Thursday, February 1, 2024
PORTLAND, Ore. – After a busy week that yielded numerous provisional qualifying marks including a No. 1 time in Division II, three of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference track and field teams return to the track this weekend.
Central Washington and Western Oregon will begin competition on Friday at the Riverfront Invitational in Spokane, Wash., while Northwest Nazarene will compete at a pair of meets at Eastern Oregon and Utah State on Saturday. The Wolves will close the weekend by sending athletes to both the George Fox Indoor meet in Newberg, Ore., and the Portland Indoor meet in Portland on Sunday.
GNAC Indoor Track & Field Schedule - Feb. 2-4 |
Date | Meet | Location | Start Time | GNAC Teams Competing |
2/2-3 | Riverfront Invitational | Spokane, Wash. | 11 a.m./10 a.m. | CWU, WOU |
2/3 | Lew Thorne Invitational | La Grande, Ore. | 10 a.m. | NNU |
2/3 | Aggie Speed & Power | Logan, Utah | 9:30 a.m. | NNU |
2/4 | George Fox Indoor | Newberg, Ore. | 10 a.m. | WOU |
2/4 | Portland Indoor #2 | Portland, Ore. | Noon | WOU |
2024 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships |
The 2024 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held Feb. 19-20, 2024 at The Podium in Spokane, Wash. All nine conference programs will compete at the event. Tickets for the event are available for purchase online here.
This Week's Athletes To Watch |
Mark Warren – Western Oregon (Weight Throw)
The GNAC leader in the weight throw entering the weekend, Warren has put together a good start to his junior season including a PR of 57’ 4.75” (17.49m) at the UW Indoor Preview on Jan. 13. He followed that with his top shot put of the season last week, clearing 46’ 3.5” (14.11m) at the UW Invitational. Warren’s progression up the GNAC throwing ranks has been steady since his debut in 2021-22, when he finished sixth in the weight throw and 10th in the shot put at the 2022 GNAC Indoor Championships. The Warrenton, Ore., native turned that into a pair of all-conference performances last winter, as he finished as the runner-up in the shot put and third in the weight throw at the 2023 GNAC Indoor Championships. A four-time all-conference performer in his career, Warren is on his way to contending for a title at the GNAC Indoor Championships in three weeks.
Read More: 3 Events, 3 Locations For Wolves Track & Field This Week (WOU Preview)
Omar Young – Central Washington (Weight Throw)
Another longtime GNAC veteran in the throws department, the Central Washington fifth-year is set to make his 2023-24 debut this weekend at the site of the upcoming conference meet. Young hasn’t competed in a college meet since he earned all-conference in the discus at the 2022 GNAC Outdoor Championships, when he finished third with a toss of 148’ 10” (45.36m). A two-time all-conference performer in his career, Young will eye his weight throw PR of 53’ 8.5” (16.37m) as he toes the line on Friday.
Dominique Loggins – Western Oregon (60 Meters)
The reigning GNAC champion in the 60 meters, Loggins is poised to make his 2023-24 debut in the event for the Wolves this weekend. The senior from Tualatin, Ore., owns the sixth-fastest time in GNAC history at 6.86 seconds, which he clocked to win the 2020 GNAC title in the event. Also owning a pair of GNAC outdoor titles in the 100 meters (2021 and 2022), Loggins is among the conference’s elite sprinters of the last four years. Doubling as a running back on the Wolves’ football team, Loggins had three 100-yard performances last fall including a season-best 209 yards against Eastern New Mexico on Sept. 16.
Alejandra Gomez – Northwest Nazarene (Sprints)
Gomez was busy last week at the Inland Northwest Invitational, running personal bests of 25.99 seconds in the 200 meters and 9.58 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. The junior from Mexico is gearing up for her third GNAC Indoor Championship, after helping the Nighthawks’ distance medley relay team get onto the podium last year with a third-place finish.
Read More: NNU Track & Field Takes On Inland Northwest Invitational (NNU Recap)
Liliana Lyness-Morales – Western Oregon (Weight Throw)
Results suggest that the best is yet to come from the fourth-year senior on the WOU throws unit, who posted a career-best toss of 50’ 1.25” (15.27m) in the weight throw on Jan. 13 in Seattle. That slotted her name fourth on the GNAC performance list, as Lyness-Morales prepares for her third GNAC Indoor Championships later this month. Her PR performance led her to a fourth-place finish among a field of 15 competitors in the event, and only three Division I throwers finished ahead of her.
Emy Ntekpere – Central Washington (Jumps/Sprints)
Already a two-time GNAC Athlete of the Week selection, Ntekpere continued her jumping success on Jan. 19 at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial in Idaho. She cleared a distance of 38’ 8.25” (11.79m) for the top GNAC triple jump of the season and a provisional qualifying mark. The freshman is also the lone GNAC women’s athlete with a provisional mark in the high jump, which she hit at the Spokane Invitational on Dec. 9 (5’ 8.5”, 1.74m).
Read More: CWU Track Sweeps GNAC Athlete Of The Week Honors (CWU Release)
Last Week's Highlights |
PROVISIONAL MARKS HIT FROM COAST TO COAST: Simon Fraser’s Marie-Eloise Leclair notched the most impressive of 16 total provisional marks achieved by GNAC athletes last week, as she ran Division II’s fastest 200-meters time this season of 23.87 seconds at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston. The reigning All-American also has a provisional qualifying mark in the 60 meters under her belt, as she and Central Washington’s E’lexis Hollis have each run the nation’s third-best time of 7.38 seconds this season.
Leclair wasn’t the only Red Leaf to celebrate last week, as teammate Kerlinda Chatwin put a stamp on her stellar freshman campaign with a provisional mark in the triple jump. Chatwin’s leap of 38’ 3.25” (11.66m) was second furthest in the GNAC this season behind CWU’s Emy Ntekpere (38’ 8.25”, 11.79m), as the former climbed to No. 42 in Division II.
The Alaska Anchorage women had a successful weekend in the Emerald City, with Jess Chisar notching a provisional mark in the 800 meters at 2:13.77 and 2023 GNAC Cross Country Newcomer of the Year Nell Baker hitting a provisional mark in the 5,000 meters at 17:16.40. Both Seawolves were accompanied by Vikings in their respective races last week, as WWU’s Emmy Kroontje clocked a provisional time of 2:12.70 in the 800 meters and 2023 cross country All-American Ashley Reeck of WWU ran 17:06.33 in the 5,000 meters. Heading up the event for the GNAC was Seattle Pacific’s Annika Esvelt, who also collected a provisional mark with a time of 16:59.72. Milers Cassidy Walchak-Sloan of Saint Martin’s (4:52.83) and Sophie Wright of WWU (4:52.96) gave the conference’s distance unit two more provisional marks last week as well.
The women’s success was equally felt on the men’s side, with Western Washington’s Kevin McDermott continuing the torrid pace he has set forth this season with two more GNAC top-10 marks. The 2023 GNAC cross country champion ran the fourth-fastest mile time in GNAC history (4:02.13) and the third-fastest 5,000 meters time (13:50.77), ranking him 10th and fourth, respectively on the Division II performance list. Western Oregon’s Keeton Sanchez also hit a provisional time in the mile at 4:07.61, while SFU’s Ephrem Mekonnen ran 8:16.78 in the 3,000 meters to get his name onto the national performance list. WWU’s Hunter Flick, who owns the GNAC record in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.07 seconds (set in 2022), was just 0.09 seconds off of that as his time of 8.16 last week in Seattle stood as a provisional qualifier.
GNAC Track In The Weekly Coaches Poll Rankings |
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association releases national and regional rankings throughout the 2024 indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
The Simon Fraser women leapt to the conference’s top spot in the national rankings, climbing to No. 13 in the latest USTFCCCA poll. Central Washington's women maintained its spot in the top-25, dropping two spots this week to No. 17. Western Washington was the top GNAC team regionally, with the men holding the No. 1 spot for the second straight week and the women checking in at No. 2. On the men’s side the GNAC had four of the top-five teams in the region, including No. 3 Western Oregon, No. 4 Simon Fraser and No. 5 Central Washington.
USTFCCCA National Rankings - Men's Indoor Track & Field | ||
Poll | Team 1 | Team 2 |
Week 1 – 1/23 | None | -- |
Week 2 – 1/30 | None | -- |
USTFCCCA National Rankings - Women's Indoor Track & Field | ||
Poll | Team 1 | Team 2 |
Week 1 – 1/23 | 15. CWU | -- |
Week 2 – 1/30 | 13. SFU | 17. CWU |
USTFCCCA West Region Rankings - Men's Indoor Track & Field | |||||||||
Poll | Team 1 | Team 2 | Team 3 | Team 4 | Team 5 | Team 6 | Team 7 | Team 8 | Team 9 |
Week 1 – 1/22 | 1. WWU | 3. WOU | 4. CWU | 5. SFU | 7. SPU | 8. MSUB | 9. NNU | 11. UAA | 12. SMU |
Week 2 – 1/29 | 1. WWU | 3. WOU | 4. SFU | 5. CWU | 7. NNU | 8. MSUB | 12. UAA | 13. SPU | 14. SMU |
USTFCCCA West Region Rankings - Women's Indoor Track & Field | |||||||||
Poll | Team 1 | Team 2 | Team 3 | Team 4 | Team 5 | Team 6 | Team 7 | Team 8 | Team 9 |
Week 1 – 1/22 | 3. CWU | 4. WWU | 5. WOU | 6. SFU | 12. SPU | 13. MSUB | 14. NNU | 15. UAA | 16. SMU |
Week 2 – 1/29 | 2. WWU | 5. CWU | 6. SFU | 8. WOU | 10. SPU | 12. NNU | 14. UAA | 16. SMU | 17. MSUB |
USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings – Women’s Indoor Track & Field
Week 2 Event Squad Rankings (Jan. 29)
USTFCCCA Event Squad Rankings – Men’s Indoor Track & Field
2024 Provisional National Qualifying Marks - Women |
Event | Athlete | School | Mark | Date | Meet |
60 Meters | E'lexis Hollis | CWU | 7.38 | 12/9/23 | Spokane Invitational |
60 Meters | Marie-Eloise Leclair | SFU | 7.38 | 1/13/24 | UW Indoor Preview |
200 Meters | Marie-Eloise Leclair | SFU | 23.87 | 1/26/24 | Terrier Classic |
800 Meters | Emmy Kroontje | WWU | 2:12.70 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
800 Meters | Jess Chisar | UAA | 2:13.77 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
Mile | Cassidy Walchak-Sloan | SMU | 4:52.83 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
Mile | Sophie Wright | WWU | 4:52.96 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
3,000 Meters | Annika Esvelt | SPU | 9:41.62 | 1/13/24 | UW Indoor Preview |
3,000 Meters | Ila Davis | WWU | 9:45.70 | 1/13/24 | UW Indoor Preview |
5,000 Meters | Annika Esvelt | SPU | 16:59.72 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
5,000 Meters | Ashley Reeck | WWU | 17:06.33 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
5,000 Meters | Nell Baker | UAA | 17:16.40 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
60 Meter Hurdles | Lauryn Chandler | CWU | 8.75 | 12/9/23 | Spokane Invitational |
Distance Medley | Simon Fraser | SFU | 11:51.23 | 1/26/24 | Terrier Classic |
High Jump | Emy Ntekpere | CWU | 1.74m | 12/9/23 | Spokane Invitational |
Pole Vault | Lauryn McGough | CWU | 4.05m | 1/12/24 | Spokane Indoor Challenge |
Triple Jump | Emy Ntekpere | CWU | 11.79m | 1/19/24 | Lauren McCluskey Memorial |
Triple Jump | Kerlinda Chatwin | SFU | 11.66m | 1/26/24 | Terrier Classic |
Shot Put | Destany Herbert | NNU | 14.14m | 12/9/23 | Spokane Invitational |
Shot Put | Katie Potts | WWU | 13.82m | 1/13/24 | UW Indoor Preview |
2024 Provisional National Qualifying Marks - Men |
Event | Athlete | School | Mark | Date | Meet |
Mile | Kevin McDermott | WWU | 4:02.13 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
Mile | Keeton Sanchez | WOU | 4:07.61 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
3,000 Meters | Kevin McDermott | WWU | 8:10.96 | 1/13/24 | UW Indoor Preview |
3,000 Meters | Ephrem Mekonnen | SFU | 8:16.78 | 1/26/24 | Terrier Classic |
5,000 Meters | Kevin McDermott | WWU | 13:59.77 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
60 Meter Hurdles | Hunter Flick | WWU | 8.16 | 1/26/24 | UW Invitational |
Distance Medley | Simon Fraser | SFU | 9:50.45 | 1/26/24 | Terrier Classic |
Pole Vault | Drew Klein | CWU | 15' 9.25" | 1/19/24 | Lauren McCluskey Memorial |
Heptathlon | Drew Klein | CWU | 5,198 | 1/13/24 | Lauren McCluskey Memorial |
2023-24 Meet-By-Meet Results |
Date | Meet | Location | GNAC Participants | Final Results |
12/7/23 | Bobcat Preview | Bozeman, MT | MSUB | Results |
12/9/23 | Spokane Invitational | Spokane, WA | CWU, NNU, SPU, WOU | Results |
1/12-13/24 | Spokane Indoor Challenge | Spokane, WA | CWU | Results |
1/13/24 | UW Preview | Seattle, WA | UAA, SMU, SPU, SFU, WOU, WWU | Results |
1/13/24 | Myrle Hanson Open | Spearfish, SD | MSUB | Results |
1/19-20/24 | Lauren McCluskey Memorial | Moscow, ID | CWU, WOU | Results |
1/21/24 | Portland Indoor #1 | Portland, OR | WOU | Results |
1/26/24 | John Thomas Terrier Classic | Boston, MA | SFU | Results |
1/26/24 | Stacy Dragila Invitational | Pocatello, ID | MSUB | Results |
1/26-27/24 | UW Invitational | Seattle, WA | UAA, CWU, SMU, SPU, WOU, WWU | Results |
1/27/24 | Inland Northwest Invitational | Spokane, WA | NNU | Results |
2023-24 GNAC Track & Field Athletes of the Week |
Date | Women's Athlete of the Week | Men's Athlete of the Week |
Dec. 11 | E'lexis Hollis, Central Washington (Track) | Brody Kemble, Northwest Nazarene (Track) |
Emy Ntekpere, Central Washington (Field) | Justin Conklin, Western Oregon (Field | |
Jan. 15 | Marie-Eloise Leclair, Simon Fraser (Track) | Kevin McDermott, Western Washington (Track) |
Lauryn McGough, Central Washington (Field) | Drew Klein, Central Washington (Field) | |
Jan. 22 | E'lexis Hollis, Central Washington (Track) | Johan Correa, Central Washington (Track) |
Emy Ntekpere, Central Washington (Field) | Drew Klein, Central Washington (Field) | |
Jan. 29 | Marie-Eloise Leclair, Simon Fraser (Track) | Kevin McDermott, Western Washington (Track) |
Katie Potts, Western Washington (Field) | Ryan Greenwalt, Western Washington (Field) |
2024 GNAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships |
The 2024 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held May 10-11 at the Recreation Sports Complex on the campus of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. The event will be preceded by the GNAC Combined Event Championships, which will take place April 29-30 at Civic Stadium in Bellingham, Wash. All nine GNAC track and field programs are eligible to compete in both the combined event championship and the outdoor championship.