GNAC Track and Field

Pixler Wins USA Pacific Northwest Track and Field Athlete of Year Award

Pixler

Jessica Pixler, who won four of her nine career NCAA Division II championships during calendar year 2009, was named the Female Track Athlete of the Year in the Open Division by the Pacific Northwest Association of USA Track & Field at its annual awards banquet on Saturday.

Pixler (Sammamish, WA - Eastlake) started the year by winning the mile and the 5,000 meters at the NCAA indoor championships last March in Houston. The mile title was her third straight, and the 5K crown was her first.

Then in May at NCAA outdoors in San Angelo, Texas, Pixler won the 1,500 meters for the second time in her career. She wrapped up the year in November by capturing her third consecutive NCAA D-2 cross country title, racing to the victory in Evansville, Ind.

The other two finalists for Saturday's award were University of Washington distance stars Katie Follett and Mel Lawrence.

Pixler has nine NCAA championships altogether: three in cross country, four in indoor track and two in outdoor track.

GNAC Athletes Post 10 Victories In Portland Meet

GNAC athletes won 10 events Sunday night in the University of Portland Pilot Indoor Track and Field meet as Western Oregon's Crystal McDowell and Jason Slowey each won two.

McDowell swept the women's 200 (27.25) and 400 (1:01.25). Slowey won the men's shot put in a GNAC season-best mark of 49-5 3/4 and the weight throw with a toss of 49-11.

Terra Schumacher of Seattle Pacific took over the GNAC lead in the women's pole vault with a first-place and provisional national qualifying mark of 11-6.

Portland Pilot Indoor (Feb. 7 at Portland): Men (GNAC winners): 200 – Dustin Boyd, WOU, 23.45. 800 – Nathan Seeley, SPU, 1:59.63. Shot Put – Jason Slowey, WOU, 49-5 ¾. Weight Throw – Jason Slowey, WOU, 49-11. Women (GNAC winners): 200 – Crystal McDowell, WOU, 27.25. 400 – Crystal McDowell, WOU, 1:01.25. 800 – Kelsey Brown, SPU, 2:26.97. High Jump – 1. Brittany Aanstad, SPU, 5-3 ¾. Pole Vault – Terra Schumacher, SPU, 11-6. 2400 Sprint Medley –Western Oregon 7:11.35.

Four Top 10 Marks For Wildcats

Anthony Wright won the men's 60 meters and Scott Morrison finished second in the men's 400 to highlight Central Washington's performances Saturday in the Runner's Soul Open Indoor track-and-field meet in Moscow.

Wright won the 60 in a time of 6.96. On Friday, he finished second in the Vandal Indoor in a time of 6.90, the second fastest 60 time in GNAC history.

CWU athletes posted four GNAC All-Time Top 10 marks in Saturday's meet led by Morrison's 400 time of 49.62. That mark ranks second in the conference this season and fourth on the all-time chart.

Also earning GNAC All-Time Top 10s were Brennan Boyes in the men's high jump, Mychal Osler in the weight throw and Kincaid Nichols in the 200.

Boyes placed fifth in the high jump with a GNAC season-best 6-6 to take over fifth on the all-time list.

Ostler's fifth-place weight throw of 54-8 moved him into ninth on the Top 10 list. CWU's Tyler Fischer, who finished third with a throw of 56-11 1/2, is the conference leader this winter with a throw of 58-4 1/2 and ranks third on the all-time list.

Matt Elder placed eighth in the event with a Western Washington school record of 50-2. That puts him into fourth on the GNAC 2010 season chart.

CWU's Kincaid sneaked into 10th place on the GNAC 200 All-Time Top 10, placing fourth in a time of 22.45. Morrison was seventh in 22.92.

Raisa Yates and Torrie Self had fifth-place finishes for CWU's women in the meet. Yates' 40-10 1/2 shot put ranks second this winter in the conference. Torrie Self placed fifth in the weight throw with a throw of 48-4.

UI Runner's Soul Open (Feb. 6 at Moscow): Men (Top 12): 60 – 1. Anthony Wright, CWU, 6.96; 3. Bryan Mack, CWU, 7.08. 200 – 4. Kincaid Nichols, CWU, 22.45; 7. Scott Morrison, CWU, 22.92. 400 – 2. Scott Morrison, CWU, 49.62. 60 Hurdles – 4. Anthony Hogan, CWU, 8.56; 7. Andrew Grey, WWU, 8.69. 4x400 – 2. Central Washington, 3:28.20. High Jump – 5. Brennan Boyes, CWU, 6-6; 9. Jonathan Hamilton, CWU, 6-4. Pole Vault – Brandon Roddewig, CWU, 15-1. Long Jump – 10. Rendel Jones, CWU, 20-5. Weight Throw – 3. Tyler Fischer, CWU, 56-11 1/2; 5. Mychal Ostler, CWU, 54-8; Ben Elder, WWU, 50-2. Women (Top 12): Mile – 11. Kelsey Kreft, CWU, 5:48.31. 3,000 – 12. Alex Borunda, CWU, 11:37.00. 4x400 – 7. Central Washington, 4:26.18. Shot Put – 5. Raisa Yates, CWU, 40-10 1/2; 12. Torrie Self, CWU, 36-5 3/4.. Weight Throw – 5. Torrie Self, CWU, 48-4; 7. Jordan Stueckle, CWU, 47--0 1/4.

Webb, Warrington Among GNAC Leaders

Northwest Nazarene's Justin Webb and Joy Warrington had performances that rank among the best this winter in the GNAC in the Heritage Invitational at Nampa.

Webb placed seventh in the men's 800 in a time of 1:57.84, moving into third place on this season's performance chart. Webb cut 1 1/2 seconds off his previous best.

Warrington added four feet to her season best in placing third in the women's weight throw with a throw of 47-3 1/2. That mark ranks second in the conference.

NNU posted two victories in the meet. Tim Steiglitz won the men's 60 hurdles in a time of 9.03 and the Crusaders won the women's distance medley relay in a time of 12:18.50.

Second-place finishes went to Derek Sepe in the men's 60 (7.25), Maurus Hope in the 200 (22.83), Dan Hill in the 400 (51.42), Jordan Fenters in the shot put (46-0), Jordan Powell in the women's 3,000 (10:26.90) and Ashley Rendahl in the 5,000 (19:42.48).

Fenters took over fourth on the season shot put chart. He also placed fourth in the weight throw (49-11 3/4) moving into fifth on the season chart.

NNU took over the fourth, fifth and sixth spots on the GNAC season performance chart in the women's 800 as Michelle Phillips finished third in 2:16.89, Jaclyn Puga was fourth in 2:16.94 and Christine Harwood was fifth in 2:19.30.

Powell's second-place 3000 time moved her into fourth place on the GNAC season chart. She also ranks fifth in the mile after placing sixth in 5:21.01.

Heritage Invite (Feb. 5-6 at Nampa): Men (Top 3): 60 – 2. Derek Sepe, NNU, 7.25. 200 – 2. Maurus Hope, NNU, 22.83; 3. Dan Hill, NNU, 23.27. 400 – 2. Dan Hill, NNU, 51.42. Mile – 3. Barak Watson, NNU, 4:25.84. 60 Hurdles – 1. Tim Steiglitz, NNU, 9.03. High Jump – 2. Stuart Montgomery, NNU, 5-0 1/2. Shot Put – 2. Jordan Fenters, NNU, 46-0. Women (Top 3): 800 – 3. Michelle Phillips, NNU, 2:16.89. 3,000 – 2. Jordan Powell, NNU, 10:26.90 5,000 – 2. Ashley Rendahl, NNU, 19:42.48. Distance Medley Relay – 1.Northwest Nazarene, 12:18.50. Weight Throw – 3. Joy Warrington, NNU, 47-3 1/2.

Pearce hits GNAC Provisional mark in 400

Brandon Pearce of Montana State Billings finished second in the 400 meters in a GNAC provisional qualifying and school-record time of 51.48 at the Mountain State Games at Pocatello.

Pearce now has qualifying marks in three events, including the 60 and 200, for the GNAC championships at Nampa in two weeks. He ran a school-record time of 22.65 in the 200 prelims, finishing 12th overall.

On the women's side, Erika Halle broke her own school record in the 400 placing seventh in a time of 1:00.79. Mary Owens broke school records in the 3,000 meters (11:12.43) and 5,000 meters (20:01.23). She finished eighth in the shorter event.

Also establishing MSUB school-record marks were the Yellowjacket two distance medley relay teams. The men were clocked in 11:15.09 and the women ran a time of 13:25.47.

Mountain State Games (Feb. 5-6 at Pocatello): Men (Top 8): 400 – 2. Brandon Pearce, MSUB, 51.48; 4. Nathan Diede, MSUB, 52.03; 8. Deshawn Lewis, MSUB, 55.50. 800 – 4. Tyson Vanderby, MSUB, 1:59.69. Mile – 8. Ryan Blomback, MSUB, 4:48.77. 5000 – 8. Taylor Canfield, MSUB, 16:43.74. 4x400 – 6. Montana State Billings, 3:35.84. Distance Medley Relay – 6. Montana State Billings, 11:15.09. Triple Jump – 6. Deshawn Lewis, MSUB, 39-09.75. Women (Top 8): 400 – 7. Erika Halle, MSUB, 1:00.79. Mile – 7. Whitney Michelson, MSUB, 5:29.93. 3000 – 8. Mary Owens, MSUB, 11:12.43. 4x400 – 4. Montana State Billings, 4:17.01. Distance Medley Rleay – 6. Montana State Billings, 13:25.47. Long Jump – 8. Erika Halle, MSUB, 15-11 3/4.

CWU's Lotze Qualifies in Triple Jump

Katharine Lotze of Central Washington posted a provisional national qualifying mark in the women's triple jump Friday at the Vandal Indoor in Moscow.

Lotze had the sixth-best mark in GNAC history in posting a PNQ of 37-4 1/2. She finished third in the meet.

CWU's Rendel Jones won the men's triple jump with a leap of 46-1 1/4. CWU's Anthony Wright finished second in the 60 with a GNAC season-best time of 6.90.

Wright's time ranks second in GNAC history trailing only a 6.78 by Western Oregon's Mike Hinshaw in 2002.

Vandal Indoor (Feb. 5 at Moscow): Men (Top 8): 60 - 2. Anthony Wright, CWU, 6.90; 3. Bryan Mack, CWU, 7.02; 4. Kincaid Nichols, CWU, 7.02. High Jump - 6, Brennan Boyles, CWU, 6-4 3/4. Triple Jump - 1. Rendel Jones, CWU, 46-1 1/4; 2. Bryan Mack, CWU, 45-10; 4. James Cho, CWU, 45-1. Discus - 8. Jesse Potes, CWU, 134-8. Weight Throw - 4. Tyler Fischer, CWU, 55-11 3/4. Women (Top 8): Triple Jump - 3. Katharine Lotze, CWU, 37-4 1/2. Discus - 6. Kaylee Baumstark, CWU, 123-10.

Track & Field News Notes / Previous Indoor Track and Field Recaps