GNAC Track and Field

Puga, Pixler, Registe Top Seeds For NCAA Division II National Meet


Registe	Pixler	Puga

A total of 33 Great Northwest Athletic Conference athletes were awarded bids to the NCAA Division II national track-and-field national meet, which begins next Thursday (May 21) at San Angelo, Tex.

Five of the 33 - Marko Cheseto of Alaska Anchorage, Jordan Welling and Sarah Porter of Western Washington, Ashley Puga of Northwest Nazarene and Jane Larson of Seattle Pacific - will compete in two events.

Three GNAC athletes enter the meet as the No. 1 seeds. Two of the three are former national champions.

On the men's side, defending champion David Registe of Alaska Anchorage is the top seed in the long jump On the women's side, Puga is the No. 1 seed in the 800 and the No. 2 seed in the 1500. Jessica Pixler of Seattle Pacific, the 2007 national champion, is the No. 1 seed in the 1500.

Alaska Anchorage will send 10 athletes - nine men and one woman - to San Angelo, while Western Washington qualified nine athletes, seven women and two men.

Seattle Pacific qualified five women. Northwest Nazarene also qualified five (three women, two men). Western Oregon qualified three, including two men and one woman. Central Washington qualified one woman.

GNAC Qualifiers and Seeds:

Men: 800 - 5. James Pettigrew, UAA, 1:50.76; 11. Mick Boyle, UAA, 1:51.73; 13. Cory Pena, UAA, 1:51.78. 1500 - 6. Anthony Tomsich, WWU, 3:47.21; 14. Alfred Kangogo, UAA, 3:50.04. 5000 - 9. Mark Cheseto, UAA, 14:02.45; 14. Jordan Welling, WWU, 14:16.90. 10,000 - 2. Marko Cheseto, UAA, 29:08.28; 10. Jordan Welling, WWU, 30:02.33. 400 Hurdles - 7. Shaun Ward, UAA, 52.79; 16. Dallas Beaty, NNU, 53.36. Steeplechase - 4. David Kiplagat, UAA, 9:01.67. Pole Vault - 9. Zeb Udell, WOU, 5.05 - 16- 3/4. Long Jump - 1. David Registe, UAA, 7.89 - 25-10 3/4; 5. Demietrius Preston, UAA, 7.43 - 24-4 1/2. Discus - 14. Jason Slowey, WOU, 50.69 - 166-4. Javelin - 4. Josh Heidegger, NNU, 63.32 - 207-9.

Women: 400 - 16. Ellie Siler, WWU, 56.18. 800 - 1. Ashley Puga, NNU, 2:05.23; 8. Annan Applebee, WOU, 2:11.40; 14. Rachael Johnson, WWU, 2:12.30. 1500 - 1. Jessica Pixler, SPU, 4:17.68; 2. Ashley Puga, NNU, 4:23.17; 6. Jane Larson, SPU, 4:28.12. 5000 - 5. Sarah Porter, WWU, 16:50.87; 14. Elizabeth Chepkosgei, UAA, 17:11.14. 10,000 - 5. Sarah Porter, WWU, 34:58.37; 7. Jane Larson, SPU, 35:25.72; 13. Lauren Breihof, WWU, 36:04.47. 400 Hurdles - 12. Heidi Dimmitt, WWU, 1:01.57. High Jump - 10. Clara Cook, WWU, 1.71 - 5-7 1/4. Pole Vault - 14. Christy Miller, WWU, 3.76 - 12-4; 16. Melissa Peaslee, SPU, 3.70 - 12-1 1/2. Triple Jump - 12. Laura VonArx, NNU, 11.87 - 38-11 1/2. Shot Put - 3. Krissy Tandle, CWU, 14.94 - 49-1. Javelin - 2. Jeeni Schantin, SPU, 48.80 - 160-1; 6. Lauren VerMulm, SPU, 45.31 - 148-8; 15. Lakiesha Nilles, NNU, 41.92 - 137-6.

102 Named To GNAC Track and Field Academic Team


Carlson	Karr

A total of 102 student-athletes – 59 women and 43 men - have been named to the 2009 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Track and Field Academic all-star team.

Krinda Carlson of Saint Martin's is the lone all-star with a perfect 4.00 GPA. The top scholar on the men's team is Justin Karr of Western Oregon. The sophomore political science major has a 3.99 GPA.

Northwest Nazarene placed the most athletes on the men's academic team with 11. Western Washington and Alaska Anchorage have nine and seven academic all-stars, respectively.

NNU also led the way on the women's team with 19 academic all-stars. Seattle Pacific was also in double figures with 10.

Fifteen athletes – six men and nine women - were named to the team for the third time. Thirty-one others – 15 men and 16 women - were selected for the second time.

To be eligible for the academic team, student-athletes must have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 and be in at least their second year of competition at their university. They must also qualify to compete in either the GNAC Indoor or Outdoor championship meet.

For all GNAC meet stories, visit our Daily Report page.