Wednesday, March 21, 2018

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Vladislav Tsygankov, Simon Fraser
Senior • Moscow, Russia

Tsygankov opened his outdoor season with a win in the 400-meter hurdles at the Hornet Invitational. He won the top heat in the event with a time of 52.21 seconds, which is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks third in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Codi Blodgett (Western Oregon).

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

 Chamberlin hit NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks in a pair of throwing events at the L&C Spring Break Open. Chamberlin placed second in the discus with a mark of 174 feet, 4.75 inches, a mark that leads the GNAC and is No. 2 in Division II this season. Chamberlin also finished second in the hammer with a mark of 185 feet, 11 inches. The mark is second in the GNAC (to teammate Jacob Slate) and is currently No. 6 in Division II.

Also Nominated: Kauanoe Vanderpoel (Saint Martin’s), Alani Troutman (Western Oregon).

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

Townsend opened her outdoor season by winning the 800 meters at the Hornet Invitational. Her time of 2:08.55 is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is No. 2 in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Yadira Lopez (Saint Martin’s), Grayson Burke (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Christina MacDonald, Concordia
Senior • Myrtle Creek, Ore.

 MacDonald put herself on top of the Division II best list and notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the hammer at the L&C Spring Break Open. MacDonald won with a mark of 190 feet, 5.25 inches, which also moves her to No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List in the event. It is also No. 3 on Concordia’s All-Time List.

Also Nominated: Liz Larson (Saint Martin’s), Sylvia Dean (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage opened its outdoor season with four GNAC-leading performances at the Hornet Invitational.

• Two of those leading marks came in the high jump. Sophomore Chris Brake placed second in the men’s high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 6.75 inches.

• Junior Yvonne Jeschke, meanwhile, went 5 feet, 3.25 inches in the women’s heptathlon high jump. She tied for sixth in the event and went on to place 12th overall with 4,085 points. Jeschke’s top finish was in the 800 meters, finishing second in 2:20.15.

• Freshman Felix Kemboi took the GNAC lead in in the men’s 1,500 meters in his first collegiate outdoor meet, placing 11th in a time of 3:54.22.

• In the sprints, sophomore Oshane Hylton placed seventh in the men’s 100 meters with a GNAC-leading time of 10.81 seconds. Sophomore Vanessa Aniteye placed seventh in the women’s 400 meters. Her time of 57.38 seconds is second best in the GNAC this season.

• Alaska Anchorage will compete in Oregon this weekend as one of four GNAC teams scheduled to compete at the Willamette Invitational in Salem.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington finished with eight individual event winners and two NCAA Championships provisional qualifiers at the EOU Team Challenge.

• Senior Ali Anderson won the women’s 400-meter hurdles and hit an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier with a time of 1:00.95. The mark is No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List and currently No. 3 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Halle Irvine led the Wildcats’ field-event placers as she won the women’s pole vault with a mark of 12 feet. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is second in the GNAC this season and fourth in Division II.

• The Wildcats also won both high hurdles races. Freshman Sidney Trinidad took the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 14.94 seconds. She also took third in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:05.23. Freshman Braydon Maier won the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 15.36 seconds.

• In the women’s sprints, sophomore Troi Carter won the 100 meters in 12.63 seconds and placed third in the 200 meters in 27.64 seconds. Freshman Jasmine Neria won the 400 meters in a time of 59.35 seconds. The men’s sprints saw freshman Bobby Widmar win the 100 meters in 10.93 seconds and place third in the 200 meters in 22.76 seconds. His time in the 100 is second-best in the GNAC.

• Junior Ryan Gunther competed at the L&C Spring Break Open in Portland and managed to win the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 15.75 seconds.

• Freshman Jeremy Bade tied for first in the men’s high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 3.5 inches. Sophomore Tyree Rutter, meanwhile, was second in the men’s javelin with a mark of 178 feet, 3 inches.

• The Wildcats also win both 4x400-meter relays. The women finished in a time of 4:13.61 while the men crossed the finish line in 3:18.31.

• Central Washington will split its squad three ways this weekend. The Wildcats will send some athletes to the Willamette Invitational in Salem, some to the Doris Heritage Track Festival in Seattle and others to the Peyton Scoring Meet in Tacoma.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia turned in nine NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks and eight GNAC-leading marks at the L&C Spring Break Open.

• Senior Christina MacDonald led the way. She was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the hammer with a mark of 190 feet, 5.25 inches. That is No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and the top mark in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Jakob Chamberlin was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after hitting NCAA provisional qualifying marks in both the discus and hammer. Chamberlin placed second in the discus with a mark of 174 feet, 4.75 inches, which leads the GNAC and is No. 2 in Division II this season. He also placed second in the hammer at 185 feet, 11 inches, second in the GNAC and sixth in Division II this season.

• Freshman Jacob Slate won the men’s hammer with his throw of 191 feet, 9.75 inches. That mark is No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List, an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is No. 3 in Division II. Sophomore Caleb Bridge placed third in the discus in 164 feet, 7.75 inches, an NCAA provisional qualifier and No. 7 in Division II this season.

• Senior Melissa Ausman won the discus with a mark of 151 feet, 11 inches, That NCAA provisional qualifying mark is No. 5 in Division II this season and No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Sophomore Tasha Willing moved to No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List in the women’s hammer throw. Her second place mark of 188-4.5 is No. 3 in Division II this season. Willing also leads the GNAC in the shot put as she placed third with a mark of 44 feet. 1.25 inches.

• Freshman Elizabeth Stottlemyre became the sixth GNAC athlete this season to earn a provisional qualifying mark in the women’s javelin. She placed sixth with a mark of 135 feet, 6 inches.

• Senior Emma Hill also provisionally qualified her nationals in the women’s triple jump. Her winning mark of 38 feet, 10.25 inches is sixth in Division II this season and ties her for No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• In its first year as a full Division II member, Concordia finds itself in the top-10 of both of the first USTFCCCA Division II Outdoor National Rankings. The Cavaliers’ women open at No. 6 while the men are No. 9.

• Concordia will compete close to home this weekend, taking part in the Willamette Invitational on Saturday in Salem.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings did not have any competitors at the Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Yellowjackets are in the midst of a long five-week break. They do not open the outdoor season until Mar. 30 when they host the MSUB Invitational in Billings.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• The Nighthawks opened their outdoor schedule with 12 event winners at the EOU Team Challenge in Hermiston.

• Sophomore Logan Blake was a two-event winner in the men’s sprints, capturing the 200 meters in 22.21 seconds and the 400 meters in a GNAC-leading time of 49.35 seconds.

• Freshman Elijah Castro had a school-record performance in the men’s long jump with his winning mark of 23 feet, 0.5 inches. The mark leads the GNAC and bettered the previous longtime NNU record of 22 feet, 11.75 inches set by Steve Wolfe in 1974. Castro also ran the GNAC’s top time in the 110-meter hurdles this season with a second-place time of 15.23 seconds.

• Junior Jared Webster took the GNAC lead in the pole vault with his winning performance of 15 feet, 1 inch. Senior John Van Beuren added an NNU field-event victory in the men’s discus with a mark of 154 feet, 6 inches and junior Micah Tranch won the high jump with a clearance of 6 feet, 3.5 inches.

• Junior Nicole Nobbs earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the women’s javelin as she won with a mark of 140 feet, 2 inches. The mark is fifth in the GNAC and 13th in Division II this season.

• Among other women’s field-event winners, sophomore Jackie Mahowald won the triple jump with a mark of 37 feet, 8.75 inches while junior Katie Conklin won the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 3 inches.

• The Nighthawks had three winners in the distance races. Sophomore Godfrey Kemboi won the men’s 5,000 meters with a GNAC-leading time of 15:16.48 while senior Nick Hamilton won the men’s 10,000 meters in 32:23.38. Sophomore Bethany Danner won the women’s 5,000 meters in a time of 19:99.99.

• The Nighthawks are home this weekend, hosting the NNU Open on Saturday at the Brian & Nichole Bohner Track.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s throwers netted a pair of NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks to lead the Saints’ efforts at the L&C Spring Break Open.

• Junior Liz Larson placed third in the women’s hammer with a mark of 174 feet, 7 inches. The performance ranks third in the GNAC and is sixth in Division II this season.

• Senior Kauanoe Vanderpoel also hit a provisional qualifying mark in the men’s hammer as he placed third at 181 feet, 2 inches. The mark also ranks third in the GNAC and is No. 9 in Division II this year.

• Senior Yadira Lopez ran the conference’s fastest time this season in the women’s 5,000 meters, taking second with a time of 17:44.40.

• In the men’s sprints, senior Jackson Hand led the way with a second-place finish in the 400 meters in 50.37 seconds. Freshman Guillaume Tabary was not far behind, placing sixth in 51.32 seconds. The men’s 4x100-meter relay was a winner with a time of 42.77 seconds.

• In the women’s sprints, sophomore Ariya Hendrick finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.56 seconds.

• Saint Martin’s will be in action in Tacoma this weekend, taking part in the Peyton Scoring Meet. It will be the first of two consecutive meets that the Saints will take part in at the University of Puget Sound’s Baker Stadium.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• An NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark for sophomore Scout Cai led the Falcons at the Hornet Invitational in Sacramento.

• A week after earning All-American honors in the women’s indoor pentathlon, Cai placed second in a Division-I laden field in the heptathlon with a score of 4,710 points. The score leads the GNAC and is third in Division II this season. Cai’s top finish was third place in the 800 meters (2:23.37) while she also took fourth in the javelin (117-2).

• Freshman Kellie May took seventh in her first heptathlon with 4,167 points. She tied for fifth in the long jump with her leap of 17 feet, 4.75 inches ranking her third in the GNAC. Freshman Renick Meyer was 11th with a score of 4,105 points. She was a top-three finisher in three events, winning the 200 meters in a GNAC-leading time of 25.15 seconds and placing second in the long jump with a GNAC-best of 17 feet, 8 inches.

• Sophomore Lani Taylor ran the GNAC’s top time in the women’s 400 meters, placing fifth with a time of 56.71 seconds.

• In the distances, sophomore Alyssa Foote ran the GNAC’s top time in the 1,500 meters, placing ninth with a time of 4:39.57.

• Freshman Elius Graff led the way for SPU men, running the GNAC’s second-best time in the 5,000 meters. He placed 20th in Sacramento with a time of 15:20.81. Senior Peyton Harris, meanwhile, finished 11th in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.50 seconds.

• Seattle Pacific’s women are ranked No. 12 in the first USTFCCCA Division II Outdoor National Rankings.

• Seattle Pacific will host its lone home meet of the season, the Doris Heritage Track Festival, on Saturday at West Seattle Stadium.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser opened its outdoor season with a pair of NCAA Championships provisional qualifiers as the Clan sent a limited roster to the Hornet Invitational in Sacramento.

• After sitting out the indoor season, junior Addy Townsend won her season debut in the women’s 800 meters to earn GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. Townsend ran a time of 2:08.88, which is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is No. 2 in Division II this season.

• Senior Vladislav Tsygankov was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 52.71 seconds. That time is an NCAA provisional qualifier and ranks No. 3 in Division II this season.

• Freshman Renate Bluschke was the Clan’s other top placer at the meet. She finished 10th in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 57.84 seconds, ranking her third in the GNAC this season.

• Simon Fraser is not scheduled to compete against until Mar. 30 and 31, heading south to participate in both the Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon notched two event winners and one GNAC best at the L&C Spring Break Open in Portland.

• Sophomore Justin Crosswhite was the event winner as he took top honors in the men’s 1,500 meters in a time of 3:57.40. The time is No. 2 in the GNAC this season. Teammate Thomas Normandeau was second in a time of 3:59.17.

• Sophomore Grayson Burke won the women’s 400 meters in a time of 58.47 seconds and also took fourth in the 200 meters with a time of 26.24 seconds.

• Sophomore Jalon Fields finished with the GNAC’s top mark in the men’s triple jump as he placed third with a mark of 44 feet, 10.75 inches.

• Junior Codi Blodgett ran the GNAC’s No. 3 time this season in the men’s 200 meters, placing second in 22.57 seconds. Blodgett also placed fourth in the 100 meters in 11.09 seconds.

• Senior Sara Madden and sophomore Nicole Niskanen went second and third in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Madden finished with a time of 1:05.87 while Niskanen ran 1:06.67.

• In the men’s field events, sophomore Alani Troutman placed second in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 1.75 inches, that ranks second in the GNAC. Freshman Jackson Stallard was third in the pole vault with a mark of 13 feet, 8.25 inches.

• Western Oregon is right back in action this weekend, competing at the Willamette Invitational in Salem.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington did not compete last week. The Vikings return to the outdoor oval on Saturday at the Doris Heritage Track Festival in Seattle.

• The Vikings enter the week with the top-two GNAC performers in the women’s javelin. Sophomore Racquel Pellecer is fourth in Division II with her mark of 147 feet, 8 inches, while freshman Natalie Vetto is 10th in Division II with a mark of 142 feet, 5 inches. Both marks are NCAA Championships provisional qualifiers.

• Western Washington also has two NCAA provisional qualifiers in the men’s javelin. Sophomore Spencer Claeys is eighth in Division II with his mark of 206 feet, 10 inches, and sophomore Alex Barry is 11th in Division II with his mark of 197 feet.

• Senior Anna Paradee leads the GNAC and has an NCAA provisional qualifier in the women’s pole vault. Her season-best of 12 feet, 3.5 inches, is second in Division II this season.

• Western Washington’s women are ranked No. 17 in the first USTFCCCA Division II Outdoor National Rankings of the season.