – 123-01 (37.53m) – Oregon Relays (4/18/15)
 
Men: 
200m
T-15. Sheldon Prince – 21.83 – Oregon Relays (4/17/15)
 
400m
T-12. Sheldon Prince – 48.45 – Rose City Preview (3/21/15)
 
800m
11. Nathan Fleck – 1:52.82 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/7/15)
19. T-Roy Brown – 1:53.06 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/7/15)
 
1,500m
T-11. T-Roy Brown – 3:51.25 – Oregon Relays (4/17/15)
 
10,000m
12. Andrew Landstrom – 31:21.25 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/6/15)
13. John Talik – 31:37.23 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/6/15)
18. Jake Schwartz – 31:58.24 – Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker (3/6/15)
 
3,000m Steeplechase
9. T-Roy Brown – 9:22.96 – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
 
4x100m Relay
9. Portland State – 42.08 – John Knight Twilight (4/10/15)
 
4x400m Relay
10. Portland State – 3:23.00 – Rose City Preview (3/21/15)
 
High Jump
3. Rockwell Tufty – 6-10.25 (2.09m) – OSU High Performance (5/1/15)
T-6. Tyson Stipic – 6-07.00 (2.01m) – Oregon Twilight (5/8/15)
T-14. Kevin Robinson – 6-04.00 (1.93m) – John Knight Twilight (4/10/15)
 
Long Jump
13. Spenser Schmidt – 22-08.50 (6.92m) – Oregon Relays (4/17/15)
 
Triple Jump
11. Major Oni – 45-01.50 (13.75m) – Oregon Relays (4/18/15)
20. Cole Nixon – 41-00.50 (12.51m) – John Knight Twilight (4/10/15)
 
Hammer
15. Major Oni – 163-02 (49.74m) – Oregon Relays (4/17/15)
 
Javelin
17. Donté Robinson – 169-10 (51.76m) – Rose City Preview (3/21/15)
 
2015 INDOOR SEASON RECAP:
The Vikings had a somewhat disappointing end to what had been a highly successful indoor season at the Big Sky Championships in Flagstaff, Ariz., at the end of February. The Viking women had hoped to challenge for a Big Sky title at the meet, but placed tied for fourth instead, while the men finished last with eight total points. Senior Jazmin Ratcliff still led an impressive showing from the Vikings in the 60-meter hurdles at the meet. The Vikings scored 22 points in the meet, highlighted by Ratcliff, who won the event in a school-record 8.33 seconds. Sophomore Akayla Anderson placed second behind Ratcliff to earn All-Big Sky honors in the event as well, while senior Jasmine Woods and sophomore Genna Settle also earned All-Big Sky honors with second- and third-place finishes in the 60 and 200 meters, respectively. The Vikings also had several standout performances during the indoor regular season, as the Viking women won four Big Sky Athlete of the Week honors during the season. Ratcliff won two in a row at the start of the season, while junior Sydney Johnson and sophomore Genna Settle followed with their first career athlete of the week honors over the next two weeks. The Vikings also set two new school records at the UW Invitational, as junior Amanda Boman broke the record in the women's 5,000 with her time of 17:01.73, while the Viking men's distance medley relay team broke a 10-year-old record with their time of 10:05.11 in the event.