GNAC Sports

Saturday, Jan. 14

Indoor Track and Field: WWU's Grandy Clears 5-8

Ali Worthen

Brittany Grandy of Western Washington cleared a school-record 5-8 in the women's high jump and had the best finish by a GNAC athlete in the Husky Preview Saturday at UW's Dempsey Indoor. Grandy finished second posting the fourth best high jump mark in GNAC history.

Grandy's mark was one of 11 that were GNAC All-Time Top 10 performances, including a fourth-place time of 8.85 by Ali Worthen of Seattle Pacific in the 60 hurdles. Worthen's time ranks second all-time in the GNAC.

Worthen's time was the best in the GNAC since Danielle Ayers-Stamper of SPU ran a GNAC-record time of 8.66 in 2005. Worthen bettered her previous career best of 9.05 by two-tenths of a second.

SPU's Kishia Mitchell had the seventh best 60 meter time in GNAC history, though she was just 20th in the meet in a time of 7.91.

On the men's side, eight athletes moved into the Top 10, including Brett Watson of Western Washington and Brennan Boyes of Central Washington who tied for fourth in the high jump (6-7 ½) with the No. 3 marks in GNAC history.

CWU's Lewis Meyers and WWU's Karsten Schick moved into a tie for 10th in the high jump with leaps of 6-5 1/2.

Ryan Brockerville of Simon Fraser also claimed the GNAC's No. 3 all-time best mark, finishing ninth in a 3,000-meter time of 8:24.11. Also moving into the Top 10 in that event was Saint Martin's Kyle Van Santen with a No. 6 all-time rank of 8:32.11.

Nathan Seely took over eighth place on the GNAC chart in the men's 800, placing sixth in a time of 1:53.60. Manny Melo of Central Washington finished third in the long jump (22-9 ¾), moving into ninth on the GNAC Top 10 list.

A total of seven of Saturday's performance met the NCAA Division II provisional national standard. Worthen had two of the seven, qualifying in both the 60 hurdles and high jump.

Other women's division qualifiers included Grandy in the high jump, Karis Anderson of Western Washington in the pole vault (11-8) and Ashley Potter of Western Oregon in the triple jump (38-8 1/4).

In the men's division, qualifying marks were by Bryan Mack of Central Washington in the 60 (6.95)and Seely in the 800.

UW Husky Preview (Jan. 14 at Seattle): Women (Top 6): 200 – 6. Kishia Mitchell, SPU, 25.84. 400 – 6. Eleanor Siler, WWU, 58.62. 800 – 3. Lindsey Butterworth, SFU, 2:13.39; 4. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:13.57. 60 Hurdles – 4. Ali Worthen, SPU, 8.85. 4x400 – 4. Seattle Pacific 4:01.10. High Jump – 2. Brittany Grandy, WWU, 1.67 – 5-8; 4. Ali Worthen, SPU, 1.68 – 5-6. Long Jump – 6. Ali Worthen, SPU, 5.51 – 18-1. Triple Jump – 5. Ashley Potter, WOU, 11.79 – 38-8 ¼. Men (Top 6): 60 – 4. Bryan Mack, CWU, 6.95. 400 – 4. Stuart Ellenwood, SFU, 49.80; 6. Dusty Duncan, SPU, 50.15. 800 – 6. Nathan Seeley, SPU, 1:53.60. 60 Hurdles – 4. Brett Campbell, WOU, 8.61. High Jump – 4. Brett Watson, WWU, and Brennan Boyes, CWU, 2.02 – 6-7 ½. Long Jump – 3. Manny Melo, CWU, 6.95 – 22-9 ¾; 5. Matson Hardie, WOU, 6.83 – 22-5. Triple Jump – 3. Matson Hardie, WOU, 14.29 – 46-10 ¾; 6. Bryan Mack, CWU, 14.03 – 46-0 1.2, Shot Put – 4. Mike Jensen, CWU, 14.14 – 46-4 ¾; 6. Nelson Westlin, WWU, 13.92 – 45-8. Weight Throw – 6. Mike Jensen, CWU, 15.94 – 52-3 ¾.

Two Qualifiers For Northwest Nazarene

Northwest Nazarene's Maurus Hope and Joy Warrington had the marks Saturday in the Boise State Blue and Orange Invitational at Nampa.

Hope finished third in the men's 200 in a time of 22.06. That ranks fifth on the GNAC All-Time Top 10 chart.

Warrington won the women's shot with a PNQ of 44-11 1/2. Her career best is 45-9 1/4 which she established two years ago.

In addition to Warrington, Northwest Nazarene also got a win from Barak Watson in the men's 3,000. Watson's time of 8:34.90 ranks eighth in GNAC history.

Rimar Christie also had a GNAC Top 10 performance, moving into eighth place with a 60 meter time of 6.99. He finished seventh in the finals in a time of 7.04 after establishing the quicker mark in the prelims.

Boise State Blue and Orange (Jan. 14 at Nampa): Men (Top 3): 200 - 3. Maurus Hope, NNU, 22.06. 3000 - 1. Barak Watson, NNU, 8:34.90; 3. Kaleb Fleenor, NNU, 8:54.87. Women (Top 3): Shot Put - 1. Joy Warrington, NNU, 13.70 - 44-11 1/2.

SMU's Washington Wins WSU Weight Throw

Sam Washington of Saint Martin's won the men's weight throw at the Washington State Indoor Open Saturday in Pullman.

Washington had a mark of 55-4 1/4 and was the lone GNAC winner in the meet. Last month, he had a throw of 57-11.

Kelsey Kreft of Central Washington finished second in the women's 3,000 in a time of 5:37.01.

WSU Open (Jan. 14 at Pullman): Men (Top 3): 3000 - 3. Nathan Minor, CWU, 9:28.87. Weight Throw - 1. Sam Washington, SMU, 16.87 - 55-4 1/4. Women (Top 3): 400 - 3. Seanna Pitassi, CWU, 1:01.74. 3000 - 2. Kelsey Kreft, CWU, 5:37.01. High Jump - 3. Taylor Yoro, SMU, 1.55 - 5-1.

MSUB Athletes Win Six Events at Black Hills

Justine Simons of Montana State Billings won two events Saturday in the Black Hills Yellow Jacket Indoor at Spearfish, SD.

Simons swept the women's 60 (8.44) and 200 (27.76) to account for two of MSUB's six wins in the meet.

Other winners included Stacey Pitt in the women's pole vault (10-6), Brian Potter in the men's 3,000 (9:01.15), Nick Kozub in the high jump (6-4) and Taylor Firestone in the triple jump (43-1 3/4).

Black Hills Indoor (Jan. 14 at Spearfish, SD): Men (GNAC winners): 3000 - Brian Potter, MSUB, 9:01.15. High Jump - Nick Kozub, MSUB, 1.93 - 6-4. Triple Jump - Taylor Firestone, MSUB, 13.15 - 43-1 3/4. Women (GNAC winners): 60 - Justine Simons, MSUB, 8.44. 200 - Justine Simons, MSUB, 27.76. Pole Vault - Stacey Pitt, MSUB, 3.00 - 10-6.