Wednesday, May 8, 2019

MONMOUTH, Ore. – It’s already been a record-breaking season for conference track and field teams. The conditions are setting up, though, to make the 2019 GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, presented by Under Armour, a special one.

With temperatures expected to soar into the 80s for both the Friday and Saturday sessions, the weather seems ideal some more records to fall. Four conference records have been broken this season with athletes having attained 11 marks in the top-five of the NCAA Division II performance list entering the meet.

The individual standouts will add to what should be an exciting team race. While Concordia won the men’s competition a year ago, Western Washington stands poised to assume the top spot on the podium after winning the indoor crown in February. The Seattle Pacific women, meanwhile, hope to maintain its momentum for a second straight championship and the team’s fourth in five years.

WOMEN
For the last two seasons, the team race has been between Seattle Pacific and Central Washington. The Falcons have won the battle ever since the 2018 indoor track season, but both teams come into the meet with the ability to win it all.

The Falcons are led by a pair of returning champions. Junior Grace Bley won the 200 meters a year ago and comes in with the No. 2 time in the GNAC at 24.48 seconds. Sophomore Renick Meyer is the defending champion in both the 100 meters and long jump and enters the No. 3 mark in the conference in both events.

Seattle Pacific’s depth is what gives the team its best chance at a title. Junior Kate Lilly is among the conference leaders in both the 1,500 meters (4:28.99) and the 5,000 meters (16:51.60) while freshman Kaylee Mitchell set the SPU record in the steeplechase earlier in the season (10:37.53). Junior Scout Cai, who placed third in last week’s heptathlon, is among the contenders in the pole vault. Adding to the depth in the sprints and jumps is sophomore Julia Stepper, freshman Peace Igbonagwam (2019 indoor long jump champion) and freshman Jenna Bouyer.

Central Washington enters the meet with 15 points in hand thanks to the heptathlon and a victory by senior HarLee Ortega. The senior is also the defending champion in the triple jump, entering the meet ranked fourth in the GNAC. Junior Erykah Weems is the returning champ in the 400-meter hurdles and is joined by sophomore Sidney Trinidad, who set the GNAC record in the event three weeks ago at 59.11 seconds. Senior Mariyah Vongsaveng will aim for her third straight title in the 100-meter hurdles. She leads the GNAC at 14.02 seconds.

Junior Halle Irvine is looking for her second straight pole vault title and enters the meet with the No. 14 mark in Division II at 12 feet, 9.5 inches. Senior Alexa Shindruk, meanwhile, has the No. 3 time in Division II in the 10,000 meters (34:25.41).

Alaska Anchorage is always a team to watch, thanks in part to senior Caroline Kurgat. The defending GNAC and Division II national champion at 5,000 and 10,000 meters, Kurgat set the Division II record in the 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational at 32:08.09. The time ranks third among all college athletes this season. Kurgat ran the No. 3 all-time best in the 5,000 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational (15:40.45) and is qualified for nationals at every distance from 800 meters and longer.

The Seawolves also return 800-meter champion Danielle McCormick, who is third in Division II with a time of 2:05.00. Junior Vanessa Aniteye will go for her third straight title in the 400 meters. She leads the GNAC with her time of 54.82 seconds. Senior Chrisalyn Johnson, competing in her first collegiate track season, leads the conference in the long jump (19-5.25) and triple jump (40-1.5).

Western Washington is led by senior Maddie Taylor, the defending champion in the high jump. Her season-best of 5 feet, 8.5 inches ties her for fifth in Division II this season. Always a factor in the javelin, the Vikings have five athletes provisionally qualified for nationals in the event. Junior Amanda Short leads the way, ranked eighth nationally at 156 feet, 3 inches.

The Vikings also have GNAC top-three performers in Savannah Smith in the 200 meters, Sophia Galvez in the 10,000 meters, Heather Faretta in the high jump, Lexi Perry in the pole vault and Chanelle Eddy in the discus.

Simon Fraser is led by senior Julia Howley, who set the GNAC record in the steeplechase with a time of 10:03.19 that automatically qualifies her for nationals. The Clan enters with three of the top-four times in the steeplechase while senior Sophie Dodd ranks second in the league in the 800 meters (2:07.44). The team has additional depth with Renate Bluschke in the 400 meters, Meyer Quaynor in the 100 and Holly Taylor in the throws.

While Concordia does not return its champions in the throws, it does bring the league’s top marks to the championships. Sophomore Katrina Linenko leads the way with the GNAC lead in the shot put (45-3.75) and the discus (145-8), while both Elizabeth Stottlemyre and Chelsea Bone have provisional qualifying marks in the javelin. Sophomore Macie Allen, meanwhile, enters with the conference’s top time in the 100 meters (11.78) and No. 2 in the 200 (24.48).

Senior Ellie Logan returns to defend her javelin title for Northwest Nazarene. Her season-best of 165 feet, 6 inches, is No. 3 in Division II. Senior Lexi Tubbs will look to add a 100-meter hurdles crown to her indoor 60-meter hurdles championship. The Nighthawks also enter top-three performers in Katie Conklin in the high jump and Jackie Mahowald in the triple jump.

Western Oregon is led by senior Olivia Woods, who will compete for titles in both the 400 meters and 800 meters. The same holds for sophomore Moana Gianotti, who is ranked in the GNAC’s top-four in both the shot put and discus. Saint Martin’s senior Liz Larson hopes she can win her first GNAC title as she leads the league in the hammer.

MEN
After winning the indoor title back in February, Western Washington has shown little signs of losing momentum. The Vikings are led by returning 110-meter hurdles champion Cordell Cummings. Not only does he lead the GNAC in the event (14.52), but his time of 51.95 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles ranks sixth in Division II.

Karlington Anunagba has impressed as a freshman. He enters the championship with the top mark in the 100 meters at 10.33 seconds, ranking him eighth in Division II, and is third in the 200 meters at 21.68 seconds. Senior Kyler Sager is second in the GNAC in the 800 meters (1:52.46) while freshman Koby Okezie is second behind Cummings in the 110-meter hurdles (15.02). In the field events, Senior JT Konrad has the GNAC’s top mark in the pole vault (15-9) while Cooper McNatt is third in the conference in the javelin (195-10).

Central Washington hopes to contend with a pair of returning champions. Senior Zach Whittaker won the triple jump in 2018 and also won the title indoors in February. He leads the GNAC with a mark of 46 feet, 10 inches. Sophomore Braydon Maier won the pole vault as a freshman and is tied for second in the conference this season at 15 feet, 5 inches.

The Wildcats also feature depth across the running events. Senior Trevaughn Scott is fourth in the GNAC in the 400-meter hurdles (54.19). Junior Daniel Calderon enters fifth in the 400 meters (49.01) while freshman Turlan Morlan is fifth in the 10,000 meters (31:53.48). Senior Corbin Carlton also ranks fifth in the steeplechase (9:28.18).

Last year’s team champion, Concordia, will see most of its points in 2019 come from the field events. Senior Giovanni Brown gave the Cavaliers 10 points with his win in the decathlon and has the No. 4 time in the conference in the 110-meter hurdles (15.08). Senior Josh Koch is the defending champion in the shot put and is looking for his third title in four years. He has the No. 2 mark in the GNAC at 56 feet, 2 inches.

Senior Easton Christensen leads the GNAC and ranks 10th in Division II in the javelin at 214 feet, 8 inches, while junior Joe Denniston leads the league in the hammer (185-10). Sophomore Adam Brown has Concordia’s best scoring chances on the track, entering No. 2 in the 200 meters (21.48) and third in the 400 meters (48.90).

Northwest Nazarene senior Jake Knight set the conference record in the discus two weeks ago. His mark of 183 feet ranks eighth in Division II. Knight also leads the conference and is seventh in Division II with his mark of 60 feet, 0.25 inches in the shot put. Knight is one of three Nighthawks to lead the GNAC in their respective events. The list includes junior Logan Blake in the 400 meters (48.27) and sophomore Elijah Castro in the long jump (23-6).

Alaska Anchorage welcomes back junior Christopher Brake, who is the defending champion in the high jump. He enters the meet tied for third in the GNAC at 6 feet, 7 inches. Senior Edwin Kangogo leads the way in the steeplechase, ranking seventh nationally with a time of 8:56.08. Sophomore Felix Kemboi will contend for the 5,000-meter title. His time of 14:28.84 is second in the conference.

Simon Fraser again finds its strength in the sprints and distances. Junior Sean Miller leads the league in the 5,000 meters (14:26.45) while sophomores Aaron Ahl and Pierre-Louis Detourbe are provisionally qualified for nationals in the steeplechase. They rank second and third in the GNAC. Junior Nathan Mah will be factor in both the 100 and 200 meters while freshman Timothy Hatton has provisionally qualified for nationals in the javelin, ranking fourth in the GNAC at 194 feet, 8 inches.

Western Oregon hopes that junior Curt Knott can give the Wolves their fifth straight 800-meter title. He enters the meet with the GNAC’s top time of 1:51.45 while freshman Max Carmona is fourth at 1:53.07. Tyler Jones ranks third in the 5,000 meters (14:32.10) while senior Parker Marson is fourth in the 1,500 meters at 3:50.96.

The high jump will be a battle between Saint Martin’s freshman Tyler Cronk and Montana State Billings junior Isaiah Girard. Cronk is automatically qualified for nationals with a mark of 7 feet, 0.5, just a half-inch short of the GNAC record. Girard, meanwhile, has reset the MSUB record in the event a number of times this season and currently sits at 6 feet, 9.75 inches.