Portland State Vikings

Infobox college athletics
name = Portland State Vikings

university = Portland State University
conference = Big Sky Conference | division = Division I
director = Torre Chisholm
city = Portland
state = Oregon
stateabb = OR
teams = 14
stadium = PGE Park
arena = Stott Center
mascot = Victor E. Viking
nickname = Vikings
color1 = Forest Green
color2 = White
hex1 = 02461D
hex2 = FFFFFF
pageurl = http://www.goviks.com/
pagename = www.goviks.com

Portland State Vikings is the moniker referring to the intercollegiate athletic teams representing Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA. Portland State, being situated in the downtown district known as the "Park Blocks", has also sometimes been referred to as the "Park Block Bombers".

Portland State is a member of the Big Sky Conference (joining in 1996), Pac-10 Conference in wrestling and the Pacific Coast Softball Conference. PSU competes at the NCAA Division I level in basketball, women's volleyball, golf and soccer, wrestling, tennis, softball, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country. Football competes at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA).

Prior to joining Division I, the school won NCAA National Division II Championships in women's volleyball and wrestling. The school has also placed second twice nationally in football and once in women's basketball at the Division II level.Portland State's colors are forest green and white, and its mascot is the Viking manifested as "Victor E. Viking".

Among the more notable former PSU athletes are Freeman Williams and Neil Lomax. Freeman Williams was the NCAA Division I national men's basketball individual scoring leader in 1977 and 1978. Neil Lomax was a record-setting quarterback who went on to star for the then St. Louis Cardinals in the NFL. Football's the "Run & Shoot" offense was first implemented at the college level at PSU by then coach Darryl "Mouse" Davis. Davis' quarterback protégées were Lomax and June Jones. Jones, the former head coach at the University of Hawaii now at Southern Methodist, is also a proponent of the Run & Shoot.

Home games for football are held off-campus at PGE Park, and home games for basketball are held on-campus at the Peter W. Stott Center.

Torre Chisholm was named new Athletic Director March 26, 2007. Chisholm replaces interim AD Teri Mariani, who filled that role since February 2006 when Tom Burman left for the University of Wyoming. Washington State University AD Jim Sterk preceded Burman as PSU AD.

Men's sports

Football

Football began competing at the college level in 1947. PSU competed at the small college level before beginning to compete at an interstate level in the 1960s. The 1970s brokered a new level of achievement under Mouse Davis. Mouse Davis installed the "Run & Shoot" which provided prolific scoring teams led by quarterbacks June Jones and Neil Lomax. Later in the 1980s, highlights included 2nd place finishes in NCAA Division II in 1989 and 1990 under legendary coach Pokey Allen.

The 2006 season included a victory over the University of New Mexico. The team finished the season tied for second in the conference and featured PSU offensive lineman Brennan Carvalho and linebacker Adam Hayword being named All-Americans. Tim Walsh completed his 14th year at the helm in 2006 and resigned to become the offensive coordinator at Army. Walsh was the longest tenured coach in PSU history. He was succeeded by Jerry Glanville, former NFL head coach and University of Hawaii defensive coordinator. Glanville hired Mouse Davis as his new offensive coordinator who re-installed the Run & Shoot.

Jerry Glanville's initial season at PSU in 2007 was a disappointing 3-8 campaign. The team recorded a 1-4 home record, worst since 1973. However, enthusiasm was reflected with an increase in attendance and included a wild 73-68 loss to Weber State. Center Brennan Carvalho finished a brilliant career by being named All-American for a second time.

Head football coaches

Wrestling

PSU's wrestling program has won NCAA Division II Championships in 1969, 1989 and 1990. The current coach is 1987 alum Mike Haluska. Rick Sanders was the first Viking to win individual national championships and was a two-time Olympic silver medalist.

Track & Field

The men and women's track & field teams are led by head coach Kebba Tolbert. The assistant track & field coaches are Ronnye Harrison, John Parks, and Seth Henson.

Tennis

Head Coach Brian Parrott leads the Vikings' tennis program starting with the 2008-'09 season. After his collegiate career, Parrott played professionally for several years. He played in the U.S. Open qualifier in 1973, and was a member of the Sea-Port Cascades of the World Team Tennis league in 1977. Between 1967 and 1980, Parrott was ranked No. 1 in doubles seven times in the Pacific Northwest, and was never ranked lower than No. 8 in singles.

Women's sports

Basketball

The women's basketball tradition includes considerable success at the NCAA DII level playing for national championships prior to moving to Division I. Head Sherri Murrell, formerly the head coach of Washington State, was hired July 1st, 2007 to lead the program into its second decade in the Big Sky. Murrell was preceded by Coach Charity Elliot who resigned at the end of the 2006-07 season to become the head coach at University of California-San Diego.

Under first-year head coach Sherri Murrell, the 2007-08 Portland State team finished 22-9 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Portland State finished 11-5 in the Big Sky, tying with Montana State for third place, to post its first winning conference mark since going 8-6 in 2002-03. The Vikings were impressive in their conference victories, posting an average margin of victory of 16.7 points. The 22 wins marked the Vikings’ first 20-win season as a Division I program, and their first since going 25-5 as a member of Division II in 1995-96.

Volleyball

Long time coach Jeff Mozzochi led the Vikings to it most successful DI finish in 2006 since moving up from DII. With a .750 winning percentage (21-7, 14-2), the best in the school’s Division I era, PSU finished second in the conference’s final standings for the second straight year. In the off-season, Mozzochi relinquished the head coaching reigns of the program to assistant Michael Seemann. Mozzochi moved into an associate head coaching position.

The Vikings ended the 2007 season with a 21-8 record and Portland State's first ever Big Sky Regular Championship. Portland State will return its current roster with the exception of senior Michelle Segun for the 2008 season. The Vikings will also host the 2008 big Sky Championship tournament at the Peter W. Stott Center. Check back to ww.GoViks.com for the complete season wrap-up.

One of the highlights of Mozzochi’s incredible run at PSU came during the 1992 season when the Vikings ran off one of the best NCAA Division II seasons in history. The Vikings lost their ninth match of the year to Cal State-Bakersfield and would not lose again, winning their last 28 straight (31 including foreign teams) matches. Portland State swept through the first three rounds of the NCAA DII Tournament and then defeated Northern Michigan in five games in front of a sellout crowd at the Stott Center for national title number four.

occer

A new era in Portland State women’s soccer began on Feb. 22, 2008, when former All-American and professional player Laura Schott was named the Vikings’ new head coach. Schott is the seventh head coach in program history. The soccer team won the Big Sky Conference Championship in 2004 under then coach Tara Erickson who subsequently was hired by the University of Oregon.

Golf

The Viking program has been in existence since 1996, but has already proven to be competitive at a high level under former Portland State golf coach Felicia Johnston’s guidance. Johnston, led the Vikings to three Big Sky Conference Championships during her tenure (2003, 2004, 2005).

After seven seasons in charge, Portland State women's golf coach Felicia Johnston announced her resignation, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. Johnston and her husband, Shane, had a son, Connor, summer of 2007. (PSU Vikings Official Athletics Site)

“I have been a head coach for 10 years (seven at PSU, three at Northern Arizona),” said Johnston. “Traveling and (coaching and parenting) was tough. Something was going to suffer. So, if I couldn’t do it 100%, I had to choose my family. I’ve been lucky to help this program grow, and I thank everyone for the support they have given me.” (GOLFWEEK, Nov 22, 2007)

Kathleen Takaishi was named the new women’s golf coach on February 4 and took over the program immediately in preparation for the 2008 spring season.

oftball

Tobin Echo-Hawk leads the program for the 2008-'09 season and is just the third head softball coach at PSU since 1977. Prior to joining the Vikings staff she was the head coach at Broomfield High School in Colorado in 2006. She also spent three years coaching at her alma mater in Colorado, Centaurus High School, and guided the team to a record of 60-15 from 2000-02. Overall as a high school head coach, she compiled a four-year record of 97-26, produced seven all-state performers, and was twice named the league coach of the year.

Track & Field

The men and women's track & field teams are led by head coach Kebba Tolbert. The assistant track & field coaches are Ronnye Harrison, John Parks, and Seth Henson.

Tennis

Head Coach Brian Parrott leads the Vikings' tennis program starting with the 2008-'09 season. After his collegiate career, Parrott played professionally for several years. He played in the U.S. Open qualifier in 1973, and was a member of the Sea-Port Cascades of the World Team Tennis league in 1977. Between 1967 and 1980, Parrott was ranked No. 1 in doubles seven times in the Pacific Northwest, and was never ranked lower than No. 8 in singles.

References

* [http://www.pdx.edu Portland State University]
* [http://www.goviks.com/ Portland State University Athletics]
* [http://www.pdx.edu/magazine/ PSU Magazine (Alumni Publication)]
* [http://blog.oregonlive.com/portlandstatevikings/ PSU Sports Blog]
* [http://www.psufansforum.com Portland State Fans Forum]