Wednesday, January 22, 2020

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Derek Holdsworth, Western Oregon
Junior • Williamsburg, Va.

Holdsworth opened his Western Oregon career in big fashion, winning the 800 meters at the UW Preview in a time of 1:50.02. He finished just ahead of 2018 IAAF World Championships silver medalist Drew Windle for the win. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time is the best in Division II this season, is No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 6 in the nation this season across all college divisions. Holdsworth also ran the anchor leg on the Wolves’ fourth-place 4x400-meter relay team.

Also Nominated: Daniel Calderon-Hernandez (Central Washington), Jordan Gloden (Concordia), Logan Blake (Northwest Nazarene), Michael Russell (Saint Martin’s), Jeremiah Lauzon (Simon Fraser), Drew Weber (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Jakob Chamberlin, Concordia
Junior • Bellingham, Wash.

Chamberlin returned from a redshirt season with a solid performance at the UW Preview. The junior finished fourth in the shot put with a lifetime best of 55 feet, 0.75 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is 15th in Division II this season and is No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List. Chamberlin also placed seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 58 feet, 5.25 inches. He was the top Division II competitor in both events.

Also Nominated: Ethan Tonder (Central Washington), Colton Sedlack (Northwest Nazarene), Tyler Cronk (Saint Martin’s), Devin Hasher (Western Oregon), Bryan Lee (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Addy Townsend, Simon Fraser
Senior • Coquitlam, B.C.

Townsend opened her season by placing eighth in the mile at the UW Preview, clocking a time of 4:49.03. She was third among collegiate competitors in the event and was the top Division II competitor by 10 seconds. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifier ranks third in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Erykah Weems (Central Washington), Paige Johnson (Concordia), Bethany Danner (Northwest Nazarene), Dania Holmberg (Seattle Pacific), Maya Hopwood (Western Oregon), Hannah Bradley (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kori Sprague, Concordia
Senior • Wildomar, Calif.

Sprague opened the season with the second-best mark in GNAC history in the weight throw at the UW Preview. Sprague placed third in the event with a mark of 59 feet, 11.75 inches and trailed just two Division I competitors. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks seventh in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Samantha La Rue (Central Washington), Brenna Beckett (Montana State Billings), Emma Clark (Northwest Nazarene), Keshara Romain (Saint Martin’s), Kalulusno Ngaida (Western Oregon), Lexi Perry (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Senior Emmah Chelimo’s nationals provisional qualifying mark in the 3,000 meters led Alaska Anchorage at its season-opening event, the UW Preview.

• Chelimo placed 33rd in the race with a time of 9:44.61. She was the top Division II finisher with a time that ranks her No. 5 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Tylantiss Atlas posted a top-10 finish in the women’s 400 meters, placing eighth in 57.07 seconds. Senior Marie Ries was one place behind in ninth in a time of 57.09 seconds.

• Senior Chris Brake led the UAA men with his eighth-place finish in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 4.75 inches. Brake went on to finish 18th in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 6.75 inches.

• Alaska Anchorage returns to the Lower 48 for its next meet this weekend, traveling to the Ed Jacoby Invitational & Multis in Nampa, Idaho on Friday and Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• An NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark for seniors Erykah Weems and Samantha La Rue headlined Central Washington’s efforts at the UW Preview.

• Weems had the third-fastest qualifying time in the women’s 60-meter hurdles (but did not advance due to place in her heat). The time of 8.78 seconds tied her for 13th in Division II this season. Weems also placed 12th in the 400 meters in 57.46 seconds and anchored the 4x400-meter relay team that placed eighth in 3:55.92.

• La Rue notched a provisional qualifying mark in the shot put, placing eighth with a mark of 45 feet, 3.75 inches. She was the top-placing non-Division I athlete. The mark ranks La Rue 19th in Division II and ties her for 10th on the GNAC All-Time List. La Rue also placed 19th in the weight throw with a mark of 51 feet. 1.75 inches.

• Junior Sidney Trinidad added a 12th-place finish in the women’s 800 meters, closing close to her lifetime best in 2:16.45.

• Junior Ethan Tonder led the Central Washington men with an eighth-place finish in the shot put with a mark of 49 feet, 8.5 inches. Tonder also finished 17th in the weight throw with a mark of 50 feet, 10.25 inches. Senior Aidan Cain just missed the top-10 in the weight throw, finishing 11th with a mark of 55 feet, 4.75 inches.

• On the track, senior Daniel Calderon-Hernandez led the way with an 11th-place finish in the 400 meters in a time of 50.09 seconds.

• Central Washington jumps right back into action with a rare Thursday meet, competing in the Idaho Open in Moscow.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia’s throwers led the day as the Cavaliers opened their 2020 season at the UW Preview.

• After a redshirt season, junior Jakob Chamberlin earned two NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks and was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week. Chamberlin placed fourth in the shot put with a mark of 55 feet, 0.75 inches. That ranks 15th in Division II this season and No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List. He also placed seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 58 feet, 5.25 inches that ranks 23rd in Division II.

• Senior Kori Sprague was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she placed third in the weight throw with a mark of 59 feet, 11.75 inches. The NCAA provisional qualifying mark is seventh in Division II and is No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Following Chamberlin in the shot put was junior Seth Bridge, who placed sixth with a mark of 52 feet, 7.25 inches, and senior Caleb Bridge, who was eighth at 50 feet. 10.25 inches.

• Sophomore Dillon Zheol added a seventh-place finish in the men’s triple jump, leaping 46 feet, 3.5 inches.

• Junior Macie Allen led the way for the Cavaliers on the track, placing eighth in the first qualifying heats of the women’s 60 meters in 7.72 seconds. She went on to run 7.80 seconds in the preliminaries. Senior Amelia Maguin finished 14th in the women’s 400 meters in 57.48 seconds.

• Concordia returns to action at the Ed Jacoby Invitational & Multis in Nampa, Idaho on Friday and Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Senior Brenna Beckett’s two victories in the horizontal jumps led Montana State Billings’ efforts at the Chadron State Open on Saturday in Chadron, Nebraska.

• Beckett was the winner in the long jump by almost five inches with a leap of 16 feet, 8.5 inches. She went on to take first in the triple jump with a mark of 35 feet, 3.25 inches.

• Sophomore Ase Ackerman led the efforts on the track with a third-place finish in the men’s mile in a time of 4:32.89. Sophomore Logan Straus was right behind in fourth place in 4:36.43. Senior Ronald Venema was third in the 3,000 meters in a time of 9:42.39 while freshman Bryant Edgerton was fourth in 9:45.72.

• Senior Forrest Cross added a third-place finish in the men’s shot put with a mark of 45 feet, 9 inches.

• In the women’s throws, sophomore Mariah May placed fourth in the shot put with a personal best of 37 feet, 5 inches. She went on to place sixth in the weight throw with a mark of 45 feet, 2.25 inches.

• The women’s efforts on the track were led by sophomore Sierra Durbin, placing fifth in the 800 meters in a time of 2:31.77.

• The Yellowjackets return to action on Saturday, competing in the Black Hills State Myrle Hanson Open in Spearfish, S.D.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Freshman Colton Sedlack’s third-place finish in the men’s triple jump led Northwest Nazarene in its return to competition at the Bronco Invite in Nampa.

• Sedlack opened his college career with the third-place effort and a mark of 40 feet, 9.75 inches. He was the only Nighthawks’ athlete with a top-three finish.

• Senior Logan Blake placed fourth in the men’s 400 meters. His time of 49.68 seconds in the fastest in the GNAC so far this season.

• Junior Elijah Castro finished fourth in the men’s long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 6.25 inches and added a fifth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.59 seconds. Sophomore Coby Yates added a fourth-place finish in the men’s weight throw at 44 feet, 4.25 inches.

• Freshman Emma Clark led the NNU women with her fifth-place finish in the pole vault, clearing 10 feet. She also placed seventh in the triple jump at  36 feet, 4.75 inches before joining fellow freshman McKenna Emerson in suiting up for the Nighthawks’ basketball team that evening.

• Senior Bethany Danner finished seventh in the women’s 3,000 meters with a time of 10:33.21 while freshman Lauren Wuertz was eighth in the 400 meters in 59.30 seconds.

• Northwest Nazarene is right back at the Jackson’s Indoor Center this weekend, taking part in the Ed Jacoby Invitational & Multis on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Another solid performance by sophomore Keshara Romain in the horizontal jumps led Saint Martin’s at the UW Preview.

• Romain finished third in the women’s triple jump, using her third attempt to clear 39 feet, 1 inch. She was beaten only by athletes from Stanford and Oregon. Romain went on to place seventh in the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 9 inches. Last month, Romain automatically qualified for nationals in the triple jump with a mark of 41 feet, 6 inches.

• Sophomore Tyler Cronk opened his season by provisionally qualifying for nationals in the men’s high jump. He placed fourth with a clearance of 6 feet, 10.75 inches.  The mark ties him for sixth in Division II this season.

• Freshman Zach Franco placed 11th in the non-championship men’s 600 meters distance, clocking a time of 1:23.83. Sophomore Michael Russell had the Saints’ other top-15 finish on the day, placing 14th in the men’s 400 meters in 50.39 seconds.

• Freshman Makiya Worthy was the only competitor on the track for the SMU women, placing 45th in the 60 meters with a time of 8.38 seconds.

• Saint Martin’s will come to Portland this weekend, taking part in the Portland Indoor #1 meet. Saturday’s events will be held at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, with Sunday’s events at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• A fourth-place finish for sophomore Peace Igbonagwam in the long jump paced Seattle Pacific’s season-opening efforts at the UW Preview.

• Igbonagwam finished with a mark of 18 feet, 1 inch. She was bettered in the competition only by two Division I athletes and an open competitor and is the best by a GNAC athlete in the month in January. Junior Renick Meyer was not far behind in seventh place with a mark of 17 feet, 9.75 inches.

• Running her first indoor meet since 2018, junior Dania Holmberg placed 17th in the women’s mile with a time of 4:58.90. It was Holmberg’s first sub-five minute time in the mile.

• Junior Julia Stepper led four SPU athletes in the women’s 60 meters, placing 17th in a time of 7.82 seconds. Senior Katherine Walter was 13th in the 1,000 meters in a time of 3:05.47 and senior Grace Bley was 15th in the 200 meters in 25.42 seconds.

• Sophomore David Njeri was the only male competitor in the meet for the Falcons, placing 11th in the triple jump with a mark of 45 feet, 7.25 inches.

• The Falcons’ women open the season ranked No. 20 in the USTFCCCA Preseason Division II National Team Rankings. The first regular-season ranking will come out on January 28.

• Seattle Pacific will send a select group of athletes to compete in the Portland Indoor #1 meet on Saturday and Sunday.

SIMON FRASER
• A solid return to the boards for senior Addy Townsend and an exciting debut for freshman Jeremiah Lauzon led Simon Fraser’s performances at the UW Preview.

• Townsend placed eighth in the women’s mile. The top Division II placer in the event clocked a time of 4:49.03. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks No. 3 in Division II this season. The performance earned Townsend selections as the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week.

• Lauzon had quite the debut, placing third in the men’s 200 meters in a time of 21.60 seconds. The top time in the GNAC, the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is tied for eighth-best in Division II this season and is No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List. Lauzon also ran seven seconds in the 60 meters, placing 15th in the qualification round.

• The SFU women were the top non-Division I team in the 4x400-meter relay, placing fourth in a time of 3:53.75.

• Sophomore Zackary Kuzyk finished tied for ninth in the men’s high jump with a personal best of 6 feet, 4.75 inches. Kuzyk also placed eighth in the long jump with another personal best of 22 feet. 5.25 inches.

• The Clan women entered the season ranked No. 12 in the USTFCCCA Division II National Team Rankings. They are the second-highest ranked West Region team.

• Simon Fraser will split its squad this week with competitors at the Portland Indoor #1 in Oregon and the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston.

WESTERN OREGON
• A winning season debut by junior Derek Holdsworth led Western Oregon’s performances at the UW Preview.

• Holdsworth was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he won the 800 meters in a time of 1:50.02. He was the only GNAC athlete to win an event at the meet. The mark ranks No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List and currently leads Division II.  It is also No. 6 this season across all college divisions.

• Freshman Maya Hopwood added another school record as she broke the WOU mark in the women’s 60 meters, clocking 7.73 seconds in both the qualifying round and preliminaries. Hopwood placed 11th in the qualifications round and just missed a spot on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Senior Justin Crosswhite notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the men’s mile, placing 24th in a time of 4:09.73. The top Division II competitor in the event, the time is No. 5  in Division II this season.

• Junior Kalulusno Ngaida and freshman Jenelle Hurley opened their WOU careers by tying for 10th place in the women’s high jump, clearing 5 feet, 3 inches. Ngaida added an 11th place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 36 feet, 9 inches.

• Sophomore Gabe Arce-Torres added a top-10 finish, placing ninth in the 400 meters with a time of 49.91 seconds. Sophomore Max Carmona placed eighth in the men’s 600 meters in 1:22.37.

• Western Oregon returns to action this weekend, competing in the Portland Indoor #1 meet in Newberg, Oregon on Saturday and in Portland on Sunday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• A number of top-10 finishes led a solid effort for Western Washington at the UW Preview.

• Senior Bryan Lee returned from a season away due to injury to place ninth in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 57 feet. 3.75 inches. Second among Division II competitors, Lee is second in the GNAC with his performance.

• Senior Cordell Cummings placed sixth in the men’s 60-meter hurdles in 8.53 seconds after running 8.40 seconds in the preliminaries. His mark currently leads the GNAC. Junior Jon Oglesby placed eighth in the men’s 400 meters with a time of 49.91 seconds while freshman Drew Weber was sixth in the 800 meters in a time of 1:55.15.

• In the men’s field events, senior Tupre Wickliff was sixth in the high jump as he matched his season-best of 6 feet, 6.75 inches. Junior Ben Malquist placed ninth in the shot put with a mark of 49 feet, 5.5 inches.

• Sophomore Annika Taylor was the top-placing women’s finisher for the Vikings, placing 13th in the non-championship 600-meter distance in a time of 1:39.31. In the field events, senior Lexi Perry cleared 11 feet, 6.25 inches to place 17th in the pole vault.

• Western Washington heads east for its next competition, taking part in the Ed Jacoby Invitational & Multis in Nampa, Idaho, on Friday and Saturday.