Monday, January 20, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - Two Great Northwest Athletic Conference athletes have the top marks in Division II going into this weekend's indoor track and field action.

Micah Chelimo of Alaska Anchorage ranks No. 1 on TFRRS (Track and Field Results Reporting System) in the men's 3,000 meters and Sarah Sawatzky of Simon Fraser ranks No. 1 in the women's 800.

Both marks were established last weekend at the University of Washington Open.

Chelimo broke his own GNAC record by .74 seconds  in finishing sixth at UW in a national leading time of 8:10.99, while Sawatzky  finished sixth in a Division II national leading time of 2:09.42.  That mark ranks fourth in GNAC history.

Five other GNAC athletes had marks last week that rank in the Top 10 nationally.

Alex Donigian of Western Washington had a GNAC-record time of 6.76 in the 60 meters at UW to move into second place on this week's national chart.  Donigian broke the old GNAC record of 6.78 that had been on the books since 2002.

Joyce Kipchumba of Alaska Anchorage and Tayler Fettig of Central Washington rank third nationally in the women's 3,000 and high jump, respectively.  Kipchumba placed 11th at UW in the fourth fastest time in GNAC history (9:46.71) and Fettig finished second at Washington State with the fourth highest jump (5-8) in GNAC history.

Frank Castelli of Western Washington won the shot put at UW.  His mark (55-10 1/2) ranks eighth on TFRRS and second in GNAC history.  Robert Peterson of Montana State Billings ran a third-place mile time of 4:18.55 at Montana State.  His converted time of 4:12.97 (for altitude) ranks ninth on TFRRS.

Travis Milbrandt of Western Washington also had a national-qualifying performance at UW posting a time of 8.30 in the 60 hurdles.  He ranks 24th on TFRRS.

THIS WEEK: Three GNAC teams are in action this week, all in Idaho.  Northwest Nazarene stays home to compete in the Jacksons Invitational.  Meanwhile, Central Washington and Saint Martin's head to Moscow to compete in two meets at the University of Idaho.

NCAA QUALIFIERS AND NATIONAL RANK (As of Jan. 20): Men:  60 – 2. Alex Donigian, WWU, 6.76. Mile – 9. *Robert Peterson, MSUB, 4:12.97. 3000 – 1. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 8:10.99. 60 Hurdles – 24. Travis Milbrandt, WWU, 8.30. Shot Put – 8. Frank Catelli, WWU, 17.03 – 55-10 ½.   Women: 800 – 1. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:09.42.  3000 – 3. Joyce Kipchumba, UAA, 9:46.71. High Jump – 3. +Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.73 – 5-8. Note:  Marks listed are based on a 200 meter banked track or an over 200 meter track.  Marks on TFRRS national list are converted to a 200-meter flat track and may differ from those listed here.  All marks except those indicated with * or + were accomplished Jan. 17-18 at UW Open (*Montana State Open +Washington State Open).

GNAC TOP 10 ALL-TIME PERFORMANCES (for Week of Jan. 13-19):  Men: 60 – 1. Alex Donigan, WWU, 6.76. 60 Hurdles – 3. Travis Milbrandt, WWU, 8.30.  3000 – 1. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 8:10.99. 4x400 Relay – 4. Western Washington 3:19.17.  Shot Put – 2. Frank Catelli, WWU, 17.03 – 55-10 ½. Women: 60 – 6. Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 7.83. 800 – 4. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:09.42. 3000 – 4. Joyce Kipchumba, UAA, 9:46.71.

LAST WEEK'S GNAC RED LION ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Men: Track – Alex Donigan, Western Washington (So., Mission Viejo, CA) broke the GNAC’s longest existing indoor track record finishing third in the 60 meters at the UW Indoor Preview.  Donigan, whose previous career best was 6.85, was clocked in a provisional national qualifying time of 6.76, eclipsing the old record of 6.78 set by Mike Hinshaw of Western Oregon in 2002.  Donigan also finished fifth in the 200 in a time of 22.14.  In both races, the only runners who finished ahead of him were competing for USC.  Field – Frank Catelli, Western Washington (So., Sequim, WA) finished first in the shot at UW with a provisional national qualifying put of 55-10 ½.  Catelli’s mark ranks second on the GNAC All-Time Top 10 list.  

Honorable Mention – Micah Chelimo, Alaska Anchorage (Sr., Kapkoi, Kenya – Tambach) took the early-season NCAA Division II national lead in the 3,000 meters breaking his own GNAC record by .74 seconds  in finishing sixth at the UW Open in a time of 8:10.99 ... Robert Peterson, MSU Billings (So., Billings, MT – Skyview) finished third at the Montana State Open in the mile in a provisional nationally qualifying time of 4:18.55 (converts to 4:12.97 for altitude).  His team ranks ninth nationally ...  Kody Rhodes, Western Oregon (Sr., Wilsonville, OR) had times of 8.45 in the 60 meter hurdles and 51.08 in the 400 at the UW Open.

Women:  Track – Sarah Sawatzky, Simon Fraser (Sr., Chilliwack, BC) finished sixth at the UW Invitational in the 800 meters in a provisional national qualifying time 2:09.42.  That time ranks fourth in GNAC history in an event that historically has been one of the best in the conference and establishes her  as the early-season national leader in Division II. She was the top collegiate finisher Saturday, finishing eight seconds faster than the second collegian from UC Irvine.  Field – Tayler Fettig, Central Washington (Jr., Olympia, WA) finished second in the high jump at the Washington State Open with a provisional national qualifying leap of 5-8, moving into a tie for fourth on the GNAC all-time indoor list. That mark ranks third in the early-season national rankings. 

Honorable Mention – Joyce Kipchumba, Alaska Anchorage (Jr., Kapsowar, Kenya) ran the fourth fastest time in GNAC history in the 3,000 at the UW Open.  She finished 11th overall in a time of 9:46.71.  Her time ranks third nationally this winter in Division II ...  Annie Wade, Western Oregon (Jr., Condon, OR)  placed 30^th at UW in the 3,000,  Her time of 10:23.89 ranks third all-time in WOU school history.

More Mentionables -  Hope Reid, MSU Billings (Fr., Thompson Falls, MT) earned her second school record of the young season finishing sixth and clocking a time of 8.87 in the 55 hurdles at the Montana State Open. She also finished sixth in the high jump with a leap of 4-11 ½.  Earlier this winter, she ran a school record time of 9.36 at the Black Hills Holiday Classic ... Alexis Anderson, Western Oregon (So., Manzanita, OR) tied for fifth in the high jump at UW clearing 5-5.  She also placed 14th in the triple jump with a leap of 36-5 ½.

2013-14 MEET SUMMARIES

Black Hills Holiday Open (Dec. 6-7 at Spearfish, SD): Men (Top 3):  Mile – 3. Jamon Rodrigues, MSUB, 4:34.61. 3000 – 1. Chase Robinson, MSUB, 8:52.32; 3. Jamon Rodrigues, MSUB, 9:17.83. 4x400 Relay – 3. MSU Billings 3:38.14.  Pole Vault – 3. Cole Campbell, MSUB, 4.21 – 13-9 ¾. Shot Put – 3. Anthony Montanez, MSUB, 14.75 – 48-4 ½.  Women (Top 3):  60 – 2. Blair Street, MSUB, 8.05.   60 Hurdles – 3. Hope Reid, MSUB, 9.61.  800 – 2. Ashlynn VanVoast, MSUB, 2:35.59.  3000 – 1. Nocona Frame, MSUB, 10:55.91; 2. Rio Frame, MSUB, 10:57.05; 3. Mary Owen, MSUB, 11:02.22.

Jacksons Open and Multi (Dec. 13-14 at Nampa): Men (Top 3):  60 – 2. Rimar Christie, NNU, 6.90.  300 – 1. Andrew Curtis, NNU, 34.90.  Mile – 1. Michael Gordon, NNU, 4:37.69.  60 Hurdles – 2. Kyle McLaughlin, NNU, 8.68.  4x400 Relay – 3. Northwest Nazarene 3:30.46. Triple Jump – 2. Stephen Larlee, NNU, 14.02 – 46-0.  Shot Put – 3. Jeremiah Woods, NNU, 122.57 – 41-3.  Women (Top 3): Mile – 1. Natalie Evans, NNU, 5:04.39; 2. Jordan Rehfeld, NNU, 5:10.28.  60 Hurdles – 2. Marie Smith, NNU, 9.18.  4x400 Relay – 2. Northwest Nazarene 4:04.59. High Jump – 2. Lexi Sarver, NNU, 1.55 – 5-1.  Pole Vault – 2. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.50 – 11-5 ¾.  Weight Throw – 3. Caitlin Curtis, NNU, 15.45 – 50-8 ¼. 

Black Hills State Open (Jan. 11 at Spearfish, SD): Men (Top 3): 60 – 2. Cameron Stanek, MSUB, 7.40.  200 – 2. Cameron Stanek, MSUB, 24.04.  400 – 3. Lewis Polkow, MSUB, 53.98.  Mile – 3. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 4:32.24.  3000 – 2. Jamon Rodriguez, MSUB, 9:02.63; 3. Chase Robinson, MSUB, 9:07.26.  Long Jump – 2. Cameron Stanek, MSUB, 6.09 – 19-11 ¾.  Shot Put – 1. Anthony Montanez, MSUB, 13.67 – 44-10; 3. Kyle DuCharme, MSUB, 12.30 – 40-4 ¼.  Weight Throw – 2. Dylan Beuhler, MSUB, 14.39 – 47-2 ¼; 3. Anthony Montanez, MSUB, 14.37 – 47-1 ¾. Women (Top 3):  60 – 2. Blair Street, MSUB, 8.26. Mile – 1. Rio Frame, MSUB, 5:27.05.  3000 – 1. Mary Owen, MSUB, 10:58.39; 2. Nocona Frame, MSUB, 11:02.76; 3. Renae Hepfner, MSUB, 11:21.11.  60 Hurdles – 2. Hope Reid, MSUB, 9.47.  4x400 Relay – 2. MSU Billings 4:40.88.  High Jump – 2. Hope Reid, MSUB, 1.55 – 5-1.  Long Jump – 2. Hope Reid, MSUB, 4.83 – 15-10.  Shot Put – 3. Corrie Holm, MSUB, 10.99 – 36-0 ¾. 

University of Washington Open (Jan. 18 at Seattle): Men (Top 8):  60 – 3. Alex Donigian, WWU, 6.76.  200 – 5. Alex Donigian, WWU, 22.14.   400 – 3. Daniel Kelloway, SFU, 49.42; 7. Jonathon Poolman, WWU, 49.82.  3000 – 6. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 8:10.99. 4x400 Relay – 5. Western Washington 3:19.17; 6. Alaska Anchorage 3:21.86; 8. Simon Fraser 3:22.90.  4x800 Relay – 5. Western Oregon 8:06.07.  Long Jump – 5. Kevin Yates, WWU, 6.93 – 22-9; 6. Brett Watson, WWU, 6.87 – 22-6 ½.   Shot Put – 1. Frank Catelli, WWU, 17.03 – 55-10 ½; 8. Jacob Gilbert, WWU, 15.45 – 50-8 ¼.  Women (Top 8): 800 – 6. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:09.42.  1000 – 7. McKayla Fricker, SPU, 2:48.32.  4x400 Relay – 5. Seattle Pacific 3:58.74; 7. Alaska Anchorage 4:01.34.  4x800 Relay – 5. Western Oregon 10:08.00. High Jump – 5. Alexis Anderson, WOU, 1.65 – 5-5; 8. Shelby Peterson, WOU, 1.60 – 5-3.   Long Jump – 7. Kyra Brannan, SPU, 5.37 – 17-7 ½.

Washington State Open (Jan. 17-18 at Pullman): Men (Top 3): Mile – 3. John Wojtech, CWU, 4:26.40.  3000 – 2. John Wojtech, CWU, 9:14.50. Triple Jump – 2. Luke Plummer, CWU, 13.88 – 45-6 ½.  Women (Top 3): 400 – 3. Seanna Pitassi, CWU, 1:03.25.  Mile – 2. Connie Morgan, CWU, 5:12.33; 3. Dani Eggleston, CWU, 5:13.59.  3000 – 2. Dani Eggleston, CWU, 10:41.66.  High Jump – 2. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.73 – 5-8.  

Montana State Open (Jan. 17 at Bozeman):  Men (Top 6):   800 – 4. Drew Galahan, MSUB, 1:56.94. Mile – 3. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 4:18.55; 5. Chase Robinson, MSUB, 4:24.20.  3000 – 5. Jamon Rodrigues, MSUB, 9:00.44; 6. Chase Robinson, MSUB, 9:03.86. 4x400 – 6. MSU Billings 3:33.26, Shot Put – 2. Anthony Montanez, MSUB, 15.35 – 50-4 ½.  Weight Throw – 4. Dylan Beuhler, MSUB, 15.78 – 51-9 ¼. Women (Top 6): 55 Hurdles – 6. Hope Reid, MSUB, 8.87.  High Jump – 6. Hope Reid, MSUB, 1.51 – 4-11 ½.