Tuesday, May 16, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS – A total of 43 Great Northwest Athletic Conference track and field standouts, led by 13 athletes from Alaska Anchorage and eight from Simon Fraser, have been selected to compete at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The national meet will be held May 25-27 at the IMG Academy Complex in Bradenton, Fla.

Alaska Anchorage’s 13 qualifiers includes seven athletes selected for individual events. Senior Dominik Notz is qualified for both the men’s 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters, and has the fourth fastest time in the 10,000-meter field at 29:12.23. Senior Karolin Anders is qualified in both the women’s high jump and the heptathlon.

All nine of Simon Fraser’s qualifiers are in individual events. Four of those qualifiers are in the women’s 800 meters, where eight of the 22 athletes in the field are from the GNAC. The four Clan athletes include sophomore Addy Townsend and juniors Alana Mussatto, Sophie Dodd and Paige Nock.

The top GNAC qualifier in the women’s 800 meters is Alaska Anchorage sophomore Danielle McCormick, who enters with the field’s third fastest time in 2:07.60. The field also includes a trio of Western Oregon athletes in sophmore Olivia Woods and junior Megan Rose and Suzie Van De Grift.

Like last year, the GNAC will also be well represented in the women’s javelin with seven qualifiers in the 21-athlete field. Western Washington senior Bethany Drake, the defending national runner-up, leads the field with a GNAC record mark of 171 feet, 11 inches. Saint Martin’s sophomore Jona Spiller is sixth with a mark of 151 feet while Central Washington senior Angelique Whistocken is seventh at 149 feet, 8 inches.

The other GNAC athletes in the women’s javelin field are Seattle Pacific senior Sammi Markham, Saint Martin’s junior Deanna Avalos, Northwest Nazarene sophomore Ellie Logan and Western Oregon sophomore Sheila Limas De La Cruz.

Western Oregon junior David Ribich enters the meet with the top mark in the men’s 1,500 meters. The top ranked runner in the event in Division II this season, his time of 3:41.45 is two seconds better than the No. 2 qualifier, Austin Anaya of Adams State.

Three athletes are qualified in two individual events. In addition to Notz and Anders, Montana State Billings sophomore Sam Zook is qualified in both the men’s 100 meters and 200 meters.

Nine of the conference’s 10 outdoor track and field programs will be represented at the national meet. The 10th school, Concordia, is in its third and final year of provisional Division II member and is not eligible for entry.