Tuesday, May 24, 2016

GNAC ATHLETES PREPARE FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: A total of 49 GNAC athletes are on their way to Florida to represent the conference’s 10 track and field programs at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The meet runs Thursday through Saturday at the IMG Academy Complex in Bradenton, Fla.

The 49 athletes includes 23 men and 26 women. Western Washington leads the GNAC schools with 13 entrants, including a conference-best seven women’s competitors. Western Oregon leads the list of men’s entrants with six competitors.

Of the 13 entrants for Western Washington, four will compete in the women’s javelin where the GNAC has nearly a third of the field of entrants. Conference record holder Bethany Drake leads the list. The automatic qualifier enters the meet with the third best mark in Division II at 171 feet, 7 inches. Katie Reichert, the GNAC champion, is fifth in the nation at 164 feet, eight inches.

The rest of the GNAC field in the women’s javelin includes the Vikings’ Mariah Horton (11th) and Anosi Laupola (16th), Northwest Nazarene’s Ellie Logan (14th) and Saint Martin’s Deanna Avalos (17th).

The GNAC is also well represented in the men’s javelin. Conference champion Cody Parker of Alaska Anchorage is the favorite to win the national title. His season best mark of 234 feet, 7 inches has held up since the Mar. 31 Texas Relays and is six feet better than the No. 2 athlete in the field, Michael Brazzel of Georgian Court. The rest of the GNAC men’s javelin field is comprised of Western Oregon’s Justin Larson (12th) and Western Washington’s John Haskin (13th) and Alex Barry (20th).

The GNAC will field an impressive six-man field in the men’s 800 meters, which includes three runners in the top-10 nationally. Simon Fraser’s Cameron Proceviat has the sixth best time entering the meet at 1:49.28. Alaska Anchorage’s Nathan Kipchumba is seventh at 1:49.87 and Western Oregon’s Josh Dempsey is tied for eighth in 1:49.91. The field also includes two-time GNAC champion Badane Sultessa of WOU (12th), Alaska Anchorage’s Joe Day (15th) and Western Oregon’s Josh Hanna (16th).

The GNAC is well represented in women’s distances with five entrants each in the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters. Alaska Anchorage’s Joyce Chelimo is an automatic qualifier and national leader in both the 5,000 meters (15:59.55) and the 10,000 meters (33:14.41) while teammate Caroline Kurgat automatically qualified in the 10,000 meters with the second best time in the nation (33:38.30). Kurgat also owns the 12th best time in the 5,000 meters (16:30.85).

The women’s 5,000-meter field also includes GNAC champion Shannon Porter of Saint Martin’s (14th), Simon Fraser’s Rebecca Bassett (18th) and Western Washington’s Brittany Grant (21st).

Seattle Pacific’s Lynelle Decker leads the GNAC field in the 1,500 meters. The two-time GNAC champion has the 13th best time in the field at 4:27.16. The remainder of the GNAC runners were outside of the traditional top-20 accepted into nationals, but benefitted by a large number of scratches. The field includes Alaska Anchorage’s Tamara Perez (25th) and Jessica Pahkala (30th), Porter (26th) and Western Oregon’s Stephanie Stuckey (29th).

The GNAC field includes nine automatically qualified entrants in 10 events. Alaska Anchorage had four of those in Chelimo in the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters, Kurgat in the 10,000 meters, Parker in the javelin and three-time GNAC decathlon champion Cody Thomas (7,201, 4th). Western Oregon’s David Ribich automatically qualified in the men’s 1,500 meters (3:43.41, 3rd) and Northwest Nazarene’s Payton Lewis automatically qualifed in the men’s pole vault. Western Washington’s Drake and Reichert were automatic qualifiers in the women’s javelin while Central Washington’s Tayler Fettig automatically qualified in the high jump. Her GNAC record mark of 5 feet, 9.75 inches, ties her for second in the nation.

Two GNAC men will compete in two events: Western Washington’s Alex Donigian in the 100 meters and 200 meters and Alaska Anchorage’s Henry Cheseto in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. On the women’s side, Alaska Anchorage’s Jamie Ashcroft joins Chelimo and Kurgat as two-event competitors as she races in the 100 meters and 200 meters. Both Decker and Perez will compete in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters. Grant will also compete in two-events: the 5,000 meters and the steeplechase.

GNAC COMPETITORS AT NATIONALS BY TEAM
MEN
Alaska Anchorage: Henry Cheseto (5,000 Meters, 10,000 Meters), Joe Day (800 Meters), Nathan Kipchumba (800 Meters), Cody Parker (Javelin), Cody Thomas (Decathlon), 4x400m Relay.
Central Washington: Armando Tafoya (Hammer).
Montana State Billings: Robert Peterson (Steeplechase).
Northwest Nazarene: Payton Lewis (Pole Vault).
Saint Martin’s: Mikel Smith (High Jump).
Simon Fraser: Cameron Proceviat (800 Meters), Marc-Antoine Rouleau (1,500 Meters).
Western Oregon: Josh Dempsey (800 Meters), Josh Hanna (800 Meters), Justin Larson (Javelin), Sam Naffziger (1,500 Meters), David Ribich (1,500 Meters), Badane Sultessa (800 Meters), Cody Warner (200 Meters).
Western Washington: Alex Barry (Javelin), Alex Donigian (100 Meters, 200 Meters), John Haskin (Javelin), Matt Lutz (Steeplechase), Travis Milbrandt (110m Hurdles).

WOMEN
Alaska Anchorage: Jamie Ashcroft (100 Meters, 200 Meters), Joyce Chelimo (5,000 Meters, 10,000 Meters), Caroline Kurgat (5,000 Meters, 10,000 Meters), Jessica Pahkala (1,500 Meters), Tamara Perez (800 Meters, 1,500 Meters).
Central Washington: Erin Chinchar (Steeplechase), Dani Eggleston (Steeplechase), Tayler Fettig (High Jump).
Montana State Billings: Della Lyle (Steeplechase).
Northwest Nazarene: Ellie Logan (Javelin).
Saint Martin’s: Deanna Avalos (Javelin), Shannon Porter (1,500 Meters, 5,000 Meters)
Seattle Pacific: Jahzelle Ambus (400 Meters), Lynelle Decker (800 Meters, 1,500 Meters), Geneva Lehnert (High Jump), Maliea Luquin (100m Hurdles), Jalen Tims (400m Hurdles).
Simon Fraser: Rebecca Bassett (5,000 Meters).
Western Oregon: Stephanie Stuckey (1,500 Meters)
Western Washington: Bethany Drake (Javelin), Brittany Grant (5,000 Meters, Steeplechase), Mariah Horton (Javelin), Anosi Laupola (Javelin), Megan Mortensen (Discus), Miranda Osadchey (High Jump), Katie Reichert (Javelin).

FESTIVAL OF THE LAST MINUTE: For a number of GNAC athletes, qualifying for nationals was a last-minute proposition as they secured spots in the meet through performances at either the GNAC Championships or at the Portland Twilight on May 15.

At the GNAC Championships, Western Washington’s Brittany Grant punched her nationals ticket with a time of 16:46.17 in the 5,000 meters. Not qualified prior to the event, Grant moved to No. 21 to claim the final spot in the field. Montana State Billings’ Robert Peterson did the same in the men’s steeplechase, running 8:59.23 to not only win the GNAC title, but also qualify for nationals with the ninth best time in the nation.

A day after winning his second GNAC championship in the men’s 800 meters, Western Oregon’s Badane Sultessa qualified for nationals with his time of 1:49.91 at the Portland Twilight. The race moved Sultessa from 22nd entering the meet to 12th. His teammate, Sam Naffziger, moved from 34th to 12th in the 1,500 meters with his time of 3:46.99.

Three women’s athletes improved their marks to solidify their spots in nationals. Central Washington’s Tayler Fettig moved into a tie for second nationally in the high jump with her GNAC record mark of 5 feet, 9.75 inches at the GNAC Championships. Seattle Pacific’s Geneva Lehnert also solified her spot with a leap of of 5 feet, 7.75 inches, moving from a tie for 13th into a tie for ninth. Western Washington’s Katie Reichert also improved her season best with the GNAC championship winning mark of 164 feet, 8 inches, at the GNAC Championships.

IN THE NATIONAL POLLS: Alaska Anchorage represents the GNAC in both the final USTFCCCA Division II Men’s and Women’s Computer Rankings, which were released on May. 23. The Seawolves are ranked No. 10 in the women’s poll. They are the only GNAC team to make the top-25. Alaska Anchorage’s men are ranked No. 12 while Western Oregon is ranked No. 25.

In the West Region Men’s Computer Rankings, Alaska Anchorage is ranked No. 5. Western Washington is No. 7, Western Oregon is No. 8 and Central Washington is No. 10. Seattle Pacific is No. 2 in the Women’s Computer rankings, followed by No. 4 Alaska Anchorage, No. 5 Central Washington and No. 8 Western Washington.