Friday, May 29, 2015
PORTLAND, Ore. – Slater Hirst, who placed second in the javelin at the 2015 NCAA Division II National Track & Field Championship meet at Allendale, Mich. last weekend, has been selected the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Male Athlete of the Year.
The Western Washington University senior from King’s High School and Shoreline, Wash., unleashed a throw of 230 feet, 5 inches on his final collegiate attempt to complete a series of outstanding throws which included five personal bests.
His final throw was the third longest in GNAC history and was 14 feet farther than his previous career best. That momentarily gave him the lead in the national meet, however Texas A&M – Kingsville’s Javan Gray then cut loose with a throw of 233-8 to win the title.
Also winning special awards were Saint Martin’s high jumper Mikel Smith (Jr., Muskogee, Okla.), Northwest Nazarene pole vaulter Payton Lewis (Nampa, ID – Nampa Christian) and Western Washington 28th-year head coach Kelven “Pee Wee” Halsell.
Smith, who didn’t compete during his first two years at Saint Martin’s, was selected the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, after finishing third in the NCAA national meet at Allendale, and breaking his own GNAC record with a leap of 6-11 ¾.
That completed an indoor/outdoor All-American season for Smith, who finished fifth in the indoor national meet in February at Birmingham, Ala. During the indoor season, Smith also set a GNAC and school record with a mark of 7-0 ½.
Earning GNAC Freshman of the Year honors was Payton Lewis of Northwest Nazarene, who tied for fourth in the pole vault at the national meet with a school-record vault of 16-10 ¾.
Lewis was the leading point scorer in the GNAC men’s conference meet with 26 points in individual events. He won the pole vault (16-4 ¾) and decathlon (6,595) and finished third in the 110 meter hurdles (15.04). He also ran the second leg on NNU’s fourth-place 4x100 relay team. His season-best in the pole vault ranks second in GNAC history.
Halsell led the Vikings, as the underdogs, to their sixth GNAC Men’s Outdoor team title (including four in a row), setting a GNAC record for most championships. They shared the previous record of five with Western Oregon.
Halsell has now won 11 GNAC Track & Field Coach of the Year awards – six in men’s outdoor (2005, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015), one in women’s outdoor (2009) and four in men’s indoor (2005, 2006, 2013, 2014).