Thursday, January 25, 2018

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Carlos Ortiz, Concordia
Senior • Salem, Ore.

 Ortiz scored a pair of top-two finishes at the Bronco Invite. Ortiz won the 200 meters in a season-best time of 21.95 seconds. The mark just missed the provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships. Ortiz also finished second in the 60 meters with a time of 6.91 seconds, a performance just short of his lifetime best of 6.90 seconds.

Also Nominated: Jorey Egeland (Montana State Billings).

MEN’S FIELD
Elijah Castro, Northwest Nazarene
Freshman • Grants Pass, Ore.

Competing in his third collegiate meet, Castro set the Northwest Nazarene indoor school record in the long jump at the Bronco Invite. Castro placed second in the Division I-laden field with a mark of 23 feet, 8.75 inches. The mark is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, ranks 15th in Division II this season and is No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time Top-10 List.

Also Nominated: Josh Koch (Concordia), Isaiah Girard (Montana State Billings).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Nikki Aiken, Montana State Billings
Sophomore • Belgrade, Mont.

Aiken ran a personal-best in the indoor 3,000 meters at the South Dakota State Division II Invitational, placing sixth in a time of 11:04.99.

WOMEN’S FIELD
Christina MacDonald, Concordia
Senior • Myrtle Creek, Ore.

A week after tying the GNAC record in the weight throw, MacDonald blew the mark away at the Bronco Invite. MacDonald won with a mark of 61 feet, 8.25 inches, which bettered the previous GNAC record set by Kristin Hepler of Western Oregon by over three feet. The performance ranks eighth in Division II this season and is No. 2 on Concordia’s all-time list.

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage last competed at the UW Preview on Jan. 13. The Seawolves return to Dempsey Indoor this weekend to compete in the UW Invitational.

• Sophomore Chris Brake is the Seawolves’ lone NCAA Championships provisional qualifier to date. His mark of 6 feet, 8.75 inches, in the high jump at the UW Preview is tied for 15th in Division II. It is also tied for No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Junior Danielle McCormick is the lone UAA women’s NCAA Championships qualifier so far. Her third-place time of 2:11.87 in the 800 meters at the UW Preview is eighth best in Division II this season.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington saw both of its 4x400-meter relay teams win and saw three women run to top-three finishes at the WSU Open in Pullman, Wash.

• The women’s relay team of Sidney Trinidad, Emily Bland, Erykah Weems and Ali Anderson scored a five-second victory with a time of 4:02.86. The men’s squad of Trevaughn Scott, Michael Forster, Brandon Maier and Kodiak Landis won by four seconds with a season-best time of 3:28.16.

• Junior Alexa Shindruk finished second in the women’s 3,000 meters with a season-best time of 10:17.92, a performance that is 10th in the GNAC this season.

• Junior Mariyah Vongsaveng placed third in the women’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.04 seconds. Her time of 8.95 in the preliminary heats was short of her season best of 8.71 seconds, which ranks 13th in Division II this season.

• Freshman Jasmyne Neria also scored a third-place finish in the women’s 400 meters. Her time of 1:00.60 was just off of the winning time of 1:00.34 by Washington State’s Adreonia Bradley.

• Central Washington competes in its third meet in as many weeks this weekend, competing in the UW Invitational.

CONCORDIA
• A GNAC record in the women’s weight throw and a flurry of top-three finishes in the men’s sprints led Concordia’s efforts at the Bronco Invite in Nampa, Idaho.

• Senior Christina MacDonald repeated as GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she broke the GNAC record in the women’s weight throw. Her winning throw of 61 feet, 8.25 inches, smashed the previous record of 58 feet, 2.5 inches, set by Kristin Hepler of Western Oregon in 2004. The mark ranks eighth in Division II this season. MacDonald also placed third in the shot put with a mark of 47 feet, 11.75 inches.

• Senior Carlos Ortiz was named GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he notched a pair of top-two sprint finishes. He won the 200 meters with a GNAC season-best time of 21.95 seconds. He then placed second in the 60 meters with a time of 6.91 seconds, just missing his season best of 6.90 seconds.

• Senior Melissa Ausman finished second in both women’s throwing disciplines. She finished with a shot put mark of 49 feet, 0.75 inches, and a weight throw mark of 56 feet, 10.5 inches. Both are short of her season bests, which are NCAA Championships provisional qualifiers.

• Junior Katrina Linenko improved her provisional qualifying mark in the women’s shot put, placing fifth with a mark of 45 feet, 4.5 inches.

• Senior Emma Hill earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the women’s triple jump. Her second place mark of 38 feet, 6.75 inches is 13th in Division II this season and is eighth on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Sophomore Adam Brown placed second in behind Ortiz in the men’s 200 meters with a time of 22.02 seconds. Freshman Noah Wallace finished second in the men’s 400 meters in 49.94 seconds.

• In the men’s throws, junior Josh Koch won the shot put with a mark of 54 feet, 1 inch, and placed third in the weight throw at 52 feet, 6.75 inches. Senior Sam Nichols was third in the shot put with his mark of 50 feet, 7.25 inches.

• Concordia returns to Seattle this weekend to compete in the UW Invitational.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• A GNAC Athlete of the Week nod for Nikki Aiken and a pair of event victories on the men’s side led Montana State Billings’ efforts at the South Dakota State Division II Invitational in Brookings, S.D.

• Aiken earned Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she placed sixth in the 3,000 meters in a time of 11:04.99, a college career best for the sophomore.

• Senior Jorey Egeland picked up a pair of top-two finishes in the distance events. He won the 3,000 meters in a time of 8:47.05, which ranks ninth best in the GNAC this season. Egeland also took second in the 5,000 meters with a time of 14:51.40. The time in the 5,000 is the best in the GNAC this season and nine seconds short of the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark of 14:42.70.

• Sophomore Isaiah Girard was a winner in the men’s high jump, equaling his season best with a clearance of 6 feet, 6.75 inches. The mark is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is tied for 22nd in Division II this season.

• Freshman Drake Henson collected a third-place finish in the men’s 800 meters. His time of 1:57.21 is fourth best in the GNAC this season.

• Montana State Billings will compete for the third time in three weeks, taking part in the Colorado Mines Invitational & Multis in Golden, Colo.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Freshman Elijah Castro’s school record performance in the men’s long jump led Northwest Nazarene’s efforts at the Bronco Invitational in Nampa, Idaho.

• Castro earned GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after he placed second with a mark of 23 feet, 8.75 inches. That bettered the previous record, set by teammate Payton Lewis, of 23 feet set in 2015. The performance is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, is tied for 15th in Division II this season and is No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Junior Micah Tranch notched a second place finish in the men’s high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 4.75 inches, just short of his season best of 6 feet, 5 inches.

• Senior Rachel Bartlow finished in a tie for third place in the women’s high jump, clearing a season-best 5 feet, 3.25 inches. It is the second-best performance in the GNAC this season. Junior Katie Conklin also cleared 5 feet, 3.25 inches, finishing tied for fifth.

• Sophomore Godfrey Kemboi was the top non-Division I finisher in the men’s mile, placing fifth in a time of 4:28.25. The mark ranks eighth in the GNAC this season.

• Northwest Nazarene is the only GNAC team not competing this weekend. The Nighthawks return to action on Feb. 2 and 3 in Nampa at the Jackson’s NB Invitational.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• The Saints did not compete last week and will return to action this weekend at the UW Invitational in Seattle.

• Junior Jackson Hand enters the meet with the GNAC’s second-best mark this season in the men’s 200 meters, having run 22.01 seconds at December’s Jacksons Open.

• Junior Josh Schulz is third in the GNAC this season in the men’s long jump with a best of 22 feet, 6.25 inches, at the UW Preview. Senior Matt DeHan is ranked fifth in the GNAC in the pole vault, having cleared 15 feet, 1 inch at the Jacksons Open.

• Sophomore Tiffany Pott and freshman Ashley Vest are among five athletes tied for seventh in the GNAC in the women’s pole vault with clearances of 5 feet, 1 inch.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific did not compete last weekend. The Falcons return to action this weekend in their hometown, competing in the UW Invitational.

• The Falcons' top performances at the UW Preview came in the 60-meter hurdles. Freshman Renick Meyer opened her college career with a time of 8.92 seconds in the women’s 60-meter hurdles. The time is second best in the GNAC this season. Junior Peyton Harris ran finished fourth in the first qualifying rounds of the men’s 60-meter hurdles, running 8.58 seconds. The mark is third best in the GNAC this season.

• Freshman Elius Graff currently owns the third-best mark in the GNAC in the miles with his time of 4:23.61 at the UW Preview. The meet was Graff’s collegiate debut.

• Freshman Julia Steppner is the current GNAC leader in the women’s 60 meters, having run 7.80 seconds at the UW Preview. Senior Becca Houk is tied for fourth at 8.00 seconds.

• Junior Chynna Phan is second in the GNAC this season in the women’s 800 meters with a time of 2:15.89. Sophomore Kate Lilly is third in the women’s mile with a time of 5:09.51.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser did not compete last weekend. The Clan returns to action this weekend at the UW Invitational in Seattle.

• Senior Julia Howley led the Clan’s performances at the season-opening UW Preview. She ran a Division II best time of 9:32.78 in the women’s 3,000 meters. The mark is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, it is just two seconds short of the automatic qualifying mark of 9:29.29 and is No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Howley led a trio of provisional qualifiers in the event. Senior Miryam Bassett ran a time of 9:53.87, currently fifth best in Division II, while senior Reta Dobie ran 9:54.01, currently sixth-best nationally.

• Junior Rowan Doherty ran a time of 8:20.90 in the men’s 3,000 meters, ranking second in the GNAC and 13th in Division II. Senior Oliver Jorgensen ran 8:24.04, third in the GNAC and 17th in Division II this season.

• Freshman Meyer Quaynor ran 7.94 seconds in the women’s 60 meters, the second best time in the GNAC this season. Sophomore Diana Voloshin has the second-best GNAC mark in the women’s 200 meters with a time of 25.75 seconds. Sophomore Renate Bluschke is second in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 58.95 seconds.

• Junior Carlos Vargas ranks second in the GNAC in the men’s mile with a time of 4:18.62.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon did not compete last week. The Wolves return to competition this weekend at the UW Invitational.

• At the UW Preview, junior Dustin Nading broke teammate David Ribich’s record in the men’s 3,000 meters, placing sixth in a time of 8:11.67. The time ranks No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is seventh best in Division II this season.

• Ribich, meanwhile, ran the fastest time in Division II history in the men’s 1,000 meters, finishing second in a time of 2:21.38. The time surpassed the record of 2:21.94 run by Joseph Kembi of West Texas A&M in 1997, but is not an official record as Ribich’s race was run on an oversized track.

• Sophomore Alani Troutman posted fourth with a mark in the men’s long jump of 22 feet, 9.25 inches. He was the top GNAC finisher in the event and currently ranks second in the GNAC this season.

• Senior Kennedy Rufener currently ranks fifth in the GNAC in the women’s mile, running 5:10.00 at the UW Preview.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington did not compete last weekend and returns to Seattle this week for the UW Invitational.

• Senior Jasmine McMullin opened the year by placing third in the women’s triple jump at the UW Preview. Her mark of 39 feet, 4.5 inches was just nine inches off her lifetime best of 40 feet, 1.25 inches. The performance leads the GNAC and is sixth in Division II this season.

• The Vikings currently own six of the top-eight GNAC marks in the women’s pole vault. Sophomore Jewels Oliquano leads the sextet with her mark of 10 feet. 10.25 inches.

• Sophomore Tupre Wickliff is fourth in the GNAC in the men’s high jump with a jump of 6 feet, 4.75 inches at the UW Preview. Freshman Garrett Davies is fifth with his best of 6 feet, 2.75 inches.

• Sophomore Eric Hamel has the league’s fifth best time in the men’s 3,000 meters with his time of 8:38.25.