Western Oregon Sweeps GNAC Track and Field Titles

Puga	Madrid

Western Oregon swept the team titles in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference track and field championships Saturday at Tomlinson Stadium in Ellensburg. (HTML / WORD)

The Wolves outpointed Alaska Anchorage 166 1/2 to 157 to win the men's title. The top four teams were separated just 15 points as Central Washington edged Western Washington 151 1/2 to 151 for third-place.

Western Oregon nipped defending champion Seattle Pacific 162-158 to win the women's title. The Wolves had only a two-point leading going into the 4x400 and clinched the team title by finishing third as Seattle Pacific placed fifth in the relay.

Michael Madrid of Alaska Anchorage won the 100 and 200 titles and also ran on UAA's winning 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams to earn Outstanding Male Performer honors.

Ashley Puga of Northwest Nazarene won the 800 (2:13.10) and finished second in the 1500 (4:35.10) and 3000 (10:02.12) and also led NNU to a meet-record time in the 4x400 relay (3:51.47) to earn Outstanding Female Performer honors.

All three of her individual times were provisional national qualifying marks.

NNU's 4x400 time was one of 10 meet records set, including nine on Saturday.

Also establishing meet records in the women's division were Seattle Pacific's Jane Larson in the 1500 (4:29.66), Jessica Harper of Western Oregon in the steeplechase (10:57.0), Heidi Dimmitt of Western Washington in the 400 hurdles (1:01.78) and Kim Brady of Alaska Anchorage in the triple jump (39-9 3/4).

Ashtin Mott of Western Oregon in the 400 (48.11), WOU's Zeb Udell in the pole vault (16-4) and Tyler Fischer of CWU in the discus (169-6) set meet records in the men's division. Alaska Anchorage set a mark in the 4x100 relay (41.59). On Friday, UAA's David Registe set a new mark in the long jump (24-8 1/4).

Of the records, two - Mott's 400 time and Brady's triple jump - were also all-time GNAC records for any meet.

Five athletes reached the winner's circle twice in the meet including Madrid (100, 200), Udell (pole vault, decathlon), Fischer (hammer, discus), Jacque Postlewait of Western Oregon (100 hurdles, heptathlon) and Brady (long jump, triple jump). Udell (with 29 points) and Postlewait (with 32 points) were the meet's top individual scorers.

Greg Hamm of Northwest Nazarene won the men's triple jump for the third year in a row. Successfully defending the titles they won last year were Madrid in the 100 and 200, Registe in the long jump and Udell in the decathlon.

On the women's side, Laura Carr of UAA in the women's 5000, Postlewait in the 100 hurdles and heptathlon, Dimmitt in the 400 hurdles, Brady in the long jump, Sabrina Freed of Western Oregon in the hammer and Erica Rance of Western Washington in the discus also repeated their 2007 victories.

Men's Team Scores - Western Oregon 166 1/2, Alaska Anchorage 157, Central Washington 151 1/2, Western Washington 151, Northwest Nazarene 73, Seattle 38, Seattle Pacific 30, Saint Martin's 29, Montana State Billings 17. Most Outstanding Performer - Michael Madrid, Alaska Anchorage.

Women's Team Scores - Western Oregon 162, Seattle Pacific 158, Western Washington 142, Northwest Nazarene 138, Alaska Anchorage 109, Central Washington 71, Seattle 43, Saint Martin's 17, Montana State Bilings 14. Most Outstanding Performer - Ashley Puga, Northwest Nazarene.

2008 GNAC Academic All-Conference Team
2008 GNAC Indoor Championship Recap
GNAC Daily Reports (including Track and Field Stories)