Saturday, February 16, 2019
by Craig Craker

NAMPA, Idaho – Alaska Anchorage’s Caroline Kurgat put on a show Saturday while Seattle Pacific piled up just enough points to win in the second day of the GNAC Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships at the Jacksons Indoor Center.

Kurgat won her second consecutive mile race in 4:47.83, which is an automatic national meet qualifier and the third-fastest time in Division II this season. She then won the 3,000 meters in 9:54.4 and anchored Friday’s record-setting distance medley relay, which ran the sixth fastest time in Division II history.

In recognition of her outstanding times, Kurgat was named the Track Athlete of the Meet and the distance medley squad was recognized with the Performance of the Meet award. Joining Kurgat on that relay were Ruth Cvancara, Vanessa Aniteye and Danielle McCormick. Teammate Nancy Jeptoo won the 5,000 on Friday in 17:48.46.

In the team race, Seattle Pacific won its 13th indoor women’s title, finishing with 154 points. The Falcons picked up critical points in the final two events of the day, the 4x400-meter relay and the pole vault, to finished just ahead of Central Washington at 150 points. Alaska Anchorage placed third with 83 points.

Grace Bley won the 200 meters in 24.86 seconds for the Falcons while Scout Kai set the meet record in the pentathlon Friday with 3,815 points. Seattle Pacific freshman Peace Igbonagwam won the long jump with a GNAC record leap of 19 feet, 7.5 inches on Friday and then finished second in the 60 meters in 7.70 seconds and third in the 200 in 25.00 seconds.

Central Washington’s HarLee Ortega won the triple jump with a mark of 39-3.75. She was named the Field Athlete of the Meet for the effort, coupled with a second-place finish in the heptathlon, a third-place finish in the high jump and a sixth-place finish in the long jump.

Teammate Erykah Weems won the 400 meters in 56.24 seconds. Samantha La Rue won the shot put with a throw of 42-4.75, becoming the first non-Concordia athlete to win the event in four years.

Western Washington’s Anna Paradee won her second pole vault title in three seasons. Paradee and Central Washington’s Halle Irvine both cleared 12 feet, 9 inches, with Paradee claiming victory by clearing her first attempt at the height. Both missed on three attempts to break Irvine’s GNAC record of 12 feet, 10.75 inches.

Paradee was the second champion of the meet for the Vikings, joining Maddie Taylor who won the high jump on Friday.

Simon Fraser’s Addy Townsend used a lean at the tape to edge out Western Oregon’s Olivia Woods for her third 800-meter title in four years, winning in a time of 2:10.12 to Woods’ 2:10.13.

Concordia’s Macie Allen won the 60 meters in 7.58 seconds, while teammate Kori Sprague won the weight throw Friday at 54-6.5.

Northwest Nazarene’s Lexi Tubbs won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.63 seconds. She won the same race in 2017 before taking 2018 off to play basketball. Simon Fraser’s 4x400-meter relay team of Bryce West, Sophie Dodd, Addy Townsend and Renate Bluschke ran a 3:49.99 for the win in the final race of the day.

Western Washington finished fourth in the team standings with 79 points, while Simon Fraser was fifth with 70.