Friday, February 17, 2017

NAMPA, Idaho – Central Washington’s Mariyah Vongsaveng and Alaska Anchorage’s Jamie Ashcroft set conference records to pace the efforts on day one of the 2017 GNAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday at Jacksons Track at the Ford Idaho Center.

Vongsaveng, the defending champion in the 60-meter hurdles, won the third heat of the semifinals in a record time of 8.51 seconds. The sophomore surpassed the all-time mark set of 8.53 sets by Seattle Pacific’s Maliea Luquin last year and the conference meet record of 8.66 seconds set the Falcons’ Danielle Ayers-Stamper in 2005.

Ashcroft put her quest to become the first four-time women’s indoor champion in full throttle as she won her 60-meter semifinal heat in a time of 7.54 seconds. That better her own GNAC and meet record of 7.60 seconds, which she set in 2015.

The senior also positioned herself to once again be a two-event champion with the top time in qualifying in the 200 meters with a time of 24.36 seconds. The Seawolves also received top qualifying times from Vanessa Aniteye in the 400 meters (56.48 seconds) and Danielle McCormick in the 800 meters (2:10.77).

Seattle Pacific freshman Scout Cai was the meet’s first champion as she won the pentathlon in just her second ever multi-event competition. Cai won without winning an individual event with a score of 3,499 points. She lead a top-three sweep for the Falcons that saw Brooke Benner place second with 3,461 points and Geneva Lehnert place third with 3,411 points. In the process, Lehnert tied the meet record in the pentathlon high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 6.5 inches.

The top three in the pentathlon allowed the Falcons to take the day one lead with 48 points. Central Washington sits in second place at 36 points while Concordia is in third place at 26 points.

The Falcons were futher bolstered by a one-two finish in the long jump. Senior Kyra Brannan earned her first GNAC championship with a leap of 19 feet, 0.5 inches, while Lehnert was second with her mark of 18 feet, 3.25 inches.

The Cavaliers’ third place came thanks to 25 points in the weight throw. Senior McKenzie Warren repeated as conference champion with her mark of 56 feet, 10.25 inches, while Christina MacDonald was second with a makr of 56 feet, 4.25 inches.

Alaska Anchorage finished with one champion on the first day as GNAC cross country champion Caroline Kurgat added the 5,000 meters to her trophy case in a time of 17:44.28. Western Oregon’s Kennedy Rufener placed second in 17:52.78.

The Seawolves enter the second day with four top qualifiers in the running events. In addition to the 60 meters, Ashcroft was the top qualifier in the 200 meters at 24.36 seconds. Vanessa Aniteye led the way in the 400 meters in 56.48 seconds and Danielle McCormick had the top time in the 800 meters in 2:10.77.

Simon Fraser repeated as champions in the distance medley relay. The team of Addy Townsend, Sophie Dodd, Alana Mussatto and Paige Nock took the title in a time of 12:05.77.

Field events on Saturday begin at 10 a.m. (Mountain) with the women’s shot put. Running events commence at 11 a.m.