Portland State University’s track and field teams began their outdoor season on March 14 with strong performances at the LCC Open in Eugene, Oregon, and the Rich Allen Classic in Newberg, Oregon. Senior Daniel Coppedge led the way by breaking his own school record in the hammer throw at Titan Stadium.
Coppedge’s achievement highlights a promising start for the Vikings’ outdoor campaign. His final attempt reached 188 feet, 10 inches (57.56 meters), surpassing his previous mark set at last year’s Big Sky Outdoor Championships. This is the third time Coppedge has reset the program’s hammer throw record since initially breaking a 54-year-old mark during last season’s Oregon Preview.
The Vikings secured seven event wins at the LCC Open. Savannah Beasley contributed two individual victories by winning both the 100- and 400-meter hurdles with personal bests, and she also ran a leg on the women’s 4×100-meter relay team that posted its fastest time since 2018. Ocean Rideout added a win in the women’s long jump and helped lead relay efforts, while Lydia Medina claimed first place in the women’s 400 meters.
On the men’s side, Beckett Stolp finished third in the 100 meters with a time of 10.98 seconds, tying for fourth all-time among Portland State freshmen. The men’s relay team also won their event with a time of 42.64 seconds.
At the Rich Allen Classic, freshman Ari Smith won the men’s 800 meters with a personal best of 1:55.14, leading a podium sweep for Portland State alongside teammates Amir Ahmed and JD Arthur. Irina López took first place in the women’s 800 meters, while Taylor Nichols won the women’s 1,500 meters by more than nine seconds.
All event groups are scheduled to reunite next week for further competition at the PNW Invitational on March 21 in Corvallis.
