Tuesday, February 11, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - Great Northwest Athletic Conference athletes posted six provisional national qualifying marks last weekend in meets at Moscow, Nampa and Gillette, Wyo.

Perhaps the most impressive PNQ was by Montana State Billings’ distance medley relay team of Chase Robinson, Nathan Vanderby, Drew Galahan and Robert Peterson.  They won the DMR at Gillette in a time of 10:17.34.  That converts to a time of 10:00.96, which ranks fifth in GNAC history.

Also earning PNQs were Saint Martin’s Frank Krause in the 800 (1:52.04) and Kevin Stanley of Central Washington in the weight throw (59-2 ¾) in separate meets Friday and Saturday at Moscow.

NNU athletes established three PNQs at Nampa – by Natalie Evans in the 800 (2:12.55), Marie Smith in the 60 hurdles (8.87) and Alison Silva in the pole vault.  Silva vaulted 12-5 ½ for the second week in a row,

GNAC TOP 10s: In addition to MSUB’s relay, GNAC athletes established five other GNAC All-Time Top 10s.  Silva and Stanley’s performances rank fourth on the GNAC All-Time performance list.  Both Krause and Smith’s times rank sixth.  Kent McKinney of Central Washington ran the seventh fastest 60 in GNAC history (6.96). His time fell .07 seconds short of the NCAA provisional standard.

WHAT’S NEXT: With the 11th annual GNAC championships at Nampa coming up in less that two weeks, GNAC athletes will have one more tune-up this weekend as six schools – Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser, Western Oregon and Western Washington - head to Seattle to compete in the UW Classic and/or the UW Open.  Meanwhile, Northwest Nazarene will participate in the Boise State Team Challenge at Boise.  Saint Martin’s and Montana State Billings will take the week off.

VIKINGS, SEAWOLVES RANKED BY COMPUTER: Alaska Anchorage’s women and Western Washington’s men continues to be ranked in the Top 25 nationally by the USTFCCCA computer.  The UAA women are ranked 22nd and the Viking men are ranked 24th.

GNAC RED LION ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

MEN: Track – Frank Krause, Saint Martin’s (Jr., Onalaska, WA) finished second in the 800 meters at the Idaho Vandal Indoor Friday in a provisional national qualifying time of 1:52.04.  The time ranks 12th nationally among NCAA Division II athletes this winter and sixth all-time in GNAC history.  On Saturday, he finished fourth in the 400 meters at the Idaho Open in a time of 50.61, breaking a 12-year old SMU school record. Field – Kevin Stanley, Central Washington (Jr., Spokane Valley, WA – Central Valley) was the top collegian in the weight throw Saturday at Idaho finishing third with a provisional national qualifying mark of 59-2 ¾.  That ranks fourth in GNAC history. 

HONORABLE MENTION: Kyle McLaughlin, Northwest Nazarene (So., Meridian, ID) had a personal best of 8.52 in the 60-meter hurdles to finish fifth at the Bronco Invitational in Nampa and move into sixth place on the GNAC season performance list.

WOMEN: Track – Marie Smith, Northwest Nazarene (Sr., Boise, ID - Capital) finished second in the 60 hurdles at the Bronco Invitational in Nampa with a provisional national qualifying time of 8.87.  That time is a school record and ranks sixth in GNAC history.  Field – Alison Silva, Northwest Nazarene (Fr., Nampa, ID) pole-vaulted a provisional national qualifying 12-5 ½ for the second week in a row to finish third at the Bronco Invitational.  That height ranks fourth on the GNAC Top 10 all-time list. 

HONORABLE MENTION:  Angel Rodgers, Saint Martin’s (Jr., Everett, WA) broke the school record in the women’s weight throw for the third time this season finishing sixth with a throw of 48-11 ¾ Saturday at Moscow.  That mark ranks second in the GNAC this winter.

BY THE NUMBERS

GNAC ALL-TIME TOP 10 PERFORMANCES (for Week of  Feb. 3-9):  Men: 60 – 7. Kent McKinney, CWU, 6.96.  800 – 6. Frank Krause, SMU, 1:52.04. Weight Throw – 4. Kevin Stanley, CWU, 18.05 - 59-2 ¾. Distance Medley Relay – 5. MSU Billings 10:00.96.   Women: 60 Hurdles  - 6. Marie Smith, NNU, 8.87.  Pole Vault – 4. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.80 – 12-5 ½.  (Note: Men’s marks were performed at Moscow except for MSUB DMR which was performed at Gillette; women’s marks came at Nampa).

LAST WEEK’S NCAA QUALIFIERS (for Week of Feb. 3-9):  Men:  800 – 6. Frank Krause, SMU, 1:52.04. Distance Medley Relay – 5. MSU Billings 10:00.96.   Weight Throw – 4. Kevin Stanley, CWU, 18.05 - 59-2 ¾. Women: 800 – Natalie Evans, NNU, 2:12.55. 60 Hurdles  - 6. Marie Smith, NNU, 8.87.  Pole Vault – 4. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.80 – 12-5 ½.  (Note: Men’s marks were performed at Moscow except for MSUB DMR which was performed at Gillette; women’s marks came at Nampa).

GNAC NCAA TOP 20 NATIONAL QUALIFIERS (As of Feb. 11): Men:  60 – 3. Alex Donigian, WWU, 6.76. 800 – 12. Frank Krause, SMU, 1:52.04. Mile – 9. Chip Jackson, WWU, 4:07.95. 3000 – 3. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 8:10.99. Distance Medley – 15. MSU Billings 10:00.96; 18. Alaska Anchorage 10:02.54.  High Jump – 13. Brett Watson, WWU, 2.09 – 6-10 ¼.  Shot Put – 12. Frank Catelli, WWU, 17.03 – 55-10 ½.  Weight Throw – 17. Kevin Stanley, CWU, 18.05 – 59-2 ¾.  Heptathlon – 16. Cody Thomas, UAA, 4805.  Women: 60 – 19. Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 7.72. 200 – 16. Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 24.89.  800 – 3. McKayla Fricker, SPU, 2:09.04; 4. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:09.42; 9. Lynelle Decker, SPU, 2:12.22; 10. Natalie Evans, NNU, 2:12.55.  3000 – 5. Joyce Kipchumba, UAA, 9:46.71.  Distance Medley – 19. Simon Fraser 12:08.03.  High Jump – 5. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.76 – 5-9 ¼; 11. Karolin Anders, UAA, 1.72 – 5-7 3/4. Pole Vault – 8. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.80 – 12-5 ½. Pentathlon – 3. Karolin Anders, UAA, 3774. Note:  Marks listed are based on a 200 meter banked track or an over 200 meter track.  Marks on TFRRS national list are converted to a 200-meter flat track and may differ from those listed here.

LAST WEEK'S TOP FINISHERS:

Vandal Indoor (Feb. 7 at Moscow): Men (Top 6): 60 – 2. Kent McKinney, CWU, 6.96.  800 – 2. Frank Krause, SMU, 1:52.04.  60 Hurdles – 5. Bernari Sternen, CWU, 8.38.  4x200 – 3. Saint Martin’s 1:32.33.  4x400 Relay – 3. Saint Martin’s 3:38.89.  High Jump – 5. Ethan Meikle, CWU, 13.63 – 44-8 ¾.  Shot Put – 6. Troy Martin, CWU, 15.39 – 50-6.  Discus – 6. Troy Martin, CWU, 43.14 – 141-6.  Women (Top 6): Mile – 4. Connie Morgan, CWU, 5:06.91.  4x200 Relay – 3. Saint Martin’s 1:50.02.

Vandal Open (Feb. 8 at Moscow): Men (Top 6): 60 – 4. Jordan Todd, CWU, 7.05.  400 – 4. Frank Krause, SMU, 50.61.  600 – 3. Cody House, SMU, 1:31.17; 4. Joseph Keeton, SMU, 1:31.21; 5. Austin Brenner, SMU, 1:31.73; 6. Ian Boyle, SMU, 1:38.69. 800 – 3. John Wojtech, CWU, 1:56.51.  1000 – 6. Mitchell Hughey, SMU, 2:42.16. 3000 – 3. Joe Berger. SMU, 8:55.86.  Women (Top 6):  60 – 3. Brittany Carterby, CWU, 8.13; 4. Renee Hudson, SMU, 8.14.  600 – 2. Megan Teigen, SMU, 1:45.02; 3. Alexis Carandang, SMU, 1:50.16.  800 – 1. Connie Morgan, CWU, 2:18.08; 5. Jayna Inderbitzin, CWU, 2:25.94.  4x400 – 5. Central Washington 4:15.82.  High Jump – 3. Moriah Bently, CWU, 1.50 – 4-11.  Long Jump – 4. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 5.26 – 17-3 ¼.  Triple Jump – 4. Marinah Bently, CWU, 10.27 – 33-8 ½; 6. Kellie Shreve, CWU, 9.52 – 31-3.  Weight Throw – 6. Angel Rodgers, SMU, 14.93 – 48-11 ¾.

Bronco Invitational (Feb. 8 at Nampa): Men (Top 6): 60 – 4. Rimar Christie, NNU, 6.94.  Mile – 5. Chase Cunningham, NNU, 4:28.38.  60 Hurdles – 5. Kyle McLaughlin, NNU, 8.52.  4x400 Relay – 5. Northwest Nazarene 3:22.59.  Pole Vault – 5. Greyson Kilgore, NNU, 4.50 – 14-9.  Triple Jump – 5. Stephen Larlee, NNU, 13.91 – 45-7 ¾. Women (Top 6): 800 – 4. Natalie Evans, NNU, 2:12..55.  3000 – 1. Jordan Rehfeld, NNU, 10:00.67.  60 Hurdles – 2. Marie Smith, NNU, 8.87.  4x400 Relay – 6. Northwest Nazarene 3:59.56.  Pole Vault – 3. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.80 – 12-5 ½.    

Black Hills/Chadron State Invitational (Feb. 8 at Gillette, WY): Men (Top 6): 4. Ryan Blomback, MSUB, 4:43.44.  5000 – 4. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 15:36.91; 5. Jamon Rodrigues, MSUBm 15:50.71.  4x400 Relay – 5. MSU Billings 3:30.98.  Distance Medley – 1. MSU Billings 10:17.34.  Pole Vault – 4. Cole Campbell, MSUB, 4.15.  Shot Put – 5. Anthony Montanez, MSUB, 14.76.  Weight Throw – 5. Dylan Buehler, MSUB, 15.73.    Women (Top 6): Mile – 6. Rio Frame, MSUB, 5:27.78.  3000 – 4. Mary Owen, MSUB, 11:14.47; 5. Jinise Osborne, MSUB, 11:16.06.  5000 – 1. Mary Owen, MSUB, 19:26.43; 2. Jinise Osborne, MSUB, 19:30.26.  60 Hurdles – 5. Hope Reid, MSUB, 10.00; 6. Kaytllin Halle, MSUB, 10.01. Pole Vault – 6. Hope Reid, MSUB, 2.75.