Wednesday, June 1, 2016
PORTLAND, Ore. – Over half of the athletes who represented the Great Northwest Athletic Conference at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships have been named as All-Americans by the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
A total of 15 GNAC athletes, eight male and seven male, received First Team All-American honors based on their top-eight finish at the national meet. An additional 12 athletes, including member of Alaska Anchorage’s men’s 4x400-meter relay team, were named Second Team All-Americans based on ninth place through 12th place finishes. The GNAC sent a total of 49 athletes to the national championship, which was held May 26-28 in Bradenton, Fla.
Alaska Anchorage had the most All-Americans with nine, which included three First Team All-Americans in decathlon national champion Cody Thomas, men’s javelin runner-up Cody Parker and Caroline Kurgat, who finished sixth in the women’s 5,000 meters. Western Washington had six All-Americans and three first team honorees in women’s javelin runner-up Bethany Drake, third place javelin performer Katie Reichert and fifh place men’s javelin finalist John Haskin.
The GNAC produced three First Team All-American selections out of the men’s 1,500 meters alone with a fifth place finish by Western Oregon’s David Ribich, a sixth place finish by Simon Fraser’s Marc-Antoine Rouleau and an eighth place finish by the Wolves’ Sam Naffziger.
The women’s javelin produced four All-Americans: first teamers Drake, Reichert and Ellie Logan of Northwest Nazarene along with the Vikings’ Anosi Laupola, who was one of two conference freshmen to earn All-American honors.
USTFCCCA FIRST TEAM OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD ALL-AMERICANS FROM THE GNAC |
MEN |
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Name |
School |
Year |
Event |
Cody Parker |
Alaska Anchorage |
Sr. |
Javelin |
Cody Thomas |
Alaska Anchorage |
Sr. |
Decathlon |
Payton Lewis |
Northwest Nazarene |
So. |
Pole Vault |
Mikel Smith |
Saint Martin’s |
Jr. |
High Jump |
Marc-Antoine Rouleau |
Simon Fraser |
Jr. |
1,500 Meters |
Sam Naffziger |
Western Oregon |
Sr. |
1,500 Meters |
David Ribich |
Western Oregon |
So. |
1,500 Meters |
John Haskin |
Western Washington |
Sr. |
Javelin |
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WOMEN |
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Name |
School |
Year |
Event |
Caroline Kurgat |
Alaska Anchorage |
So. |
1,500 Meters |
Dani Eggleton |
Central Washington |
Sr. |
Steeplechase |
Tayler Fettig |
Central Washington |
Sr. |
High Jump |
Ellie Logan |
Northwest Nazarene |
Fr. |
Javelin |
Lynelle Decker |
Seattle Pacific |
Sr. |
800 Meters, 1,500 Meters |
Bethany Drake |
Western Washington |
Jr. |
Javelin |
Katie Reichert |
Western Washington |
Sr. |
Javelin |
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USTFCCCA SECOND TEAM OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD ALL-AMERICANS FROM THE GNAC |
MEN |
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|
|
Name |
School |
Year |
Event |
Adam Commandeur |
Alaska Anchorage |
Jr. |
4x400 Relay |
Darrion Gray |
Alaska Anchorage |
So. |
4x400 Relay |
Liam Lindsay |
Alaska Anchorage |
So. |
4x400 Relay |
Nicholas Taylor |
Alaska Anchorage |
So. |
4x400 Relay |
Badane Sultessa |
Western Oregon |
Sr. |
800 Meters |
Alex Donigian |
Western Washington |
Sr. |
100 Meters, 200 Meters |
Travis Milbrandt |
Western Washington |
Sr. |
110 Meter Hurdles |
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WOMEN |
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|
Name |
School |
Year |
Event |
Joyce Chelimo |
Alaska Anchorage |
Sr. |
5,000 Meters |
Caroline Kurgat |
Alaska Anchorage |
So. |
10,000 Meters |
Della Lyle |
Montana State Billings |
Sr. |
Steeplechase |
Geneva Lehnert |
Seattle Pacific |
Fr. |
High Jump |
Anosi Laupola |
Western Washington |
Fr. |
Javelin |