Saturday, May 27, 2017
BRADENTON, Fla. – Western Washington’s Bethany Drake returned to the top of the awards podium while Western Oregon’s David Ribich took the top spot for the first time outdoors, leading GNAC competitiors with a pair of national championships on the final day of the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the IMG Academy Complex.
Drake, the women’s javelin national champion in 2014 and the national runner-up last year, closed her collegiate career with her second national title with an effort of 169 feet, 11 inches. The senior never trailed once entering the competition and beat second place Danielle Konopelski of Queens (N.C.) by 12 feet. Drake threw 167 feet, 1 inch, on her second attempt to secure a spot in the finals. Her best came on the only fair throw she had in the finals.
Ribich, who entered the national meet with the top time in Division II in the men’s 1,500 meters, led a tight pack across the line with a winning time of 3:49.64. Ribich engaged in a nip-and-tuck battle with Chico State’s Kyle Medina the entire race, with Medina leading over the first 300 meters before Ribich came back to stay just ahead much of the final 1,200 meters. Medina placed second in 3:49.86.
Ribich was not alone on the All-Americans podium as teammate Dustin Nading placed sixth in a time of 3:51.50.
Drake led seven GNAC athletes who comprised one-third of the 21-athlete field in the women’s javelin. Joining Drake on the podium was Saint Martin’s Deanna Avalos, who earned her first All-American trophy by placing third with a mark of 157 feet, 6 inches.
The Saints’ Jona Spiller and Seattle Pacific’s Sammi Markham earned Second Team All-American honors with Spiller placing 11th with a mark of 143 feet, 4 inches, and Markham placing 12th in 140 feet, 8 inches. Central Washington’s Angelique Whistocken placed 14th with a mark of 139 feet, 7 inches, while Northwest Nazarene’s Ellie Logan was 15th with a mark of 134 feet, 11 inches. Western Oregon’s Sheila Limas De La Cruz rounded out the group, placing 21st with a mark of 126 feet.
The performances of Drake and Ribich topped a day that saw GNAC athletes pick up 12 All-American trophies on the day to bring the meet total for the conference up to 14 overall.
The women's 800 meters yielded three All-Americans for the GNAC. Western Oregon's Olivia Woods led the way, placing third with a time of 2:07.38. Simon Fraser's Addy Townsend added a sixth place finish with a time of 2:08.39 while Alaska Anchorage's Danielle McCormick placed seventh in a time of 2:08.72. The trio of All-Americans capped a season that saw eight GNAC runners qualify for nationals in the event, accounting for over one-third of the field.
Simon Fraser’s Vladislav Tsygankov closed his career as an All-American, but not in the long jump as might be expected. Tsygankov placed seventh in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in a time of 52.15 seconds in just the third time he had ever run the race.
Both Saint Martin’s Mikel Smith and Alaska Anchorage’s Tevin Gladden earned All-American honors in the men’s high jump. Smith finished in fifth place with a mark of 6 feet, 10.75 inches. Gladden also cleared 6 feet, 10.75 inches, but ended in a tie for seventh placed based on number of misses.
The Alaska Anchorage men’s 4x400-meter relay team, comprised of Nicholas Taylor, Liam Lindsay, Travis Turner and Adam Commandeur, closed the meet with the 11th All-American trophy. The Seawolves placed fourth in a time of 3:10.86, just missing the GNAC record.
The Vikings’ Anna Paradee earned Second Team All-American honors with her 11th place finish in the women’s pole vault, clearing 12 feet. 6.75 inches.
Alaska Anchorage’s men led the way for the GNAC in the team competition, tying for 13th place with a total of 15 points. Western Oregon tied for 17th place with 13 points. Saint Martin’s and Western Washington led the women’s team competition, tying for 27th place with 10 points.