Viking_Yearbook_90

120 Female athlete of the year Michelle Hughes, PSU' s 1987 Female Athlete of the Year, First team all region and First team all American in softball for the 1990 year, and one of the nations top 3 point shooters in women's basket– ball, has prooven to be a tremendous asset to two Viking teams. Since her freshman year in 1987, Hughes has played and started on the women's basketball and softball teams. Hughes is only 5'3", but plays a huge part in the Portland State basketball team's game. The junior point guard not only runs the offense, but leads the team in assists and is one of the top three scorers on the team. And most of that scoring originates a long way from the basket. "That line's become my best friend," said Hughes. During her four year career at Glencoe High School there was no three-point line, "but I was shooting from near that range anyway," she said. Hughes' success on the Viking basketball team has led to recent feature stories on KPTV and KGW-TV, and an article in the sports pages of The Orego– nian. Hughes finished the season as the nation's sixth ranked 3 point shooter. "I shot well on the 3 pointers, but next year I'd like to be in the top two." Hughes received some attention from the University of Idaho and the University of Texas-El Paso at recruiting time, but decided on PSU. "I wanted to play softball as well as basketball, and coach (Greg) Bruce said I could. That's one of the biggest reasons I decided to come here," she said. Another was the confidence displayed by Bruce in her abilities, and the chance to play an up-tempo game, similar to that used by Glencoe in reaching the AAA State semifinals all four of Hughes' years there. "When I sat down with coach, he told me 'I don't care how big you are, I know you can play at this level.' That confidence he showed also helped make the decision for me," said Hughes. She has started every game for the Vikings since she arrived, and thrives in Bruce's up-tempo style and pressure man– to-man defense. "I'm real happy wih it," she says of the PSU game plan. "The coaching staff is great, and I have a lot of respect for coach Bruce." That respect has been a two-way street, as Bruce, in his fourth year at the helm, has turned the offense over to Hughes, a member of only his second recruiting class at PSU. "I think that with this team we have more players who play real well together," said Hughes of the improvement. "When one person has a bad game, someone else picks up. It's very balanced." She points to the team unity as a key ··factor in PSU's play, and says that the level of competition in practices keeps the Vikings game-ready. "I wouldn't trade this team for any team I've been on," she says. "This has been the best team since I've been at PSU, and not just with the win-loss record."