Monday, February 1, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of GNAC records and a number of NCAA Championships qualifying performances at the UW Invitational has earned the Simon Fraser track and field team selection as the GNAC Red Lion Team of the Week.

“I don’t remember us receiving the Team of Week award for track and field in the past,” said head coach Brit Townsend. “It is an honor and really a tribute to our top athletes who have performed well.”

The Clan was led by the men’s distance medley relay team of Cameron Proceviat, Joel Webster, Carlos Vargas and Marc-Antoine Rouleau, who set a new GNAC indoor record of 9 minutes, 52.97 seconds. The team placed second overall in the event behind the top squad from Division I Washington. The finish is also the top performance in Division II this season.

Vladislav Tsygankov set a GNAC indoor record in the long jump, reaching 23 feet, 10.75 inches, for third place in the event. The jump was a NCAA Championships provisional mark and ties him for 11th in Division II this season.

“I think this is probably the best we have looked this early,” Townsend said. “We have about three or four meets to qualify athletes for nationals and prepare for the GNAC Championships. It is great for us to compete against some of the highest level athletes in the country.”

Addy Townsend and Alana Mussatto each hit provisionally qualifying marks in the women’s 800 meters. Townsend placed 18th overall in the race in 2:14.48, good for the 17th fastest time in Division II. Mussatto placed 20th in 2:14.77, which ranked her 19th in nation in the event.

The women’s distance medley relay team also performed well for the Clan, placing fifth overall in 11:56.47. The team of Townsend, Mussato, Chantel Desch and Rebecca Bassett recorded the sixth best time in Division II.

Valda Kabia ran the fifth fastest time in GNAC history in the women’s 200 meters in just her second collegiate meet. The freshman placed 11th in the race in a time of 25.05 seconds, bettering her provisional qualifying mark from her first meet. Kabia’s time is the 25th fastest in the nation.

“I think we have some really good top athletes that will make a mark,” Townsend said. “We don’t have the depth that some schools have so we have to focus on being very good in fewer events.”

The Clan will next compete at the Portland Indoor Invitational on Thur., Feb. 4. The meet takes place at the Nike House of Track, which houses the surface that will be used for March’s IAAF World Indoor Championships.