PSU Magazine Fall 2000

0 R T s FOOTBALL The Vikings earned the biggest win in its Division I-AA history and unquestionably one of the biggest in the 54-year history of the program, when PSU trounced the University of Hawaii September 9 in Hon– olulu, 45 -20. It was a first-ever win over a Division 1-A Quarterback Jimmy Blanchard threw a school-record program. Hawaii, coached by former PSU All-American quarterback June Jones, was coming off a West– ern Athletic Conference co-cham– pionship and Oahu Bowl victory over Oregon State in the 1999 season. • 99-yard touchdown pass last year. The Vikings, who were 8-3 last sea on, have been ranked in the top 20 in every preseason poll and are a consen u pick fo r second place in the Big ky behind defending champi n Montana. Last year quar– terback Jimmy Blanchard threw for over 3,000 yards and 29 touch– downs with ju t three interceptions. Also back for the Viks' explosive pass ing game is one of the best run– ning backs in the nation, sen ior Charles Dunn. Dunn rushed for 1,478 yards and 16 touchdowns last season along with ga ining another • 256 yards and three touchdowns on pass receptions. NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR NAMED Following a national search, Tom Burman was named new director of athletics at PSU. Burman has spent the past five years as associate athletic director at University of Wyoming, where he recently completed a $9.5 million capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art student athlete center. Burman replaces fo rmer Athletics Director Jim Sterk, who took a similar position at Washington State University in Ju ly. Burman earned a bachelor's degree from University of Wyoming in 1988 and an MBA from Robert Morris College in 1990. WOMEN'S SOCCER The team started the 2000 season with 16 newcomers and two new assistant coaches under head coach Dana Kusjanovic. The squad has had a hard time of it, losing its first five games, two of which were con– ference play. Leading the way among the returnees are three seni ors: Aimee Mansoor, Virginia Ammon, and Jamie Brock. Mansoor was a second-team all-conference selection last year and Ammon and Brock started the majority of the games in the Portland State midfield. Home games this year are at Tigard High Schoo l as the C ivic Stadium (now PGE Park) goes through renovation. VOLLEYBALL This young team was 0-8 before confer– ence play began in mid-September. On the plus side the Viks' best plays have come from freshmen and sophomores, an indication that the influx of new talent on this year's team could surprise some teams in the Big Sky Conference. Sophomore Stacy Ball has led the team in kills, total blocks, and attacks. Newcomer Jeannie Robison, a sophomore transfer from Univer ity of Mem– phi , appears to have taken over the starting setter po ition. CROSS COUNTRY The women's cross country squad will be led once aga in by Meli sa Telfo rd , who won her second all-conference award last year after finishing seventh at the Big Sky Championships. A lso returning for the women is Jamie Breese, who consistently finished among the top three Viking last year. On the men's side, the top returnee is Jeremy Park. Park was slowed by injuries last year but still led the Vikings in five races. The top newcomer on the squad i Evan Garich who won the O regon state championship in the 800-meter this past spring. SPRING SPORTS WRAP-UP Sophomore Kristina Leenders led the Viles in digs and was sec· ond in kills last year. The softball team ended the 2000 season with a 22-34 record and a so lid 8-10 record in the Western Athletic Confe rence, enough for a fourth place finish. This was the lady Viks' second fu ll season of Division I competition. The men's tennis program, which only began in fa ll 1999, struggled due to its late start and ended the year with a 0- 20 record. The women's tennis squad had no better a sea on, ending 0-1 8. Both the women's and men's track and field teams finished ninth at the Big Sky Championships. The season wa a memorable one for the women's squad as five schoo l records were broken during the year. The men's golf team placed fifth in the Big Sky Conference Championship , and the women's golf team placed seventh. Two go lfers from the men's squad were named to the All– Big Sky Conference Team. This season was the women's best since the team began competition three years ago. Tickets to athletic events are available th rough the PSU Box Office, 503-725-3307, or by calling 1-888-VIK– TIKS. For a complete schedule of matches see the Web site www.goviks.com. FALL 2000 PSU MAGAZINE 29