Thursday, April 20, 2017

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

Ribich reset his own GNAC record in the 1,500 meters, placing 17th out of 269 athletes in the event at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a time of 3:42.21. He was the top non-Division I or open competitor in the event. Ribich continues to own the best time in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Cody McCranie (Western Washington), Austin Lindquist (Montana State Billings), Ebu Camara (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S FIELD
Wesley Gray, Western Oregon
Senior • Portland, Ore.

Gray won the triple jump at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a GNAC leading mark of 48 feet, 8.75 inches. He won the event by over eight inches and earned a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and moves into No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List. Gray currently ranks 24th in Division II.

Also Nominated: Alex Barry (Western Washington), Chuck Carr (Montana State Billings), Blaine Kruetz (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Katherine Lucas, Simon Fraser
Freshman • Vancouver, B.C.

Lucas finished 12th in the 100 meters at the Beach Invitational with a NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 11.82 seconds, which moves her to No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List and ranks as the 12th in Division II this season. Lucas also ran a lifetime best of 24.42 seconds in the 200 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational, which ranks her No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Also Nominated: Brittany Grant (Western Washington), Josie Smiedala (Montana State Billings), Olivia Woods (Western Oregon), Lexi Tubbs (Northwest Nazarene).

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

Drake notched a NCAA Championships automatic qualifying mark in the javelin to win at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her mark of 162 feet, 4 inches, was first out of 33 competitors (mostly Division I athletes) and is currently No. 2 in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Kassadee Kuoha (Montana State Billings), Rachael Huffman (Western Oregon), Jackie Mahowald (Northwest Nazarene).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Five NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks and one automatic qualifier highlighted Alaska Anchorage’s efforts in the three Southern California meets.

• Senior Dominik Notz became an automatic qualifier in the men’s 10,000 meters, running 29:12.13 at the Mt. SAC Relays. The mark is sixth best in Division II this season and moves him to No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list. Junior Edwin Kangogo ran 30:06.20 in the same race, a provisional qualifier and 20th in Division II.

• Freshman Vanessa Aniteye ran a provisional qualifier in the women’s 400 meters at the Beach Invitational. Her time of 55.11 seconds leads the GNAC, is 10th in Division II and moves her to No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list. The day before, at the Bryan Clay Invitiational, Aniteye ran 55.76 seconds.

• The Seawolves’ men’s 4x400-meter relay ran a time of 3:12.29 at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The performance is ninth best in Division II, improving their NCAA provisional qualifying mark, and is the third fastest time in GNAC history.

• Senior Jamie Ashcroft established a NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 100 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her time of 11.89 seconds ties her for No. 2 in Division II and is No. 2 in the GNAC this season.

• The Alaska Anchorage women continue to be ranked in the USTFCCCA Division II Outdoor Rankings, dropping 11 spots this week to No. 22. The UAA men dropped out of the top-25 after being ranked No. 24 last week.

• The Seawolves return to Southern California this week, taking part in the Triton Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• A small squad represented Central Washington at the Northwest Nazarene Invitational on Saturday.

• Senior Armando Tafoya led the Wildcats’ efforts, winning the men’s hammer with a throw of 187 feet, 9 inches. The performance improved his NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark and he now sits No. 29 in Division II.

• Senior Madison Garcia was a winner in the women’s 100 meters, clocking 12.55 seconds. Garcia also placed second in the 200 meters in a time of 25.37 seconds.

• Sophomore Zach Whittaker added a victory for the Wildcats in the men’s triple jump. His mark of 47 feet, 3.75 inches, is second best in the GNAC this season.

• To date, Central Washington has six provisional qualifiers for the NCAA Championships. Senior McKenna Emmert leads the six as she ranks in a tie for 23rd in Division II in the women’s pole vault.

• Central Washington will be home this weekend, hosting the CWU Spike Arlt Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia took the Easter weekend off. The Cavaliers are back in action on Friday and Saturday, competing in the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, Calif.

• Senior McKenzie Warren enters the week owning GNAC records in three of the four women’s throwing events. Her record mark of 56 feet, 7.5 inches, is the best in Division II this season. Her mark of 169 feet, 3 inches, in the discus is seventh in Division II and her mark of 185 feet, 10 inches, is tied for 13th in Division II.

• Junior Christina MacDonald enters the week in the Division II top-30 in two events. She is ranked 17th in the hammer with a mark of 181 feet, 5 inches, and is tied for 27th in the shot put with a mark of 45 feet, 10 inches. MacDonald is also 34th in Division II in the javelin at 133 feet, 7 inches.

• Freshman Jakob Chamberlin has the eighth best mark in Division II in the men’s discus at 174 feet, 6 inches. Freshman Caleb Bridge is 26th in the event at 165 feet, 4 inches.

• Sophomore Tori Johnson enters the week is tied for 26th in Division II in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 6 inches.

• Concordia is in the third year of its transition from NAIA membership to Division II membership. Due to that transition, Concordia is not eligible to compete at the NCAA Championships.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• A number of school record marks under the best weather of the season led Montana State Billings at the Battlin’ Bear/Yellowjacket Invitational in Laurel, Mont.

• Junior Sam Zook reset his own school record in the men’s 100 meters, winning with a time of 10.42 seconds. The performance moves Zook to No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list. After conversion to 10.45 seconds for altitude, Zook is tied for 14th in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Josie Smiedala broke the MSUB record in the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:05.65. The previous mark, a 1:05.89 held by Valerie Perrine, was set in 1979 and was the longest standing record on the MSUB books.

• Senior Austin Lindquist became the first MSUB athlete to go under 15 seconds in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, winning the event with a time of 14.98 seconds. The performance broke his own school record and, after conversion to 15.02 seconds for altitude, is second best in the GNAC this season.

• Freshman Braden Rykal won the men’s 200 meters with a time of 22.00 seconds. Freshman Chuck Carr earned victories in both the men’s high jump (6-6.75) and the long jump (21-6), freshman Marcus Lindquist captured the triple jump (20-9.75) and sophomore Beau Ackerman won the javelin (183-9).

• Freshman Jamie Orme won the women’s high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 0.25 inches, while freshman Brenna Beckett won the triple jump with a mark of 34 feet, 5.75 inches. Freshman Kassadee Kuoha won the women’s discus with a mark of 117 feet, 5 inches, leading a top-three sweep for the Yellowjackets.

• Montana State Billings will travel west on Friday to take part in the Trudnowski Open in Helena, Mont.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene picked up 11 individual victories in its lone home event of the season, the NNU Invitational.

• Freshman Jackie Mahowald won both of the women’s horizontal jumps, capturing the triple jump with a mark of 36 feet, 11 inches, and the long jump with a mark of 17 feet.

• Freshman Blaine Kreutz led a top-four sweep in the men’s long jump, winning with a mark of 21 feet, 6.75 inches.

• Senior Lauren Duval led a top-four sweep in the women’s high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 3.25 inches. Senior Cole Hoberg won the men’s high jump, leading a 1-2 NNU finish with his mark of 6 feet, 6.75 inches. Junior Jared Webster also led a 1-2 finish in the men’s pole vault with a mark of 15 feet, 5.5 inches.

• Junior Lexi Tubbs led NNU’s women’s track athletes, winning the 100-meter hurdles in 14.31 seconds. The mark is No. 3 in the GNAC this season and .03 seconds short of the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark.

• Sophomore Sierra Manzer won the women’s steeplechase in 11:43.97. Sophomore Nicole Nobbs won the women’s javelin with a mark of 128 feet, 10.75 inches, and the women’s 4x100-meter relay won with a time of 49.42 seconds.

• Senior Chase Cunningham was the lone men’s track winner for NNU, winning the 1,500 meters in 4:03.70. The NNU men’s 4x100-meter relay ran the fastest time in the GNAC this season, placing second in 42.08 seconds.

• Northwest Nazarene will not compete this weekend. The Crusaders return to action on Apr. 28 and 29 at the Idaho/Utah Border Clash in Boise, Idaho.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s did not compete over Easter weekend. The Saints return to competition on Friday and Saturday at the CWU Spike Arlt Invitational.

• Sophomore Jona Spiller leads the list of six Saint Martin’s NCAA Championships provisional qualifiers, all in the throws. Spiller is currently 10th in Division II in the javelin with a mark of 143 feet, 9 inches.

• In all, three SMU athletes are provisionally qualified in the women’s javelin. Junior Deanna Avalos is 11th in Division II with a mark of 143 feet, 9 inches (43.81 meters to Spiller’s 43.82 meters), and junior Claire Palmiter is 29th at 134 feet, 10 inches.

• Senior Kirby Neale is currently 17th in Division II in the women’s hammer, having registered a school record mark of 183 feet, 6 inches, at the John Knight Twilight.

• Junior Kauanoe Vanderpoel is currently 33rd in Division II in the men’s hammer with a mark of 186 feet, 9 inches. Senior Mitch Wilkens is 41st in Division II with a mark of 181 feet, 8 inches.

• Notably absent from the NCAA qualifier list is senior Mikel Smith, who is the defending Division II national champion in the high jump. Smith has yet to compete in the event outdoors this season after winning the Division II indoor national title with a GNAC record of 7 feet, 3.25 inches.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific added two NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks and improved two others in the three-meet Southern California road trip.

• Senior Kyra Brannan earned the top mark in the GNAC this season in the women’s long jump at the Bryan Clay Invitational, jumping 19 feet, 7 inches. The mark is currently 15th in Division II and moved Brannan to No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list. It was 15-inch improvement on her season best.

• Freshman Scout Cai earned a provisional qualifying mark in the women’s pole vault at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a mark of 11 feet, 10.5 inches. The mark is third best in the GNAC this season. Cai is also provisionally qualified in the heptathlon and is 16th in Division II with 4,781 points.

• The Falcons had a great weekend in the long jump. Sophomore Geneva Lehnert posted a lifetime best of 18 feet, 10.5 inches, in the women’s long jump which is second best in the GNAC this season. Junior Peyton Harris went over 23 feet for the first time in his career, leaping 23 feet, 7.5 inches at the Beach Invitational.

• Junior Chynna Phan improved her provisional qualifying mark in the 800 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her time of 2:12.02 is 29th in Division II and 10th in the GNAC.

• Seattle Pacific will stay close to home this weekend, competing at the CWU Spike Arlt Invitational in Ellensburg, Wash.

SIMON FRASER
• Eight Simon Fraser athletes, all women, improved or notched NCAA Championships provisional qualifers in the trio of Southern California meets.

• Freshman Katherine Lucas was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she ran GNAC top-10 times in both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the Beach Invitational. Her time of 11.82 seconds in the 100 metres is 15th in Division II and places her No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list. Her time of 22.42 seconds in the 200 is No. 5 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Sophomore Valda Kabia ran 24.13 seconds in the women’s 200 metres at the Beach Invitational, which is 10th best in Division II this season and No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Junior Julia Howley leaped to No. 10 on the Division II season best list in the women’s 1,500 metres at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her time of 4:25.45 is No. 9 on the GNAC all-time list and is two seconds off the NCAA automatic qualifier of 4:23.50.

• The Clan’s 4x100-metre relay team improved its provisional qualifying mark with a time of 46.83 seconds at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The time is the fifth fastest in GNAC history.

• Senior Ella Brown notched a provisional qualifier in the women’s triple jump at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a mark of 38 feet, 7.75 inches. She is second in the GNAC and tied for 39th in Division II.

• Simon Fraser returns to California this weekend, competing at the Stanford’s Cardinal Classic on Friday and Saturday in Palo Alto, Calif.

WESTERN OREGON
• A national best time and the addition or improvement of three NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks led Western Oregon’s efforts at the three Southern California meets.

• Junior David Ribich was named GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he improved his Division II best time in the 1,500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. His time of 3:42.41 also reset his own GNAC record. He finished 17th out of over 200 runners in the race and was the top Division II finisher.

• Senior Wesley Gray earned GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors for his win in the men’s triple jump at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Gray jumped 38 feet, 8.75 inches, which leads the GNAC, is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is 24th in Division II this season. It also places Gray at No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Sophomore Dustin Nading earned a provisional qualifying mark in the men’s 1,500 meters. His time of 3:48.16 is 19th in Division II this season and No. 9 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Freshman Alani Troutman improved his provisional mark in the men’s long jump at the Beach Invitational. His leap of 23 feet, 10.75 inches is tied for 27th in Division II.

• Junior Suzie Van De Grift improved her provisional mark in the women’s 800 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her time of 2:09.47 is now 17th in Division II. Sophomore Olivia Woods had the third fastest time among Division II runners in the race with a time of 2:09.09.

• Western Oregon is off this weekend. The Wolves return to competiton on Apr. 28 and 29 at the Oregon State High Performance Meet.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Two event wins and a NCAA Nationals automatic qualifying mark for senior Bethany Drake highlighted Western Washington’s performances in Southern California.

• Drake was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the javelin at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her automatic qualifying mark of 162 feet, 4 inches, is No. 2 in Division II this season.

• Senior Jasmine McMullin hit a provisional qualifying mark in the women’s triple jump at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a mark of 40 feet, 3.25 inches. The mark is 14th in Division II and moves McMullin to No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Senior Brittany Grant improved her provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 1,500 meters at the Bryan Clay. Her time of 4:30.15 is a career best anf 21st in Division II.

• Senior Andrew Wise placed fourth in the men’s 5,000 meters at the Beach Invitational in a time of 14:51.33. He also improved his provisional qualifying time in the steeplechase at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a time of 9:16.39, which is 32nd in Division II.

• Junior Anna Paradee tied for seventh in the women’s pole vault at the Bryan Clay with a mark of 12 feet, 2.5 inches.

• Western Washington will travel to Ellensburg, Wash., on Friday and Saturday to compete at the CWU Spike Arlt Invitational.