Thursday, February 27, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - With the indoor season nearing a close, the outdoor track-and-field season will get underway this weekend as a few GNAC teams compete at the UPS Triangular, Linfield Icebreaker and Willamette Opener Saturday.

Seattle Pacific's men and Western Washington are scheduled to compete in the Puget Sound Quadrangular Saturday to kick off their outdoor seasons, while Western Oregon will send athletes to the Linfield Icebreaker and the Willamette Opener.

Seven GNAC teams - Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser, Saint Martin's, Western Oregon and Western Washington - will compete in the Seattle Pacific Last Chance Indoor.

The meet is the final opportunity for athletes to qualify for the NCAA Division II National Indoor meet which is scheduled for Winston-Salem, SC on March 14-15.

Donigian, Anders Lead Vikings, Seawolves to GNAC Indoor Titles

Alex Donigian of Western Washington and Karolin Anders of Alaska Anchorage were selected the Outstanding Male and Female Performers in last week’s GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at Nampa. 

Donigian swept the 60 and 200 in meet-record times of 6.75 and 21.79, respectively.  His 60 time is an all-time GNAC record and currently ranks fourth nationally.  His 200 time ranks second in GNAC history and was a meet record.

Anders led all athletes scoring 34 points in the meet.  She won the pentathlon (meet-record point total of 3,640 points) and triple jump (36-10 ½) and also finished second in the high jump (5-3 ¾), third in the long jump (18-0 ½) and eighth in the shot (38-4 ¾).

Both athletes led their squads to the team titles as WWU outscored Alaska Anchorage 157-134 for the men’s title and the Seawolves outpointed  Seattle Pacific 154-125 for the women’s crown.

GNAC Athletes Post 32 NCAA National Qualifying Marks, 39 GNAC Top 10s

GNAC athletes established 32 new or improved NCAA Division II national qualifying marks in last week’s GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships at Nampa.

Twenty-seven athletes – 16 women and 11 men – accounted for 30 of the 32 marks including two each by Alex Donigian (men’s 60, 200) and Tanya Bjornsson of Western Washington (women’s 60 hurdles, long jump) and Jamie Ashcroft of Alaska Anchorage (women’s 60, 200).

UAA’s men’s 4x400 relay team and SPU’s women’s 4x400 team also established PNQs in winning conference titles.

Thirty-nine of the performances from last week’s meet earned GNAC All-Time Top 10 rankings.

Five were records including Donigian’s 60 time.  Also moving into first place on the Top 10 charts were Ethan Hewitt of Alaska Anchorage in the men’s 400 (48.31), UAA’s Ashcroft in the women’s 60 (7.69), Tayler Fettig of Central Washington in the high jump (5-9 ¾) and Alison Silva of Northwest Nazarene in the pole vault (12-10).

NATIONALLY SPEAKING

With just one more opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Division II national meet, GNAC athletes have 12 performances that rank in the Top 8 nationally.

On the men’s side, UAA’s Micah Chelimo is the national leader in the 5,000 (13:47.73) and ranks seventh in the 3,000 (8:10.99). Donigian ranks fourth in the 60 (6.75) and Frank Catelli ranks eight in the shot put (57-5 ½).

On the women’s side, UAA’s Joyce Kipchumba ranks second in the 5,000 (16:49.59) and third in the 3,000 (9:46.71).  The Seawolves’ Karolin Anders, who was selected as the USTFCCCA Division II Female Athlete of the Week last week, ranks third in the pentathlon (3774). 

In the 800, Sarah Sawatzky of Simon Fraser ranks second (2:08.57), McKayla Fricker of Seattle Pacific is fourth (2:09.04) and Natalie Evans of Northwest Nazarene ranks eighth (2:11.43). 

Two athletes rank fifth in their events – Tayler Fettig of Central Washington in the high jump (5-9 ¾) and Alison Silva of Northwest Nazarene in the pole vault (12-10).

The last qualifying opportunity for GNAC athletes is Saturday at the SPU Last Chance Indoor.  The national meet is March 14-15 at Winston-Salem, N.C.

BY THE NUMBERS

GNAC ALL-TIME TOP 10 PERFORMANCES (GNAC, Feb. 21-22):  Men: 60 – 1. Alex Donigian, WWU, 6.75; 3. Rimar Christie, NNU, 6.86.  200 – 2. Alex Donigian, WWU, 21.79; 7. Rimar Christie, NNU, 21.99; 8. Joel Webster, SFU, 22.02.  400 – 1. Ethan Hewitt, UAA, 48.31; 5. Adam Commandeur, UAA, 48.84. Mile – 10. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 4:11.05.  60 Hurdles – 2. Peter Maguire, WWU, 8.24; 3. Bernari Stemen, CWU, 8.26; 8. Kody Rhodes, WOU, 8.33. 4x400 Relay – 2. Alaska Anchorage 3:16.09; 6. Northwest Nazarene 3:19.53.  High Jump – 4. Logan Myers, WWU, 2.05 – 6-8 ¾.  Shot Put – 4. Jacob Gilbert, WWU, 16.12 – 52-10 ¾; 10. Troy Martin, CWU,  15.83 – 51-11 ¼.  Heptathlon – 2. Cody Thomas, UAA, 4904; 10. Micah Spatz, NNU, 4494.   Women: 60 – 2. Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 7.67. 200 – 1. Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 24.69; 3. Tasia Baldwin, SPU, 25.16; 5. Kishia Mitchell, SPU, 25.18; 10. Kyra Brannan, SPU, 25.35.  400 – 4. Kishia Mitchell, SPU, 57.00; 9. Sydney Coffey, WWU, 57.46.  800 – 4. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:08.57; 5. McKayla Fricker, SPU, 2:09.04; 9. Natalie Evans, NNU, 2:11.43. 5000 – 10. Jordan Rehfeld, NNU, 17:31.78. 60 Hurdles – 2. Tanya Bjornsson, WWU, 8.72; 6. Marie Smith, NNU, 8.84.  4x400 Relay – 5. Seattle Pacific 3:51.94; 9. Northwest Nazarene 3:54.62. High Jump – 1. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.77 – 5-9 ¾.  Pole Vault – 1. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.91 – 12-10.  Long Jump – 3. Tanya Bjornsson, WWU, 5.82 – 19-1 ¼; 6. Kyra Brannan, SPU, 5.58 – 18-3 ¾.   Shot Put – 8. Vessie Umu, NNU, 13.38 – 43-10 ¾; 10. Jessica Johns, NNU, 13.27 – 43-6 ½.  Pentathlon – 3.

LAST WEEK’S NCAA QUALIFIERS (GNAC, Feb. 21-22):  Men:  60 – Alex Donigian, WWU, 6.75;  Rimar Christie, NNU, 6.86.  200 – Alex Donigian, WWU, 21.79. 400 – Ethan Hewitt, UAA, 48.31; Adam Commandeur, UAA, 48.84.  Mile – Robert Peterson, MSUB, 4:11.05. 60 Hurdles – Peter Maguire, WWU, 8.24; Bernari Sternen, CWU, 8.26. 4x400 Relay – Alaska Anchorage 3:16.09. High Jump – Logan Myers, WWU, 2.05 – 6-8 ¾.  Shot Put – Jacob Gilbert, WWU, 16.12 – 52-10 ¾; Troy Martin, CWU, 15.83 – 51-11 ¼.  Heptathlon – Cody Thomas, UAA, 4904.  Women: 60 – Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 7.67.200 – Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 24.69.  400 – Kishia Mitchell, SPU, 57.00. 800 – Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:08.57; Natalie Evans, NNU, 2:11.43; Ivy O’Guinn, UAA, 2:14.68; Jessica Pahkala, UAA, 2:14.70.  Mile – McKayla Fricker, SPU, 5:00.37. 5000 – Jordan Rehfeld, NNU, 17:31.78. 60 Hurdles – Tanya Bjornsson, WWU, 8.72; Marie Smith, NNU, 8.84; Rosie Smith, UAA, 8.89. 4x400 Relay – Seattle Pacific 3:51.94. High Jump – Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.77 – 5-9 ¾.  Pole Vault – Alison Silva, NNU, 3.91 – 12-10; McKenna Emmert, CWU, 3.57 – 11-8 ½.  Long Jump – Tanya Bjornsson, WWU, 5.82 – 19-1 ¼; Kyra Brannon, SPU, 5.58 – 18-3 ¾.  Shot Put – Vessie Umu, NNU, 13.27 – 43-6 ½. 

GNAC NCAA TOP 20 NATIONAL QUALIFIERS (As of Feb. 25): Men:  60 – 4. Alex Donigian, WWU, 6.75. 400 – 20. Ethan Hewitt, UAA, 48.31. 800 – 17. Frank Krause, SMU, 1:52.04. Mile – 11. Chip Jackson, WWU, 4:07.95. 3000 – 7. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 8:10.99.  5000 – 1. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 13:47.73. Distance Medley – 16. Western Oregon 9:58.43; 17. Simon Fraser 9:58.92; 20. Alaska Anchorage 9:59.67.   High Jump – 20. Brett Watson, WWU, 2.09 – 6-10 ¼.  Triple Jump – 18. Vladislav Moldavanov, SFU, 14.52 – 47-7 ¾.  Shot Put – 8. Frank Catelli, WWU, 17.51 – 57-5 ½.   Heptathlon – 11. Cody Thomas, UAA, 4904.  Women: 60 – 18. Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 7.67. 200 – 14. Jamie Ashcroft, UAA, 2544.69. 800 – 2. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:08.57; 4. McKayla Fricker, SPU, 2:09.04; 8. Natalie Evans, NNU, 2:11.43; 12. Lynelle Decker, SPU, 2:12.22;.  3000 – 3. Joyce Kipchumba, UAA, 9:46.71.  5000 – 2. Joyce Kipchumba, UAA, 16:49.59. 60 Hurdles – 19. Tanya Bjornsson, WWU, 8.72.  Distance Medley – 6. Alaska Anchorage 11:45.08; 16. Simon Fraser 11:54.05.  High Jump – 5. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.77 – 5-9 ¾ ; 14. Karolin Anders, UAA, 1.72 – 5-7 3/4. Pole Vault – 5. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.91 – 12-10; 11.  Cheyanna Pinley, WWU, 3.81 – 12-6.  Long Jump – 9. Tanya Bjornsson, WWU, 5.82 – 19-1 ¼.   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.

GNAC (Feb. 21-22 at Nampa): Men’s Team Scores  - Western Washington 157, Alaska Anchorage 134, Northwest Nazarene 83 2/3, Central Washington 73, Western Oregon 66 1/3, MSU Billings 49, Simon Fraser 44, Saint Martin's 43, Seattle Pacific 10.  Outstanding Performer – Alex Donigian, WWU.  Women’s Team Scores  - Alaska Anchorage 154, Seattle Pacific 125, Northwest Nazarene 116 1/3, Western Washington 100 1/3, Simon Fraser 57, Central Washington 47 1/3, Western Oregon 46, Saint Martin's 9, MSU Billings 8.  Outstanding Performer – Karolin Anders, UAA.