Portland State University Athletics

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REMEMBERING BOB MARIANI
June 27, 2011

Last Friday, a number of PSU staff and coaches – past and present – attended a memorial service for Bob Mariani.  Bob past away last week from a fight with cancer.  It was a touching memorial which celebrated his life and contributions to the Portland community. 

Bob was an avid Portland State fan for 30+ years, attending almost every home football, basketball, volleyball, and softball event.  If you have ever been to a volleyball or basketball game, you would recognize him, always sitting in section 3, row A, right behind the scorer’s table wearing his green PSU hat.  He enjoyed watching the game up close, as well as listening to his daughter, Teri, provide the radio play-by-play for Women’s Volleyball and Basketball.  As Teri stated in her eloquent remembrance at the memorial, Bob didn’t have much choice but to be a Vikings fan once Teri joined the PSU volleyball, basketball, and softball teams and would later become a Hall of Fame softball coach.  Yet, Bob cherished his experiences at PSU and the relationships he built with staff, coaches, fans, and student-athletes.  He wore his favorite PSU T-Shirts during his finals days, a Viking until the end.

Bob lived an amazing life and enriched the lives of those around him, including so many of us in PSU Athletics. PSU Athletics plans to replace his usual seat in the Stott Center with a new one which will commemorate his long-standing relationship with the University. Bob, you will be missed, but never forgotten.

Portland State Director of Athletics
Torre Chisholm 
 

VIKING PEOPLE
June 27, 2011

• Imagine my surprise when I ran into Viking wide receiver Justin Monahan in the parking lot of Tualatin High School this past weekend. I was there to watch a youth baseball game. Monahan was there to coach one. The junior-to-be and top returning receiver for the Vikings is coaching West Linn 12-year olds this summer. While Monahan (a West Linn High School graduate) might not be the only current Viking coaching kids this summer, it was a nice reminder of some of the great student athletes we have giving back to the community.

• The reason I called this Blog entry "Viking People" is because I pulled this out of my wife's People magazine: "Third Watch (and formerly on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) actress Nia Long is a going to have a baby. She and basketball player Ime Udoka are expecting their first child this fall." That's right, former Viking Ime Udoka will soon be a daddy. "Words can't explain how thrilled we are by the new addition to our family," says Long.

Udoka has played six seasons and a total of 296 career games in the NBA. Included was a 2006-07 stint with his hometown Portland Trail Blazers in which he started all 75 games in which he played. That year, Udoka created an endowed scholarship at Portland State in his late father's name, Vitalis Udoka, benefitting Viking athletes.

• And as long as we are talking about professional athletes… if/when the NFL lockout ends, three former Vikings should be back on the field. Linebacker Adam Hayward will begin his fifth season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 2006 Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year, has played in 59 career games and has 56 career tackles. He started three games in 2010 and had 20 total tackles.

Jordan Senn will begin his fourth year in the NFL in 2011 - whenever the season begins. Senn is with the Carolina Panthers. He has played in 37 career games with both Indianapolis and Carolina and has 36 career tackles (Senn even carried the ball on one play in 2010 for five yards).

Make no mistake, Jordan is a smart guy… besides being a two-time Academic All-American, he has made it a point to stay in shape during the lockout. He could be seen almost every day at Stott Community Field this spring working out on his own in preparation for the 2011 season.

It will be exciting to see Julius Thomas - the fourth round pick of the Denver Broncos - in the NFL this season as well. The Vikings' all-conference tight end made as much out of one season of college football as anyone could hope to.

• Speaking of football, former Portland State Football Head Coach Jerry Glanville has a new gig - if you hadn't heard - as Head Coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. The UFL has no lockout and the eight-game schedule begins on August 13. Glanville's roster includes a couple of former Viking linebackers who played for him, Andy Schantz and Erik Pedersen. Glanville's 13-coach staff (wow!) includes former Viking assistant Jesse Thompson.

• Finally, I would like to express both my, and the Viking Athletic Departments', sadness in the passing of one of the great Portland State Athletics' supporters ever, Bob Mariani. Bob, the father of legendary Viking coach/administrator/athlete Teri Mariani, was a fixture on the PSU sidelines for more than four decades. His tremendous support of his daughter and the athletic department as a whole was unwavering and greatly appreciated. Bob passed on June 19, and services were held on June 24.

Unquestionably, Bob willed be missed on the sidelines in the future. Our condolences go out to the entire Mariani family.

Until next time,
Mike Lund, Athletics Media Relations Director



June 25, 2011

Over the past three years here at Portland State I have gotten to know many great student-athletes. One of the best benefits of my job, in my opinion, is getting to know them as people and see how they are away from the field. I enjoy traveling with the teams and seeing what takes place on their road trips, because being there is so much better than hearing about a story of something fun or crazy that took place. It also helps me when I go to write a feature story because I get to find out more about an individual and it also potentially will give me a good angle to go with.

For example, I travel the most with the softball team. Over the past three springs I've developed friendships with many of the parents, which in turn has led to some good stories. I did a feature a few months back on the relationship between the just-graduated Nichole Latham and her father, Len, which I never would have known about had I not been around them like I was on road trips. Len reminds me a lot of my father in that he is very vocal at ball games. I'll miss seeing him walk into Erv Lind, or any ball park for that matter, with his customary Hawaiian shirt on and a Big Gulp in one of his hands, and hearing him yell "Let's Go Ocho," in reference to Nichole's jersey number eight.

I also wrote a story about fellow-graduated senior Brandi Campos and how she wants to be a successful softball coach like her father, Tony. Again, I gained many insights into their relationship and Brandi's desire to coach while I was on the road with the softball team. And Tony, if you read this, thanks for the ride to the field in Tempe after Tobin left me behind!

I write about all of this because we in the athletic department and you as fans get to watch these student-athletes grow up during their careers on the Park Blocks. It's a sad moment for me personally when a player leaves, but it's also exciting to know that they have a bright future ahead of them.

As I enter my fourth year here I'll be working with just three fourth-year seniors, the fewest I can ever remember since I've been working in college athletics. There are Eryn Jones and Stephanie Egwuatu of the women's hoops team, and Nicole Bateham with volleyball. It's been a pleasure getting to know them and see them mature as athletes and as people. Eryn has become the Big Sky MVP and one heck of a point guard, Stephanie has developed into a good post presence and contributes solid minutes, and Nicole has stepped up into a leadership role this offseason and I'm excited to see her in the backrow digging balls for the Vikings in the fall.

There are several other student-athletes that have transferred in at some point and will be enjoying their last go-around as Vikings during the 2011-12 season. While I haven't had the pleasure of knowing them for a full three years, each of them will be missed just as much. Shauneice Samms of the women's basketball team has an infectious smile and is so courteous every time I see her. She is a great representative for PSU. And another that comes to mind is softball's Jenna Krogh. In just one year on the Park Blocks she has made her mark, both on and off the field. While I'll always remember her outstanding hitting ability, I think I'll remember her even more for her quirkiness and watching her dance in the pregame huddle before games. Without my travels with the team, I'm not sure I'd know just how quirky Jenna truly is :)

While I just watched a tremendous group of athletes leave after this season, a new group is set to become Vikings within in the coming months. Something I started last year was "Getting To Know The Newest Vikings," a Q&A with incoming freshmen. Over the next few weeks look for these features on GoViks.com, and hopefully we all can begin to get to know a new batch of stars that will don the green and black. Before you know it we'll be watching them play their final game, watching them graduate and then thanking them for the special moments and memories they've provided us.

GoViks!
Ryan Borde

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June 20, 2011
VIKING MARKETING DEPARTMENT STRIKES GOLD... AGAIN
For the second time in just as many years, Portland State Athletics Marketing has struck gold at the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Annual Convention, held in Orlando, Fla. The Vikings received this year's top prize in the "Radio Commercial" category and also collected a bronze award in the "Sponsorship Program" category.

The Vikings marketing department, run by Director of Marketing and Sponsorship Coordinator Kenny Dow, developed a radio advertisement that was used to promote the Vikings home opener against Idaho State Oct. 2. The commercial featured Portland State quarterback Connor Kavanaugh. If you missed the ad you can click here to listen.

The gold award is the second for Portland State since 2010, making it the only Big Sky school to receive distinction the last two years. Last year's award was won in the TV Commercial category for this commercial ad.

This year's bronze medal, in cooperation with Portland State University's Recycling department and Coca-Cola, asked fans to write something they could do to help the environment and improve sustainability in their lives. In return, the fans received a Vikings shirt and a Coke product.

All awards were voted on by peer members of NACMA.

Amongst awards received, Kenny was also the brainchild behind PSU athletics "Our Town Your Team" initiative implemented last summer. Congratulations to Kenny and the rest of the external relations staff, Scott Boyd, Beth Connell, Denny Ferguson and Zack Wallace, for their persistent efforts throughout the school year.

Be sure to check throughout the summer for stories, random tidbits and other behind the scenes features in PSU Athletics.

You stay classy Portland,
Matt Scheerer, New Media Coordinator

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June 16, 2011

Written by Matt Scheerer, New Media Coordinator

THE GOPRO GOESBIG
It seems like nowadays you can almost do anything with technology: Perform surgeries with robots, fly to Mars, and even stick miniature high definition cameras on football players.

Before the start of the 2010-11 school year started, Portland State Athletics made a commitment to producing featured multimedia content for GoViks.com, Facebook and other social media outlets. With the help of Sidearm Sports, PSU athletics website provider, and YouTube, we've been able to increase the traffic on GoViks.com with our video features, reaching close to 500,000 visitors since August 1, 2010.

By the virtue of luck, we were able to secure a GoPro camera at the beginning of the spring football and test it on some of the players. When receiving the compact, and extremely delicate looking piece of equipment, no bigger than a padlock, I was wary of it taking contact, even despite its rugged use in extreme sports.




Senior quarterback Connor Kavanaugh was a natural selection to be the guinea pig for the experiment. Not only would fans be able to see the whole field of play, be right in the middle of the action, but the camera would not be in danger of being damaged, as quarterbacks do not take contact in practice. Boy was I wrong.

During the scrimmage, Kavanaugh connected with safety Nick Green for an interception. As the nimble Green evaded tackle attempts by the offensive line, Kavanaugh was there to meet Green with "soft" form tackle that forced a fumble. The quarterback followed the play up by jumping into scrum to collect the loose ball.

As all of this was happening, I stood on the sideline cringing and was told by laughing players on the sideline that camera was probably finished. Like the players on the sideline, I knew that a lot of things happen in those piles for loose balls.

As you might have saw, the camera took a pretty good lick, but, there were no dents, dings or scratches - Just a little traded paint on the outside of its protective case.

When it comes to producing videos for the website, there is generally some good action highlights to choose from. However, as the editor for the videos, I always have a pair of headphones handy for editing, as many profanities are shared during the course of practice - some comical and some out of frustration.

As I'm sure most viewers of the videos were, I was marveled by the things that were recorded and was always excited to see what would happen next.

For those that might have missed the videos, here are links to all the videos below:

- Quarterback Connor Kavanaugh
- Linebacker Ryan Rau
- Cornerback Aaron Kincy
- Offensive Tackle Dustin Waldron
- Helmet Cam Outtakes - Nick Green

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PORTLAND STATE'S OWN "M.J." GRADUATES, DESPITE HARDSHIPS
Throughout the 2010-11 basketball season senior guard Melvin Jones was featured in local, regional and even national media outlets for his incredible story of overcoming personal obstacles to excel as a student and basketball player.

Last Sunday June 12 Melvin participated in the Portland State graduation ceremony at the Rose Garden in front of an estimated crowd of 20,000. Seattle Times sportswriter Jerry Brewer was on hand to recap the event and again retell the story through Jones, his guardian turned mother Jennifer Annable and other members of the Seattle community.

Jones was an Academic All-Big Sky selection for the Vikings, averaging 11.5 points per game and shooting just over 40 percent this past season. He finished his career with 153 three-point field goals made, fourth all-time in the Portland State record book. The story was originally written by features writer John Wykoff and later picked up by Brewer. Shortly there after, NBC's Bob Dotson followed suit and featured the story on the Today Show.

- Click here to view The Seattle Times follow up story (June 15, 2011).
- Click here to view The Today Show's feature story (Feb. 4, 2011).

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June 8, 2011

ONE OF PSU'S MOST SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS… AND IT DIDN'T EVEN PLAY A GAME
With Finals Week almost concluded at Portland State (not to mentioned the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals), it is worth a look back on a very successful 2010-11 season. Certainly, it is exciting that Viking Athletics captured four more conference championships during the year (volleyball, women's basketball, softball, golf). The numerous other awards that have come along the way have been acknowledged over the course of the year as well.

However, I believe one of the greatest accomplishments of this academic year has been the Our Town Your Team program instituted by Portland State Athletics and the remarkable amount of community service that Viking athletes, coaches and staff have been involved in over the last nine months. The Our Town Your Team initiative was formed to better integrate PSU athletics into the Portland community as well as give back to those in need.

Our Town Your Team has been in full operation since last August under the capable eye of Community Relations Coordinator Jenna Wilson (also a former Viking softball star). Since that time and through mid-May, PSU athletics had been involved in 28 community outreach projects. Wilson calculated that Viking athletes had given over 2,900 community service hours.

According to Wilson, the most impacting event was the partnership with The Children's Book Bank to distribute over 1,500 books to schools in the Portland area.  The event took place on Read Across America Day (Mar. 2), and included several PSU teams.  Each child received a PSU bookmark signed by their athlete and approximately 10 books each to take home as their own.
 
Wilson also recognized top performing teams in the "Our Town Your Team" initiative as Women's Soccer, Women's Basketball, and Women's Softball, although the entire department was very open to participating in the community.

Some 250 athletes took part in activities at some point during the year, including Race for the Cure, the ALS Charity Walk, a Fall Youth Sports Camp, a Canned Food Drive in conjunction with KGW TV, the River Road Head Start Male Involvement Night, Albertina Kerr Valentine Card Making, Special Olympics Basketball, Read Across America Day, Portland Rescue Mission, an Anti-Bullying Campaign, and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Charity Walk among many others.

A sincere congratulations to Viking teams and athletes for taking this program and making it a huge success, as well as Jenna Wilson for her direction.

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A WELL-DESERVED PAT ON THE BACK
This Sunday marks another graduation ceremony for Portland State University. Approximately 50 Portland State athletes will (or have) graduated during the 2010-11 academic year, and it is a fine accomplishment for anyone to earn a college degree.

It is also worth noting that over the past four years - the span of time at PSU for many of these seniors - the Viking athletics program has captured 14 conference championships, with 10 teams making appearances in the NCAA post-season. You can also throw in more than 10 individual track titles or a pair of Big Sky individual golf titles in the last four years. It all adds up to Portland State's most successful era in Division I athletics. Then, when you add the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate score for the PSU Athletics Program, which at 956 (out of 1000) ranks as the highest in school history, there is a lot to smile about on the Park Blocks.

It starts at the top, and Director of Athletics Torre Chisholm has done a fine job of molding the Viking Athletics program in his four years on the job. He has hired quality coaches who have proven to be successful, recruit well, win games and graduate student-athletes.

Until next time,
Mike Lund

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June 3, 2011

A couple of notes today...

Congratulations to Ariko Iso, the new head football trainer at Oregon State. Iso was an assistant trainer at Portland State for a number of years, including five seasons as head football trainer for Tim Walsh (1997-2001). Iso went on to became the first female trainer in the NFL - working for the Pittsburgh Steelers as an assistant trainer for the past nine years. Ariko is a great person worthy of her prestigious role in the Pac-12.

Sticking with football, but on a much lighter note... when we took football player pictures this spring for the website and media guide, I noticed one new Viking with a very familiar look. Tight end Gage Loftin, a transfer from Snow Junior College, has the distinct look of movie funny man Jim Carrey. When I suggested that idea at the photo shoot, Loftin said it wasn't the first time someone said he looked like Jim Carrey. So, you be the judge... SEPARATED AT BIRTH?





















If nothing else, they both have great teeth.

Until next time,
Mike Lund


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June 1, 2011

In an effort to offer new features at GoViks.com, we are adding a Viking Blog to the site. The blog will feature items off the beaten path, other than the news we bring you on a regular basis.

Like the title says, we will have notes, scoop and trivia… perhaps a few laughs, and definitely point out some of the great stuff going on off the fields and courts. Hopefully, you will learn a little more about Viking Athletics and the people who play a part in the program.

We will also welcome comments and respond to any reasonable thoughts and suggestions. Just send them to our Media Relations email box at pdx04156@pdx.edu.


In the meantime, here are a few things worth looking at in Viking Athletics:

The track and field season is over, but Matt Scheerer wrote an entertaining piece on the team trying to stay fueled up prior to the Big Sky Conference Championship.

John Wykoff, who volunteers his time to Portland State Athletics, wrote about the friendship and competition between Viking quarterbacks Connor Kavanaugh and Drew Hubel.

Here is an article about basketball legend Freeman Williams, and how many points he might have scored…


Some other links
Vikings on Facebook

Vikings on Twitter

Coach Tyler Geving on Twitter

Coach Sherri Murrell on Twitter

Coach Kathleen Takaishi on Twitter


Thanks for reading, and check back for more on a regular basis,
Mike Lund, Athletics Media Relations Director