Wednesday, January 20, 2016

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Marc-Antoine Rouleau, Simon Fraser
Senior • Sherbrooke, Que.

Rouleau opened his indoor season with a five-second personal best and NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the 3,000 meters at the UW Preview, placing seventh in 8:11.17. He was the first non Division I or open athlete to finish. The performance moves Rouleau up to No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list in the event and currently sits No. 2 in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Kyle McLaughlin (Northwest Nazarene), Travis Milbrandt (Western Washington), Carlos Ortiz (Concordia), Robert Peterson (Montana State Billings), Batane Sultessa (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
Cody Thomas, Alaska Anchorage
Senior • Blenheim, New Zealand

Thomas opened his indoor season by placing second in the heptathlon at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. His total of 5,324 points is a NCAA provisional qualifying mark and currently ranks No. 2 Division II. In the process, Thomas was an individual event winner in the high jump (6-8.75), earning a NCAA provisional qualifying mark, and in the long jump (22-11).

Also Nominated: Nels Flanagan (Montana State Billings), Josh Koch (Concordia), Payton Lewis (Northwest Nazarene), Vlad Tsygankov (Simon Fraser).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Jamie Ashcroft, Alaska Anchorage
Junior • Shawnigan Lake, B.C.

Ashcroft earned two NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks and won two races at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. She captured the 60 meters in 7.66 seconds, a performance just .06 seconds off her own GNAC record and currently No. 15 in Division II. She also won the 200 meters in 24.82 seconds and sits No. 10 in Division II.

Also Nominated: Megan Fristoe (Concordia), Valid Kabia (Simon Fraser), Della Lyle (Montana State Billings), Lexi Tubbs (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Karolin Anders, Alaska Anchorage
Senior • Berlin, Germany

Anders opened the season by placing second in the pentathlon and setting a NCAA championships provisional mark at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. Her point total of 3,813 points is third in Division II and is just nine points off her personal best and No. 2 GNAC all-time total of 3,822. In the process, Anders won the long jump (18-7.75), setting a NCAA provisional mark.

McKenzie Warren, Concordia
Sophomore • Sandy, Ore.

In Concordia’s first meet as a GNAC program, Warren shattered the conference’s record in the shot put with a mark of 53 feet, 3.75 inches, placing second at the UW Preview. The performance is currently the best this season in Division II. She also went on to finish 13th in the weight throw at 50 feet, 4 inches.

Also Nominated: Emmi Collier (Western Oregon), Taylor Van Valey (Northwest Nazarene), Janessa Williams (Montana State Billings).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• With a split squad competing at both the Ed Jacoby Invitational in Nampa, Idaho, and the UW Preview in Seattle, Alaska Anchorage posted 14 provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Championships (6 men, 8 women) in their opening weekend of competition.

• Multi-event standout Karolin Anders opens the season No. 3 in Division II in the pentathlon, placing second at the Ed Jacoby Invitational with a score of 3,813 points. The performance is just nine points off of her personal best in the event. In the process, Anders set NCAA provisionals qualifying marks in the high jump (5-7.25) and the long jump (18-8.75).

• Anders’ male counterpart, Cody Thomas, placed second in the heptathlon with a NCAA Championships provisional qualifying score of 4,963 points. The performance was just six points short of the automatic qualifying standard. En route, Thomas achieved a provisional qualifying standard in the high jump (6-8.75) and his time in the heptathlon 60 meters (6.97 seconds) tied the UAA record. Teammate Travis Turner also earned a provisional qualifying mark in the heptathlon, scoring 4,885 points.

• Rosie Hewitt (Smith) set the UAA record in the 60 meters at the Jacoby Invite, placing second in a time of 8.76 seconds. She also dropped .03 seconds off her No. 3 time on the GNAC all-time list and hit a NCAA provisional qualifier.

• Joyce Chelimo led the GNAC’s women’s distance runners at the UW Preview. She placed 11th in the 3,000 meters in 9:34.28, provisionally qualifying for nationals and moving into No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list. She missed the automatic qualifying standard by one second and currently ranks No. 2 in Division II in the event.

• Sprinter Jamie Ashcroft won both short sprint races at the Ed Jacoby Invitational, capturing in the 60 meters in 7.66 seconds and the 200 meters in 24.82 seconds. Both are NCAA provisional qualifying marks and her time in the 60 meters is .06 seconds off her personal best.

• Henry Cheseto and Michel Ramirez earned provisional qualifying marks in the 3,000 meters. Cheseto placed 14th in the event at the UW Preview in 8:25.61 while Ramirez was 15th in 8:26.02.

• Nathan Kipchumba rounded out UAA’s provisional qualifiers as he earned a mark in the 800 meters at the UW Preview, placing third in 1:53.55.

• Alaska Anchorage will not compete next weekend. They return to action back at the Dempsey Indoor Center on Jan. 29 & 30 at the UW Invitational.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington captured four individual wins and nine top-three placers as they opened the season at the Idaho Invitational in Moscow, Idaho.

• Luke Plummer won both the long jump and triple jump. Plummer’s mark of 47-7 in the triple jump is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier while winning the long jump with a leap of 22-1.

• Dani Eggleston earned a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 3,000 meters, winning in a time of 10:00.08. Her mark ranks eighth in Division II as she is one of four GNAC runners in the national top-10 (Joyce Chelimo, Rebecca Bassett, Anna Patti).

• Hurdler Mariyah Vongsaveng won the women’s 60-meter hurdles in a time of 8.99 seconds. Sprinter Madison Garcia finished second in both the 60 meters and the 200 meters, clocking 8.11 seconds in the 60 and 26.26 seconds in the 200.

• Ashley Harmon placed third in the 400 meters in 59.69 seconds while the CWU women’s 4x400 relay team won with a time of 4:05.54.

• Armando Tafoya was CWU’s other men’s top-three placer, taking second in the weight throw with a mark of 56 feet, 1.25 inches.

• Central Washington returns to action in the Palouse on Friday and Saturday, competing in the WSU Indoor Open in Pullman.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia opened their first Division II track season at the UW Preview and proceeded to post four GNAC all-time top-10 marks. Not surprisingly, all four marks were in the throwing events. The debut performance earned the Cavaliers selection as the Red Lion GNAC Team of the Week.

• Sophomore McKenzie Warren shattered the GNAC women’s shot put record and set a school record as she placed second with a mark of 53 feet, 3.75 inches. She easily surpassed the previous record of 48 feet, 9.5 inches set by Central Washington’s Krissy Tandle in 2009. It is the best performance of the season by a Division II athlete.

• Josh Koch debuted with a a sixth place finish in the men’s shot put. His mark of 55-7.5 in the weight throw places him No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list and is 12th best in Division II this season. Koch placed sixth in the shot put and his seventh place mark of 52-0.5 in the weight throw is No. 10 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Tyler Lamott finished second in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 58 feet, 9.5 inches. The performance places Lamott No. 5 on the GNAC all-time list and is the 14th best performance in Division II this season.

• Jessica Mathis performed well in the women’s weight throw, placing sixth with a mark of 54 feet, 5.25 inches. The performance is No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list.

• In the running events, Carlos Ortiz just missed the GNAC top-10 in the two short sprints. Ortiz ran 7.05 seconds in the men’s 60 meters and 22.47 seconds in the 200 meters.

• Concordia is in the second year of a three-year transition process to NCAA Division II membership. This is their first year competing in full Division II and GNAC schedules. While the Cavaliers are eligible to compete in the GNAC championship, they are not eligible to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• One of four GNAC teams to start their season in December, Montana State Billings returned to competition on Friday at the Montana State Invitational.

• Senior Della Lyle set a school record in the women’s 5,000 meters, placing second with a time of 18:35.39, which leads the GNAC.

• Junior Nels Flanagan also set a school record in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 52-2.75. He currently ranks sixth in the GNAC this season.

• Senior Robert Peterson just missed the NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the men’s 5,000 meters, winning the event in a time of 15:18.80. It is the best mark in the GNAC so far this season.

• Jenessa Williams finished just short of the MUSB record in the triple jump, placing seventh with a mark of 34-10.25. The freshman currently ranks No. 3 in the GNAC. Williams also finished with a time of 9.77 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.

• Montana State Billings will compete on Saturday at the Dave Little Alumni Mile meet at Black Hills State in Spearfish, S.D. Despite the name, the event is a full track meet and not just a mile run.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene continued a string of six meets in a row in their hometown of Nampa, Idaho, competing at the Ed Jacoby Invitational.

• Payton Lewis led the way for the Crusaders, placing third in the heptathlon with a total of 4,963 points. The performance is fourth best in Division II this season and among three GNAC provisional qualifiers in the event. In the process, Lewis also earned a NCAA provisional qualifier in the pole vault. His clearance of 15-11 is 10th best in Division II.

• John VanBeuren led three NNU athletes to earn top-three finishes in the field events. VanBeuren placed second in the men’s shot put with a mark of 46-10.75 and placed third in the weight throw at 49-7.25.

• Zach McClanahan put together a third place finish in the men’s pole vault, clearing 14-11. The mark is No. 2 in the GNAC this season.

• Cole Hoberg finished second in the high jump, clearing 6-5. In December’s Jackson’s Open, Hoberg cleared 6-8.25, improving his No. 9 mark on the GNAC all-time list.

• Sierra Manzer was NNU’s only top-three finisher in the running events. She placed third in the women’s 3,000 meters in a time of 10:39.04.

• Northwest Nazarene is right back at the Jackson’s Indoor Center on Saturday, competing in the Bronco Invitational.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s opened their indoor season on Dec. 11 and 12 at the Jackson’s Indoor Open. The Saints do not compete again until the Washington State Open this weekend in Pullman, Wash.

• Mikel Smith, the GNAC record holder in the men’s indoor high jump, earned a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the event when he cleared 6-9 at the Jackson’s Open. The mark currently sits No. 9 in Division II this season.

• Senior Karen Horvath won the women’s 3,000 meters at the Jackson’s Open with a time of 10:50.00. Hurdler Lisa Petersen placed third in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.19 seconds.

• Latelle Swayne won the men’s 60 meters at the Jackson’s Open with a time of 7.00 seconds. He ran 6.97 seconds in the preliminary rounds, which is the best in the GNAC this season.

• Saint Martin’s has added the TrackTown USA High Performance meet on Fri., Feb. 5. The meet will be held at Nike’s “House of Track” in Northwest Portland. The track is the same surface that will be used for the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships in March.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific opened its indoor season with five NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks at the UW Preview, all of which came from the women’s roster.

• Freshman Geneva Lehnert opened her collegiate career by placing fourth in the women’s high jump, clearing 5-7. The mark is a NCAA provisional qualifier and is No. 8 on the GNAC all-time list. Her teammate, sophomore Naphtali Ward, placed seventh and also hit a provisional qualifier with her mark of 5-5.

• Senior Lynelle Decker earned a NCAA provisional qualifier in the 800 meters, placing fifth in a time of 2:15.03.

• Senior Janzelle Ambus finished seventh in the women’s 400 meters, surpassing the NCAA provisional qualifying mark with a time of 56.57 seconds. The defending GNAC champion in the event just missed her personal best of 56.18 seconds.

• While finishing 24th in a women’s 3,000 meters loaded with Division I athletes, senior Anna Patti earned a provisional qualifying mark with a time of 9:58.84. The time is seventh in Division II this season and makes her one of four GNAC athletes qualified in the event (Joyce Chelimo, Rebecca Bassett, Dani Eggleston).

• Justin Ramsey led SPU’s men’s athletes as he won his opening heat of the 400 merters in a personal best of 51.42 seconds. Senior Turner Wiley dropped 10 seconds off of his previous best in the men’s 3,000 meters with a time of 8:44.04.

• Seattle Pacific will sit this weekend of competition out. They will return to the Dempsey Indoor Center on Jan. 29 and 30 for the UW Invitational.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser opened the indoor season with four NCAA provisional qualifying marks and three improvements on GNAC top-10 list marks at the UW Preview.

• Marc-Antoine Rouleau posted a four-second personal best in the men’s 3,000 meters, finishing sixth in 8:11.17. The performance is a NCAA provisional qualifier and moves Rouleau to No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Rebecca Bassett also earned a NCAA provisional qualifier in the women’s 3,000 meters, placing 16th in a time of 9:40.31. The performance is third best in Division II this season and places her among four GNAC provisional qualifiers in the event.

• Jumper Vladislav Tsygankov picked up a provisional qualifying mark in the long jump, placing fourth with a leap of 23-6. The performance puts Tsygankov 13th in Division II this season and was just .75 inches off his personal best of 23-6.75, which is No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Valda Kabia just made the NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 60 meters, running a time of 7.72 seconds in the preliminary heats. The performance is second fastest in the GNAC thie season and 23rd best in Division II.

• Men’s sprinter Joel Webster picked up a pair of seventh place finishes, crossing in 22.35 seconds in the 200 meters and 49.46 seconds in the 400 meters.

• Simon Fraser will not compete this weekend, returning to action on Jan. 29 and 30 at the UW Invitational in Seattle.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon athletes posted 18 season bests and broke two school records as they opened the season at UW Preview. Both records came in non-traditional running events.

• Sophomore David Ribich ran a time 2:28.83 in the men’s 1,000 meters, bettering the school record of 2:31.885 set by Josh Hanna in 2014. Sam Naffzinger ran 2:29.33 in the same race.

• Senior Badane Sultessa ran a school record time of 1:19.95 in the men’s 600 meters, surpassing the mark of 1:22.03 set by Brett Yancey in 1994.

• Aaron Whitaker, Sultessa, AJ Holmberg and Hanna combined to place second in the men’s 4x400 meter relay in 3:21.55, bettered only by a team from Division I Washington.

• Hurdler Kaleb Warner finished third in the opening qualifying rounds of the men’s 60-meter hurdles. His time of 8.43 seconds is sixth best in school history. Cody Warner clocked 6.99 seconds in the preliminary rounds of the 60 meters, also a top-10 WOU mark.

• Senior Emmi Collier led Western Oregon’s women’s athletes, She placed ninth in the weight throw with a mark of 53-6.5, third best in school history. Laura Patrick ran 8.09 seconds in the 60-meter preliminaries, eighth best in school history.

• Western Oregon returns to competition on Jan. 29 and 30 at the UW Invitational in Seattle.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington opened the season with three NCAA provisional qualifying marks at the UW Preview.

• Travis Milbrandt placed fifth in the men’s 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.28 seconds, finishing behind Division I competitiors and one open competitor. Milbradt ran 8.17 in the prelims, a NCAA provisional qualifier and 11th in Division II this season.

• Senior Mark Seely placed sixth in the men’s triple jump. His mark of 46-10.25 is a NCAA provisional qualifier, ranking 34th in Division II. The performance is No. 2 on the WWU all-time list.

• Senior Jasmine McMullin tied for 10th in the women’s triple jump with a NCAA provisional qualifying jump of 37-11.5. The performance is 16th best in Division II this season.

• The men’s 4x400 meter relay team of Jade Wilson, Ryan McArthur, Reid Lovercamp and Daniel Jones placed third with a time of 3:22.62, the fifth fastest in school history.

• Sophomore Isaac Derline’s time of 8:27.34 in the men’s 3,000 meters is the third best in WWU history. McArthur’s time of 49.64 seconds in the men’s 400 meters in fourth best in school history.

• Western Washington will take this week off from competition, returning for the UW Invitational on Jan. 29 and 30.