Thursday, May 26, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – An impressive group of 10 athletes, including six competing at this weekend’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, have been selected to the CoSIDA Division II Academic All-District 8 Track & Field/Cross Country Teams.

Northwest Nazarene senior Isaac Mitchell, Simon Fraser senior Cameron Proceviat and Western Washington junior Andrew Wise were named to the Academic All-District 8 men’s team. Named to the women’s team were Alaska Anchorage junior Jamie Ashcroft, Montana State Billings seniors Della Lyle and Jinise Trueblood, Seattle Pacific seniors Lynelle Decker and Maliea Luquin, Western Washington junior Bethany Drake and Vikings’ senior Taylor Guenther.

With their election, the 10 are eligible for the CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America ballot. The Division II will be announced by the organization on Thurs., June 23.

Of the 10, Proceviat, Ashcroft, Decker, Drake, Luquin and Lyle are in competition at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which runs May 26-28 in Bradenton, Fla.

The list also includes three GNAC champions. Luquin was named the GNAC Outdoor Championships Women’s Athlete of the Meet after she won three individual championships: the heptathlon, long jump and 100-meter hurdles. The senior, who has a 3.71 cumulative grade point average as a graduate student in poetry, is competing at nationals in the 100-meter hurdles.

Ashcroft became a three-time champion for the Seawolves at the GNAC Outdoor Championships, winning both the 100 meters and the 200 meters after winning the indoor 60 meters in February. The GNAC record holder in the outdoor 100 meters and the indoor 60 meters and 200 meters, who has a 3.88 GPA in health sciences, is competing at nationals in both sprints.

Decker repeated as the GNAC outdoor 1,500-meter champion and was outleaned at the line for a second place finish in the 800 meters. During the indoor season, Decker was the Division II national runner-up in the 800 meters after finishing as the conference runner-up in both the 800 meters and the mile. Decker, who has a 3.47 GPA in applied human biology, is competing in the outdoor nationals in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters.

Drake placed second at the GNAC Outdoor Championships in the women’s javelin after setting thr GNAC record in the event earlier in the season. Coming back from a redshirt season last year, the graduate student with a 3.87 GPA towards her Master’s of Arts in teaching enters the NCAA Championships with the third best mark in the nation.

Mitchell, who has a 4.00 GPA as a biology major (pre-medicine emphasis), finished with the top grade point average among GNAC cross country runners this year. Mitchell earned All-GNAC honors after placing eighth at the GNAC Cross Country Championships and also placed fifth in the 800 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Championships.

Proceviat was the GNAC indoor champion and 800 meters and was the outdoor championships runner-up in both the 800 meters and 1,500 meters. In addition, Proceviat finished 11th at the GNAC Cross Country Championships and earned All-West Region honors with a 17th place finish at the NCAA West Region Championships. Proceviat, who has a 3.90 GPA in molecular biology and biochemistry, is entered in the NCAA outdoor nationals in the 800 meters.

Lyle was the GNAC outdoor runner-up in the women’s steeplechase and her MSUB record time of 10:29.08 qualified her for the NCAA Championships. Lyle, who has a 3.76 GPA as a psychology major, placed fourth at the GNAC Indoor Championships in the 5,000 meters and eighth in the 3,000 meters. Her teammate, Trueblood, was a key contributor for the Yellowjackets in all three seasons. She qualified for the GNAC Indoor Championships in the 5,000 meters, placing 16th.

Guenther earned All-American honors with a 26th place finish at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships as she led Western Washington to a sixth place team finish. She earned All-GNAC honors with her sixth place finish at the GNAC Cross Country Championships and also earned All-West Region honors with a sixth place finish at the West Regional meet, leading the Vikings to a second place finish. Guenther, who has a 3.90 GPA in communication sciences & disorders, finished her season with a 10th place finish in the 5,000 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Championships.

Wise just missed qualifying for nationals with the 22nd fastest time in the nation in the steeplechase. The junior, with a 3.39 GPA in journalism, placed second in the steeplechase at the GNAC Outdoor Championships. He also placed eighth in the 5,000 meters at the GNAC Indoor Championships and earned All-GNAC honors with a 10th place finish at the GNAC Cross Country Championships and All-West Region honors with a 14th place finish at the West Regional Cross Country Championships.