While the spring season may not yet be in full swing, the semester surely is. And even brighter than the forthcoming sunshine is that another spring season of Portland Pilots sports is underway!
I’m here to let you know the deal, the results to expect and the players to look out for, starting with the teams already in the thick of it.
Men’s track and field
In a sport reliant on standout individual performances, men’s track will have to manage the loss of historic distance runner Matt Strangio, who joined Seattle-based Brooks Beast Track Club post-graduation.
Fortunately, returning key runners like redshirt senior Giuliano Scasso and graduate students Jonas Price and Mark Milner are here to lead the way.
Price ran the third-fastest mile in school history at the UW Preview on Jan. 17, with a personal best (PR) of 3:57. He also ran the second-fastest 3000 meter in Pilot history at the Husky Classic on Feb. 13.
Once they finish at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships from March 14-15, both track squads will transition from the indoor to outdoor season, and they’ll continue battling within the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) as the West Coast Conference (WCC) doesn’t host track and field. By then, the team will also be without Price, as he won’t retain eligibility to compete in outdoor races as a sixth-year graduate student.
Women’s track and field
Like the men’s team, women’s track will also deal with the loss of their star runner, Laura Pellicoro, fellow Brooks Beasts signee and Pilot record-holder.
Unlike the men who are led mostly by upperclassmen, many of the team’s newer runners show leadership potential. Redshirt sophomore Aria Cain has blazed the trail so far by dominating in the 60 meter. Both her 60 meter and 200 meter times at the UW Invite on Jan. 30 were the second fastest in school history before she reset the benchmarks at the Husky Classic, with 7.49 in the 60 meter and 24.80 in the 200 meter.
Freshman Malia-Rose Harvey has set two school records: 41.29 in the 300 meter at the Portland Indoor 2 on Feb. 8 and 56.14 in the 400 meter at the Husky Classic.
The team has actually been so solid to start it’s a bit hard to keep track of. Let’s just say that with Cain, Harvey, and freshmen Megan Crum, Giana Atkinson, Selena Bangerter and Linsdey Kaines doing their thing, this team is a force full of talent.
Men’s tennis
In the competitive West Coast Conference (WCC), men’s tennis was selected to finish No. 5 in the preseason poll. They started the spring strong with a sweep against tournament-regular Belmont on Jan. 16, but have since lost steam, falling to 3-5 on the season.
Within their small roster, they are led by experienced players, such as senior Nikola Keremedchiev, redshirt junior Cade Fernando, juniors Stefan Skobelev, Tom Garcia, Tannor Binder and sophomore Lucas Kimelman. At the helm is an excellent coach in Aaron Gross, who fosters steady development in his players.
Women’s tennis
Women’s tennis has followed a similar path to the men’s. They opened with a sweep against Stonehill College on Jan. 23 but have fallen to 2-5. The preseason poll had low expectations for them as well, picking the Pilots to finish No. 7, and so their goal is to get as many non-conference wins as possible.
They are anchored by senior Alaia Rubio Perez, who won WCC Singles Player of the Week on Jan. 27, as well as graduate student Dariya Radulova and senior Megan Pearson. Other key players include sophomore Lexie Flores and junior Nadine Arbaizar Martinez, who will likely take the reins moving forward.
On both the men’s and women’s teams, the Pilots tend to have an advantage in indoor facilities, like our own Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center, while facing more difficulty in outdoor venues.
Beach volleyball
After beginning their season 1-2 at the Corban Tournament, beach volleyball breaks ground on their mission to improve from their 5-17 finish in 2025. The team will have a statement to make after being picked to finish dead last in the conference on Feb. 12.
Though different from the indoor fall volleyball season, freshman Jeryn Hildenbrand and senior Elin Larsson play for both teams. Beach volleyball is centered around five duo matchups, and Larsson and redshirt senior Leonie Freytag comprise the team’s premier duo to hopefully lead the squad to defy the odds.
Larsson and Freytag won the squad’s only set against Sacramento State in their first tournament, in between being swept by Corban and their own sweep against Chaminade.
Rowing
Prepared for competition by lower-stakes meets in the fall, rowing will launch their spring season at the Sacramento State Invitational on March 7. To fulfill their goal to infiltrate the top three in the conference, they will depend on veteran leadership.
Though the team is often composed of walk-ons and underclassmen, as over half of the squad this season are upperclassmen. Rowers to keep an eye out for include junior coxswain Leahbelle Paladino, junior Jo Patton and senior Rachel Hester, though each boat is very much a unit, and the team is above all.
With only five meets, every competition matters, and the squad will host their only local meet on April 11 with the Portland Invite in Vancouver, Washington .
Kaeden Souki is the Sports Editor at The Beacon, he can be reached at souki28@up.edu.
