Monday, May 2, 2016

LACEY, Wash. – Alaska Anchorage’s Cody Thomas won all five individual events while Seattle Pacific’s Maliea Luquin won two of the four individual events to build commanding leads after day one of the GNAC Track and Field Multi-Event Championships at Saint Martin’s University’s Track and Field Complex.

Thomas swept the top spot in all of the decathlon’s opening day events to finish with a score of 3,971 points. The 2013 and 2014 GNAC champion is 533 points better than second place Kodiak Landis of Central Washington, who compiled 3,438 points. Northwest Nazarene’s Payton Lewis is in third place with a score of 3,351 points.

Luquin won the 100-meter hurdles and the 200 meters and took fourth in the high jump to compile her first day total in the heptathlon of 2,916 points. The performace places Luquin 227 points ahead of second place Kawena Warren of Northwest Nazarene at 2,689 points. Her Crusaders’ teammate, Ellie Logan, is only one point behind with a score of 2,688 points.

Thomas’ performances included two GNAC Championships decathlon records. He won the high jump, the day’s fourth event, with a clearance of 6 feet, 7.5 inches, to beat the previous record of 6 feet, 6.25 inches set by Saint Martin’s Jaysen Yoro in 2015. It is also the fifth best mark in the GNAC this season. Thomas closed the day with a time of 48.00 seconds in the 400 meters, eclipsing the previous multi-event record of 49.89 seconds set by Central Washington’s Michael Morrison in 2004.

Thomas was the winner in the day’s opening event, the 100 meters, in 11.05 seconds. He won the second event, the long jump, with a mark of 22 feet, 5.75 inches and the shot put with a mark of 39 feet, 8 inches.

Luquin opened the day by tying the GNAC Championships heptathlon record in the 100-meter hurdles. Her time of 14.17 seconds matched the time set by Seattle Pacific’s Ali Worthen in 2013. After placing fourth in the high jump (4 feet, 11.5 inches) and sixth in the shot put (28 feet, 2.75 inches), Luquin closed the day with a winning time of 24.94 seconds in the 200 meters.

Warren and Seattle Pacific’s Jade Crawford tied for first in the high jump with both athletes clearing 5 feet, 1.75 inches. Warren also won the shot put with her mark of 35 feet, 1 inch.

The final day of the GNAC Multi-Event Championships will commence on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Men’s decathlon events will include the 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and the 1,500 meters. Women’s heptathlon events include the long jump, javelin and the 800 meters.