By Andy Matarrese
Music blared and applause rang through the upper level of the Chiles Center last Friday as Portland's track and field teams faced off against Willamette, Warner Pacific and Western Oregon.
"We're calling it the rock and roll invitational," Head Coach Rob Conner said.
Junior Krista Roumeliotis won the 400-meter dash, matching her season's best from last year, all while navigating the sharp turns of Chiles.
Also performing well on the women's side was sophomore Megan Smith, winning the mile with a time of five minutes, 17.60 seconds.
Freshman Stephanie Bolce came in second in the women's 3000-meter run, leading the Portland pack.
Unable to close the distance, Bolce posted a time of 11 minutes, 5.51 seconds. She said she was happy with her performance, considering her unfamiliarity with the more circular, oblong track in Chiles.
Sophomore Carolyn Borsch, although unable to participate due to injury, commented that she and the team are very excited about the coming season, saying that the addition of more athletes and a new assistant coach, Damien Davis, has been an incredible boon for the team.
Outside of long-distance running events, there are not many competitors for the short-distance events. Assistant Coach Dan Cash, who coaches mostly for the non-long distance events added that the lack of facilities makes practice for athletes doing other events difficult, considering many events require more than what Chiles can offer.
Both the male and female athletes are determined and hard-working, despite the obstacles, Cash said.
"It's tough not having a track on campus," he said. Nevertheless, he added, Chiles is home to the athletes.
"We've got a really good core group of girls that work hard," Cash said. "They make a good team, which can be kind of tough in track and field."
Sophomore Derek Simmons, still recovering from illness, coasted to a victory in the men's 3000-meter with a somewhat anemic nine minutes, 12.34 seconds, as Portland runners freshman Michael Manning and sophomore Corey Hansen fell in behind to earn Portland the top three spots.
The awkward shape of the track is a hallmark of the meet and its effect was felt across different events, from sprints to long races.
"It's definitely a lot different than running on a regular track," said junior Mike Quackenbush, currently getting back in shape after a bout with tendonitis and finishing second in the mile with a time of four minutes, 26.47 seconds.
The UP men took third, fourth, fifth and seventh in the 3000-meter run.
Freshman Brian Westlund won his heat in the men's 400-meter dash, crossing the finish to garner a third-place finish. It was his first collegiate race, and Westlund said that he wasn't totally sure what to expect.
"I had no idea what my competition would be like," he said. "I just knew I'd have to run as fast as I could."
Friday was the second time the Chiles Center meet was held, having made its return last year after being gone for more than a decade, according to Cash. He added that he was glad to see that the meet seems to be making a comeback.
"(The meet) gets people into our facility," he said. "Even though we don't have a track on campus, it shows we're still able to put on meets."
