Wednesday, April 3, 2019

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Edwin Kangogo, Alaska Anchorage
Senior • Eldoret, Kenya

One of two GNAC competitors in the top section of the steeplechase at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, Kangogo placed eighth with a time of 8:56.08. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks second in Division II this season behind Jake Mitchem of Colorado Mines, who edged Kangogo out for seventh (8:56.02). The time also ranks fourth on the GNAC All-Time List.

Also Nominated: Daniel Calderon (Central Washington), Pierre-Louis Detourbe (Simon Fraser), Curt Knott (Western Oregon), Dylan Hayes (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
JT Konrad, Western Washington
Senior • Spokane, Wash.

Konrad established an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault, winning the event at the UBC Open. Konrad cleared 15 feet, 9 inches, which ties him for 13th in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Ethan Tonder (Central Washington), Giovanni Brown (Concordia), Brady Ostermiller (Montana State Billings), Jake Knight (Northwest Nazarene), Tyler Cronk (Saint Martin’s), Owen Collins (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Caroline Kurgat, Alaska Anchorage
Senior • Eldoret, Kenya

Kurgat broke her third Division II record of the season and her first of the outdoor campaign, the only Division II competitor in the invitational section of the 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational, Kurgat placed fifth with a time of 32:08.29. That blew away the previous Division II best of 32:28.57 set by Sylvia Mosqueda of Cal State LA in 1988. The NCAA Championships automatic qualifying time ranks No. 3 in all college divisions this season.

Also Nominated: Alexa Shindruk (Central Washington), Macie Allen (Concordia), Kaylee Mitchell (Seattle Pacific), Julia Howley (Simon Fraser), Grayson Burke (Western Oregon), Sophia Galvez (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Chrisalyn Johnson, Alaska Anchorage
Senior • Anchorage, Alaska

Johnson reset her UAA record in the triple jump and set a new record in the long jump while winning both events at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic. Johnson won the triple jump with a mark of 40 feet, 1.5 inches, becoming the fourth athlete in GNAC history to clear 40 feet in the event. She ranks ninth in Division II this season. She went on to take the long jump with a mark of 19 feet, 2.5 inches, which is tied for No. 8 in Division II this season and No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Also Nominated: Brooke Williams (Central Washington), Tiffany Pott (Saint Martin’s), Darian Wilson (Western Oregon), Paige Shimkus (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage came home with records and a number of NCAA Championships qualifying performances at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational.

• Senior Caroline Kurgat was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week and USTFCCCA Division II Women’s Athlete of the Week after setting a Division II record in the 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational. Kurgat placed fifth in the invitational section of the race with a time of 32:08.29 that bettered the previous record of 32:28.57 set by Sylvia Mosqueda of Cal State LA in 1988. The NCAA Championships automatic qualifying mark ranks sixth in the world this season.

• Senior Chrisalyn Johnson earned GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she set school records in both the triple jump and long at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic. Winning both events, Johnson finished with a mark of 40 feet, 1.5 inches in the triple jump that ranks No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 9 in Division II this season. Her winning mark of 19 feet, 2.5 inches is tied for No. 8 in Division II this season and No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Senior Edwin Kangogo was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he placed sixth in the top section of the steeplechase in a time of 8:56.08. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying performance is No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 2 in Division II this season.

• Senior Danielle McCormick reset her own school record in the women’s 800 meters at the Mike Fanelli meet, winning with a time of 2:05.65 that automatically qualifies her for the NCAA Championships. The time leads Division II this season and is No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Junior Vanessa Aniteye won the women’s 400 meters at the Mike Fanelli meet, running a time of 55.71 seconds that ranks eighth in Division II this season. Sophomore Ruth Cvancara also hit an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the race, clocking a 2:11.43 that ranks ninth in Division II.

• Alaska Anchorage’s women jumped 15 spots to No. 6 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Women’s Team Index.

• The Seawolves are not scheduled to compete again until Apr. 18, traveling back to California for the Mt. SAC Relays, the Bryan Clay Invitational and the Beach Invitational.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington posted a nationals-qualifying performance at the Stanford Invitational and notched a number of first-place finishes at the Boxer Open in Forest Grove, Oregon.

• Senior Alexa Shindruk ran a personal best in the women’s 10,000 meters at Stanford. Her time of 34:25.41 in the race’s second section is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, is No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 2 in Division II this season.

• Junior Halle Irvine led CWU finishers at the Boxer Open, winning the women’s pole vault with a mark of 11 feet. 11.75 inches that ties her for 14th in Division II this season. Irvine led a top-three sweep of the event with sophomore Brittany Stevens placing second at 11 feet, 5.75 inches and freshman Tawni Blankenship taking third at 10 feet, 11.75 inches.

• Senior Brooke Williams led a top-three sweep for the Wildcats in the women’s long jump, winning with a mark of 17 feet, 11.75 inches. Irvine was second at 17 feet, 4.75 inches and junior Rose Walts placed third at 16 feet, 11.25 inches. Williams also won the triple jump with a mark of 37 feet, 8.5 inches.

• The Wildcats also took first through third in the women’s 100 meters. Senior Aujanique Doss won in a time of 12.57 seconds. Freshman Yareli Ochoa was second in 12.57 seconds and junior Morgan Robydek was third in 13.26 seconds.

• Senior Bobby Widmar led the CWU men with his win in the 100 meters, clocking a time of 11.16 seconds while junior Daniel Calderon won the 400 meters in 49.45 seconds.

• The CWU men also took the first-place positions in three of the four jumps. Sophomore Braydon Maier won the pole vault with a mark of 14 feet, 11 inches. Sophomore Nate Andaya won the long jump at 21 feet, 8.75 and senior Zach Whittaker won the triple jump at 44 feet, 11.5 inches.

• Central Washington heads east this weekend, competing at the War XII Meet on Friday in Spokane, Washington.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia’s week on the track was a highlighted by the multi-eventers at the Boxer Combined Event and sophomore Macie Allen’s run at the Texas Relays.

• At the Boxer Combined Event, senior Giovanni Brown finished second in the men’s decathlon with a score of 6,505 points. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks 10th in Division II. In the process, Brown finished first in the shot put (40-7), 110-meter hurdles (15.37) and the 1,500 meters (4:23.82).

• Junior Chase Stephens finished fifth in the women’s heptathlon with a score of 4,212 points. Stephens’ competition included a victory in the 100-meter hurdles (14.90).

• In Austin, Allen managed to run an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 11.92 seconds in the 100 meters. The time ranks No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Concordia will compete on Friday at the John Knight Twilight in Monmouth, Oregon.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Victories in the men’s sprints led Montana State Billings at its own Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bear Invitational in Laurel, Montana.

• Senior Sam Zook won the 100 meters in a time of 11.11 seconds. He also anchored a 4x100-meter team that took home the win in a time of 41.88 seconds. The team included senior Kaelen Shay, junior Mason Schram and freshman Kyle Patelis.

• Senior Brady Ostermiller won the men’s shot put with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark of 53 feet, 1.75 inches. That ranks third in the GNAC and ties him for No. 31 in Division II this season. Junior Isaiah Girard took second place in both the high jump (6-6.25) and the long jump (22-17.5).

• Junior Hailey Steinbeisser took second place in the women’s hammer with a mark of 132 feet, 3 inches, and placed third in the shot put at 38 feet, 2.75 inches.

• On the track, junior Brenna Beckett took second in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 1:00.45. Senior Janessa Williams added a second-place finish in the women’s high jump at 4 feet, 9 inches.

• Montana State Billings heads south this weekend, taking part in the Colorado Invitational in Boulder on Friday and Saturday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• A pair of wins of senior Jake Knight and another school record led Northwest Nazarene at the Team 4 Titus & Ely Invitational in Irvine, California.

• Knight won the men’s shot put with a mark of 58 feet, 1 inch, breaking his own school record. That improves Knight to No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 10 in Division II this season. Knight also won the discus with a mark of 176 feet, 8 inches.

• Sophomore Heidi Nisly was also a two-event winner. She won the women’s 800 meters in 2:20.89 and also won the 1,500 meters in 4:54.67.

• The Nighthawks also took two of three men’s distance races. Junior Godfrey Kemboi won the 1,500 meters in 4:03.68 while senior Nick Hamilton took the 10,000 meters in 32:26.10. Junior Bethany Danner added a win in the women’s 5,000 meters in 18:22.77.

• In the field events, sophomore Elijah Castro was a winner in the men’s long jump with a mark of 23 feet, 2 inches. Junior Jackie Mahowald won the women’s triple jump with a mark of 38 feet, 7.5 inches and senior Katie Conklin won the women’s high jump at 5 feet, 5 inches.

• The Team 4 Titus & Ely meet has special meaning for NNU head coach Danny Bowman. The meet is named in honor of his two sons, who continue to battle Batten disease. The meet was established when Bowman was head coach at Concordia Irvine.

• The Nighthawks will take this weekend away from competition before hosting the NNU Open on Sat., Apr. 13.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Junior Josh Schulz hit a personal best in the men’s decathlon to pace Saint Martin’s in the Boxer Combined Event in Forest Grove, Oregon last Monday and Tuesday.

• Schultz finished fifth in the 17-man field with a score of 5,969 points. He won the long jump on day one with a mark of 21 feet, 7.25 inches, placed second in the 100 meters (11.26) and third in the 400 meters (51.58).

• Junior Tiffany Pott finished 14th out of a large field of 26 athletes in the women’s heptathlon. Pott placed sixth in the high jump with a clearance of 4 feet,  10.75 inches.

• Freshman Tyler Cronk took the trip to the Bay Area, competing in the invitational section of the high jump at the Stanford Invitational. One of three Division II athletes in the section, Cronk placed third as he cleared 6 feet, 9 inches.

• The full Saint Martin’s squad will be in action on Friday, taking part in the WWU Team Invitational in Bellingham, Washington.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• A school record in the steeplechase for freshman Kaylee Mitchell led Seattle Pacific’s performances at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational.

• Mitchell finished sixth with a time of 10:37.53 at the Mike Fanelli, surpassing the previous SPU record of 10:45.54 set by Suzie Strickler in 2008. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks fifth in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Dania Holmberg notched an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the women’s 5,000 meters, running 17:06.47 at the Mike Fanelli. The time ranks No. 9 in Division II this season.

• Junior Kate Lilly earned an NCAA provisional mark in the women’s 1,500 meters after finishing second in the mile in a time of 4:54.46. When converted to 4:32.64 for 1,500 meters, Lilly ranks 11th in Division II this season.

• At the Stanford Invitational, junior Scout Cai tied for second place in the women’s pole vault with a clearance of 11 feet, 10.75 inches. That missed the NCAA provisional qualifying mark by an inch. Freshman Peace Igbonagwam placed eighth in the invitational section of the women’s long jump at 18 feet, 9 inches.

• Freshmen Colby Otero and Jared Putney led the SPU men with personal bests in the steeplechase at the Mike Fanelli. Otero ran 9:32.36  while Putney ran 9:39.88.

• The Falcons’ women are ranked No. 11 in the latest USTFCCCA Division II Team Index.

• The Falcons will take part in the WWU Team Invitational on Friday in Bellingham, Wash.

SIMON FRASER
• A GNAC record for senior Julia Howley in the women’s steeplechase led Simon Fraser as the Clan competed in the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, Stanford Invitational and UBC Open.

• Howley finished fourth overall in the event at the Stanford Invitational. Her time of 10:03.19 easily beat the previous GNAC record of 10:13.01 set by Western Washington’s Katelyn Steen in 2014. The NCAA Championships automatic qualifier leads Division II and is fourth in all college divisions.

• Sophomores Pierre-Louis Detourbe and Aaron Ahl earned provisional qualifying marks in the men’s steeplechase at the Mike Fanelli. Detourbe ran 9:02.73, ranking No. 6 in Division II, while Ahl ran 9:07.73 to rank eighth in Division II.

• Also at the Mike Fanelli, senior Sophie Dodd led a trio of SFU athletes to provisionally qualify in the 800 meters. Dodd finished third in a time of 2:07.44 that ranks 10th on the GNAC All-Time List and third in Division II. Senior Alana Mussatto ran 2:09.86, ranking seventh in Division II, while senior Paige Nock ran 2:11.67 to rank 10th in Division II.

• Senior Rowan Doherty earned a provisional qualifying time in the men’s 1,500 meters in 3:50.90, ranking seventh in Division II. Senior Sean Miller is No. 13 in Division II in the men’s 5,000 meters after running a time of 14:26.45.

• Freshman Timothy Hatton led the Clan’s efforts at the UBC Open. Hatton was third in the men’s javelin with a throw of 194 feet, 8 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks 17th in Division II.

• The Simon Fraser’s women are ranked No. 9 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Team Index.

• Simon Fraser will race at home this weekend, hosting the Emilie Mondor Invitational in Surrey, B.C.

WESTERN OREGON
• Sophomore Darian Wilson’s NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the javelin led Western Oregon’s performances at the Stanford Invitational and Mike Fanelli Track Classic.

• Competing in the invitational section at Stanford, Wilson placed seventh with a mark of 154 feet, 5 inches. That ranks eighth in Division II this season and third in the GNAC. Wilson went on to finish third in the long jump at the Mike Fanelli with a leap of 17 feet, 9.75 inches.

• Senior Tyler Jones picked up a provisional qualifying time in the men’s 5,000 meters at the Mike Fanelli meet. His time of 14:32.10 ranks 17th in Division II this season.

• The Wolves went one-two in the men’s shot put at the Mike Fanelli. Sophomore Owen Collins won with a mark of 45 feet, 9.75 inches while his brother, sophomore Karsten Collins, finished second at 45 feet, 7.75 inches.

• Sophomore Curt Knott led WOU’s Saturday performances with a second-place finish in the men’s 800 meters at the Mike Fanelli. His time of 1:52.78 just missed the NCAA provisional qualifying time.

• Sophomore Mitchell Kruse opened the week by placing 13th in the decathlon at the Boxer Combined Event with a score of 4,898 points.

• Western Oregon will host its lone regular-season home meet of the season, the John Knight Twilight, on Friday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Senior JT Konrad’s NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the men’s pole vault led Western Washington’s performances at the UBC Open and the Mike Fanelli Track Classic.

• Konrad was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he won the pole vault at the UBC Open with a mark of 15 feet, 9 inches. That mark ties him for 13th in Division II this season.

• The Vikings swept the top-four spots in the women’s pole vault at the UBC Open. The quartet was led by junior Jewels Oliquiano, who won with a mark of 10 feet, 10 inches. Sophomore Hannah Dodson was second with a clearance of 10 feet, 6 inches.

• Sophomore Natalie Vetto notched an NCAA Championships provisional mark in the women’s javelin at the UBC Open, placing sixth at 141 feet, 11 inches. That ranks 15th in Division II this season. Freshman Paige Shimkus was second in the event at 154 feet, 2 inches.

• Freshman Ian Rinefort won the men’s decathlon at the UBC Open with a score of 6,303 points. The NCAA provisional qualifying score of 16th in Division II. Sophomore Seren Dances was second with 6,029 points. Freshman Aliyah Dawkins won the women’s heptathlon with a score of 3,686 points.

• At the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, junior Sophia Galvez notched a provisional qualifying time in the women’s 10,000 meters. Her time of 36:28.86 is 10th in Division II. Senior Dylan Hayes ran 9:10.99 to hit a provisional mark in the men’s steeplechase. He sits at No. 11 in Division II.

• Western Washington’s women are ranked No. 20 in the latest USTFCCCA Division II Team Index.

• The Vikings will host its first home meet of the season, the WWU Team Invitational, on Friday.