Wednesday, April 5, 2017

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
David Ribich, Western Oregon
Junior • Enterprise, Ore.

Ribich ran a NCAA Championships automatic qualifier in the 1,500 meters at the Stanford Invitational, finishing the race’s second section in a time of 3:43.77. The time is the best in Division II this season by three seconds and just short of Ribich’s GNAC record. The junior also placed second in the 800 meters at the San Francisco Distance Carnival. His time of 1:49.91 is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, is third best in Division II this season and places Ribich sixth on the GNAC all-time list.

Also Nominated: Jackson Hand (Saint Martin’s), Sam Zook (Montana State Billings), Ebu Camara (Northwest Nazarene), Glen Felix (Concordia).

MEN’S FIELD
Payton Lewis, Northwest Nazarene
Junior • Nampa, Idaho

Competing outdoors for the first time this season, Lewis automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships as he won the pole vault at the Stanford Invitational with a mark of 17 feet, 0.75 inches. The mark is tied for the best in Division II this season and ties his lifetime best.

Also Nominated: Latrelle Swayne (Saint Martin’s), Alani Troutman (Western Oregon), Beau Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Brandon Pless (Western Washington), Caleb Bridge (Concordia).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Danielle McCormick, Alaska Anchorage
Sophomore • Soldotna, Alaska

McCormick broke the Alaska Anchorage school record in the 800 meters, winning the event at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival with a time of 2:07.75. She broke the previous record of 2:09.34 set by Ivy O’Gwinn in 2013. The time is a NCAA Championship provisional qualifier, ranks third in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Chase Stephens (Concordia), Lexi Tubbs (Northwest Nazarene), Brittany Grant (Western Washington), Olivia Woods (Western Oregon), Grace Hamre (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Bethany Drake, Western Washington
Senior • Sandy, Ore.

Drake opened her 2017 season by provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the javelin. She won the event at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival with a mark of 156 feet, 3 inches, which is second best in Division II this season. She also placed fifth in the invitational section of the javelin at the Stanford Invitational (only Division II athlete in the field) with a mark of 151 feet, 11 inches.

Also Nominated: McKenzie Warren (Concordia), Elise Snowden (Northwest Nazarene), Rachael Huffman (Western Oregon), Jona Spiller (Saint Martin’s).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• A GNAC record in the women’s 4x400-meter relay and a school record for Danielle McCormick in the women’s 800 led the Seawolves’ efforts at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.

• McCormick won the women’s 800 in a time of 2:07.25, breaking the previous record of 2:09.34 set by Ivy O’Brien in 2013. The mark was also a meet record, a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is third in Division II this season. She was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week.

• The 4x400-meter relay team of McCormick, Mary Kathleen Cross, Hayley Bezanson and Vanessa Aniteye ran a winning time of 3:41.93. That broke the GNAC record of 3:42.05 set by Simon Fraser in 2011. The time is a NCAA provisional qualifier and is second best in Division II this season.

• Senior Dominik Notz and junior Edwin Kangogo both earned provisional qualifying marks in the men’s 5,000 meters. Notz ran 14:02.37, which is fifth best in Division II this season and puts Notz third on the GNAC all-time list. Kangogo ran 14:24.08, 14th best nationally.

• Sophomore Jennah Jepchumba set a provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 10,000 meters. Her time of of 36:11.04 is the fourth best time in Division II this season.

• The Seawolves also received a pair of provisional qualifiers in the steeplechase. Freshman Christoph Sander qualified in the men’s event with a time of 9:09.94, 16th best in Division II. Junior Mariah Burroughs qualified in the women’s event with a time of 10:39.44, 11th best in Division II.

• Alaska Anchorage’s women are ranked No. 10 this week in the USTFCCCA Division II Rankings while the men are ranked No. 16.

• Alaska Anchorage is off this weekend. The Seawolves return to action Apr. 13-15, competing in both the Mt. SAC Relays and the Bryan Clay Invitational.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington set a pair of school records to lead performances at the Stanford Invitational, the San Francisco State and the Shotwell Invitational.

• Three Wildcats all went under the school record in the 400-meter hurdles at Stanford. Junior Ali Anderson led the way with a third place time of 1:01.73. A NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time, the mark is 14th in Division II and fifth on the GNAC all-time list. Freshman Emily Bland was fifth in 1:02.07, which is 19th in Division II and No. 10 on the GNAC all-time list.

• The CWU women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Anderson, Bland, freshman Erykah Weems and senior Madison Garcia set a school record by five seconds at Stanford with a seventh place time of 3:45.52. The time is a NCAA meet provisional qualifier and is tied for eighth best in Division II this season.

• Senior Kodiak Landis took second place at Stanford in the men’s long jump collegiate competition with a mark of 22 feet, 9.25 inches.

• At the Shotwell Invitational, senior Tianna Banfro won the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 14.95 seconds and she placed second in the 200 meters in 25.84 seconds.

• The Wildcats also had four field event winners at the Shotwell. Senior McKenna Emmert won the women’s pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 1.5 inches. Sophomore Brooke Williams won the women’s triple jump with a mark of 36 feet, 1.5 inches and freshman Angela Mumford won the women’s discus in 124 feet, 6 inches. Freshman Grant Scarlett was the men’s field event winner, taking the triple jump in 42 feet, 2.75 inches.

• The Wildcats’ multi-event specialists will compete Thursday and Friday at the EWU Combined Events with the rest of the squad at the War IX Meet.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia finished with five event winners and another GNAC record with performances at the Linfield Jenn Boyman Memorial Invitational in McMinnville, Ore.

• Senior McKenzie Warren won three events and reset the GNAC record in the women’s discus. Warren set the record mark with a performance of 169 feet, 3 inches. Warren also won the shot put with a mark of 54 feet, 1.25 inches, winning by nine feet, and the hammer with a mark of 176 feet, 8 inches. Warren leads Division II in the shot out and is ranked sixth in the hammer and 10th in the discus. She now owns GNAC outdoor records in every throwing event with the exception of the javelin.

• Freshman Jakob Chamberlin won the men’s discus by 12 feet with a mark of 165 feet. He also placed third in the hammer with a mark of 165 feet, 7 inches.

• Senior Ethan Livermore was a winner in the men’s 800 meters with a time of 1:55.53. Sophomore Robert Bierly finishes second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.02 seconds.

• Concordia also put together a second place finish in the men’s 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:32.99.

• The Concordia women dropped seven more spots to No. 20 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Rankings. The Cavaliers are the only GNAC women’s team to be ranked in the top-25 each week of the 2017 season.

• Concordia will compete this weekend at Western Oregon’s John Knight Twilight, which takes places Thursday and Friday in Monmouth, Ore.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings picked up two men’s event winners against a mix of Division I and Division II competition at the Tom Benich Invitational on Sunday in Greeley, Colo.

• Junior Sam Zook once again lowered his school records in the men’s 100 meters and 200 meters. Zook won the 100 meters in a time of 10.46 seconds, which sits fourth on the GNAC all-time list. The altitude converted mark of 10.49 seconds is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is ninth in Division II. Zook placed second in the 200 meters in 21.48 seconds, which is ninth on the GNAC all-time list.

• Sophomore Beau Ackerman won the men’s javelin with a mark of 180 feet, 9 inches. The mark currently ranks fourth best in the GNAC this season.

• Junior Jorey Egeland picked up the Yellowjackets’ other top-three finish in the meet, placing second in the men’s steeplechase with a time of 9:38.91, finishing four seconds behind defending national champion Jonah Theisen of Black Hills State. The altitude converted mark of 9:25.49 ranks third best in the GNAC this season.

• The Yellowjackets return to the track on Saturday, competing at the South Dakota Mines Bauer Invitational in Rapid City, S.D.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene opened its outdoor season at two of the biggest meets the Crusaders will compete in this season: the Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.

• Junior Payton Lewis guaranteed himself a spot at the NCAA Championships with an automatic qualifying mark in the men’s pole vault. Lewis won at Stanford by matching his lifetime best of 17 feet, 0.75 inches. The mark ties him for first in Division II this season with Central Missouri’s Cole Phillips. The effort earned Lewis selection as the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week.

• Senior Ebu Camara broke NNU’s 30-year-old record in the men’s 400 meters, finishing 13th at Stanford with a time of 48.46 seconds. That broke the previous school record of 48.61 seconds set by Mike Gilbert in 1987. Camara also ran the top time in the GNAC this season in the 200 meters with a time of 21.61 seconds.

• Junior Lexi Tubbs finished second in the women’s 100-meter hurdles at San Francisco State with a time of 14.43 seconds. The performance is third best in the GNAC this season. Senior Micah Spatz ran the GNAC’s third fastest time this season in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 15.11 seconds at SF State.

• Freshman Elise Snowden and sophomore Nicole Nobbs finished second and third, respectively, at SF State in the women’s javelin, just missing NCAA provisional qualifying marks. Snowden finished with a throw of 131 feet, 9 inches, while Nobbs fnished at 127 feet, 10 inches.

• Northwest Nazarene will travel north to compete this weekend in Spokane at the War IX Meet.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• A school record in the women’s 4x100-meter relay team and a win for sophomore Jackson Hand in the men’s 200 meters led Saint Martin’s efforts at the Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma, Wash.

• The relay team of Grace Hamre, Artresa Nickelsen, Kiernan Hawthrone and Alexi Whatley finished third with a time of 49.42 seconds.

• Hand won the men’s 200 meters in a time of 22.25 seconds, which ties him for fourth best in the GNAC this season. Senior Latrelle Swayne placed third with a time of 22.73 seconds. Swayne also had a second place finish in the long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 8 inches.

• Swayne and Hand coupled with seniors Gibran Zaman and Mikel Smith to win the men’s 4x100-meter relay in 42.18 seconds. The time is currently the best in the GNAC this season.

• Sophomore Jona Spiller and junior Deanna Avalos improved their NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the women’s javelin. Spiller placed second with a mark of 143 feet, 9 inches (43.82 meters), which ranks 10th in Division II. Avalos placed third, also at 143 feet, 9 inches (43.81 meters), which ranks 11th in Division II.

• Hamre won the women’s 200 meters with a time of 25.47 seconds, which is the eighth best time in the GNAC this season.

• The Saints return to action this weekend, competing at the War IX Meet in Spokane on Friday and Saturday.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Another NCAA Championships provisional qualifier for junior Mary Charleson and an event win for senior Kyra Brannan led Seattle Pacific’s efforts at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival and the Shotwell Invitational.

• Charleson was the No. 2 Division II athlete in the women’s 5,000 meters at SF State, finishing with a time of 16:59.29. The time is the best in the GNAC this season and tied for 10th in Division II. She was the only SPU athlete to compete in California.

• Brannan won the women’s 100 meters at the Shotwell Invitational, which ranks third in the GNAC season. Earlier in the meet, Brannan joined Becca Houk, Olivia Gabriel and Cheryl Hong to win the 4x100-meter relay in 48.11 seconds, the third best time in the GNAC this season.

• Junior Peyton Harris took second at Shotwell in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.09 seconds, which ranks second in the GNAC this season. He then teamed with Shayne Carpenter, Justin Ramsey and David Choi to place third in the 4x100-meter relay at 44.04 seconds.

• Freshman Brooke Benner placed second in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 36 feet. Senior Sammi Markham finished third in the women’s shot put with a mark of 39 feet, 7 inches.

• Seattle Pacific will head north to compete this weekend, taking part in the Emilie Mondor Invitational at Simon Fraser on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser posted or improved seven NCAA Championships and set a GNAC record at the Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.

• Senior Vladislav Tsygankov led the way as he set the GNAC record in the men’s 400-meter hurdles in his first ever race in the event. He won at the SF State with a time of 51.48 seconds, bettering the mark of 52 seconds set by Alaska Anchorage’s Shaun Ward in 2011. The time is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is seventh in Division II this season. Tsygankov also placed second in the long jump at 23 feet, 1.25 inches.

• Sophomore Addy Townsend added a provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 800 meters at Stanford, winning her hear and placing 14th overall in 2:08.35. That is 10th on the GNAC all-time list and sixth in Division II this season. Townsend also improved her provisional mark in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:28.36 that ranks fifth in Division II.

• Junior Alana Mussatto improved her lifetime best in the women’s 800 meters with a time of 2:08.79, which is eighth best in Division II. Junior Paige Nock is now 10th best in Division II in the 800 with a time of 2:09.17.

• Townsend was one of three SFU athletes to earn provisional qualifying marks in the women’s 1,500 meters at Stanford. Junior Julia Howley is 11th in the nation with her time of 4:30.89 while junior Miryam Bassett is 19th with her time of 4:33.09.

• Senior Chantel Desch improved her GNAC best mark in the women’s 400 meters. Her time of 55.48 at San Francisco State is No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list. Freshman Diana Voloshin earned a provisional qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.93, which ranks her No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Simon Fraser reunites the squad for the second and final home meet of the season, hosting the Emilie Mondor Invitational on Saturday.

WESTERN OREGON
• One school record and seven NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks highlighted Western Oregon’s efforts at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, Stanford Invitational and the Shotwell Invitational.

• Junior David Ribich was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he automatically qualified for the NCAA meet in the 1,500 meters at Stanford with a Division II leading time of 3:43.77. Ribich also provisionally qualified in the 800 meters at SF State with a time of 1:49.41, fourth on the GNAC all-time list and third in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Olivia Woods and junior Megan Rose both ran provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 800 meters at SF State. Woods finished second and set a WOU record with a time of 2:08.46, seventh best in Division II. Rose was fourth in a time of 2:09.13, ninth best in Division II.

• Freshman Alani Troutman earned a provisional qualifier in the men’s long jump at SF State. He won with a mark of 23 feet, 10 inches, tying him for 16th in Division II and No. 10 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Sophomore Dustin Nading notched a provisional qualifying mark in the men’s 1,500 meters at Stanford. His time of 3:50.45 is 14th best in Division II. Junior Suzie Van De Grift provisionally qualified in the women’s 1,500 at Stanford. Her time of 4:31.95 is 15th in Division II.

• Western Oregon enjoys a home meet this weekend, hosting the John Knight Twilight on Thursday and Friday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Two top marks in the throws led Western Washington’s efforts as the Vikings competed at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, the Stanford Invitational and the Shotwell Invitational.

• Competing in her first meet of the season, senior Bethany Drake provisionally qualified for nationals in the women’s javelin. She won the event at SF State with a mark of 156 feet, 3 inches, which ranks second in Division II. She threw 151 feet, 11 inches, the day before at Stanford. The effort earned Drake selection as the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.

• Junior Brandon Pless improved his provisional qualifying mark in the men’s shot put at SF State. His winning mark of 53 feet is 22nd in Division II, No. 3 on the WWU all-time list and No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Senior Brittany Grant improved her provisional qualifying mark in the women’s steeplechase at SF State with a time of 10:32.60, moving her to eighth in Division II this season.  

• Sophomore Anna Paradee tied for fifth place in the women’s pole vault at Stanford with a clearance of 12 feet, 5.5 inches. The mark is sixth in Division II this season and No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Western Washington returns to competition this weekend, competing at the Emilie Mondor Invitational in Burnaby, B.C., on Saturday.