Wednesday, January 23, 2019

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Adam Brown, Concordia
Junior • Portland, Ore.

Brown ran the fastest time in the GNAC this season in the 200 meters at the Ed Jacoby Invitational, placing fourth in the event with a time of 22.13 seconds. Brown then finished seventh in the 60 meters in a time 7.11 seconds. His time of 7.06 seconds in the preliminary round was the fourth-fastest in Concordia history and is fifth-fastest in the GNAC this season.

Also Nominated: Daniel Calderon (Central Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Dakota Tidwell, Northwest Nazarene
Sophomore • South Jordan, Utah

Tidwell hit an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the heptathlon at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. His second-place score of 4,923 points is No. 18 in Division II this season and No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List. Tidwell took second place in three of the event’s seven disciplines: the 60 meters (7.26), the shot put (37-4) and pole vault (14-1.25). His time in the 60 meters was an NNU school record.

Also Nominated: Emmanuel Carrizales (Concordia).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Macie Allen, Concordia
Sophomore  • Gresham, Ore.

Allen placed third in the 60 meters as the Ed Jacoby Invitational, clocking a time of 7.74 seconds in the finals. Her time of 7.68 in the preliminary heats leads the GNAC, is second-fastest in Concordia history and is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier. Allen also placed seventh in the 200 meters in a time of 25.65 seconds, which is third-best in the GNAC this season.

Also Nominated: Mariyah Vongasveng (Central Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Chelsea Bone, Concordia
Sophomore • Oregon City, Ore.

Bone broke the Concordia record in the pentathlon, placing third in the event at the Ed Jacoby Invitational with a score of 3,368 points. She was the top Division II finisher in the event out of 16 competitors. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is No. 18 in Division II this season and second in the GNAC.

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage collected five top-three finishes to lead a limited roster that competed at the Ed Jacoby Invitational.

• Junior Eduardo Orozco led the Seawolves with his win in the men’s 800 meters, finishing in 1:57.91. Freshman Drew Johnson finished second in the men’s mile with a time of 4:17.64 and also took fourth in the 800 meters with a time of 1:59.97.

• In the field events, junior Christopher Brake finished second in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 46 feet, 8.75 inches, ranking him second in the GNAC this season. Brake also finished third in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 5 inches. Sophomore Brandon Nicholson placed third in the triple jump with his leap of 45 feet, 11.75 inches.

• Senior volleyballer turned jumper Chrisalyn Johnson placed fourth in the women’s long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 11.75 inches, a mark that ranks fourth in the conference so far this season. In the five-event pentathlon, junior Elena Cano placed sixth with a score of 3,115 points.

• Seniors Yvonne Jeschke and Yemi Knight led the Seawolves’ women in the track events. Jeschke placed sixth in the 800 meters in 2:19.02 while Knight was eighth in 2:20.92.

• In the first USTFCCCA Women’s Indoor Rankings of the season, Alaska Anchorage is at No. 13.

• Alaska Anchorage will fly a full contingent of athletes to Seattle this weekend to take part in the UW Invitational.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Victories in the sprints and a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier for junior Aidan Cain led Central Washington at the WSU Indoor Open.

• Cain placed second in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 57 feet, 10.5 inches. The leading mark in the GNAC is also the 28th-best mark in Division II this season.

• Junior Erykah Weems led the way in the sprints, winning the women’s 200 meters in a time of 26.43 seconds with senior Aujanique Doss placing second in 26.53 seconds.

• Senior Mariyah Vongsaveng won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.85 seconds. She then paired with Sidney Trinidad, Jasmyne Neria and Noelia Juarez to win the 4x400-meter relay in 4:03.76, winning by over a second.

• In the men’s sprints, Daniel Calderon, Trevaughn Scott, Ryan Gunther and Michael Forster made it a 4x400-meter relay sweep for the Wildcats, winning with a time of 3:30.81. Calderon also finished second in the open 400 in a time of 51.58 seconds while Scott was third in 51.59 seconds.

• Senior Alexa Shindruk added a victory in the women’s mile, clocking a time of 5:09.04. Her converted time of 5:06.02 (for track size) ranks second in the GNAC this season.

• In the field events, senior HarLee Ortega placed second in the high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 5 inches while junior Samantha La Rue was second in the shot put with a mark of 44 feet, 8.25 inches. For the men, senior Zach Whittaker was second in the men’s triple jump at 47 feet, 6.5 inches.

• Central Washington moved up to No. 12 in the USTFCCCA Division II Women’s Indoor Team Index after opening at No. 19 in the preseason poll.

• Central Washington will compete in its third meet in as many weeks, taking part in the UW Invitational this weekend in Seattle.

CONCORDIA
• Three GNAC Athlete of the Week performances led a strong day for Concordia at the Ed Jacoby Invitational.

• Junior Chelsea Bone was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the pentathlon. Bone finished third with a school-record score of 3,368 points. That is 18th best in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Macie Allen earned the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award after she placed third in the 60 meters with a time of 7.73 seconds. She ran an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 7.68 seconds in the preliminaries that leads the GNAC and is tied for No. 26 in Division II this season.

• Junior Adam Brown was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for his efforts in both the 60 meters and 200 meters. Brown ran the fastest time in the GNAC this season in the 200 meters, placing fourth in 22.13 seconds. Brown also placed seventh in the 60 meters in 7.06 seconds.

• Junior Josh Koch was Concordia’s only other top-three placer, taking third in the men’s shot put with a mark of 53 feet, 5.75 inches. Koch also finished seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 49 feet, 2.5 inches.

• Concordia returns to action this weekend, competing in the UW Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Seattle.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• A pair of second-place finishes and a school record for junior Isaiah Girard led Montana State Billings’ efforts on Sunday at the CSC Open in Chadron, Nebraska.

• Girard was second in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 11.25 inches. That surpassed the previous MSUB record of 22 feet, 8 inches, set by Taylor Firestone in 2012. Girard also finished second in the high jump with a clearance of 6 feet, 6.75 inches. His high jump mark ranks second in the GNAC with his long jump mark ranking third.

• Senior Brady Ostermiller added a second-place finish in the men’s shot put with a mark of 51 feet, 6.25 inches. His season-best ranks third in the GNAC this season.

• Senior Kaelen Shay finished second in the men’s 200 meters, clocking a time of 23.36 seconds that ranks him eighth in the GNAC (after track size and altitude conversion). Shay also finished third in the 60 meters with a time of 7.02 seconds. After conversion to 6.96 seconds for altitude, Shay leads the GNAC.

• The field event performances also led the MSUB women. Junior Brenna Beckett placed third in the long jump with a mark of 16 feet, 2.5 inches while senior Shaniah Schwend was third in the triple jump with a mark of 33 feet, 4 inches.

• It will be a quick turnaround for the Yellowjackets as they travel to Colorado Springs this weekend to compete in the Air Force Invitational.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• A provisional qualifying mark in the heptathlon for sophomore Dakota Tidwell led the Nighthawks at the Ed Jacoby Invitational.

• Tidwell placed second in the seven-event discipline with a score of 4,923 points to earn GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors. The performance ranks 18th in Division II this season and is No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List. In the process, Tidwell ran a school-record in the 60 meters with a time of 7.26 seconds.

• A month after setting the NNU record in the men’s shot put, senior Jake Knight placed second in the event with a mark of 55 feet, 4.75 inches. Freshman Canyon Anderson finished third in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 55 feet. In addition, sophomore Elijah Castro placed third in the men’s long jump with his mark of 22 feet, 10 inches.

• Senior Nick Hamilton had the Nighthawks’ only top-three finish on the track, placing third in the men’s 3,000 meters in a time of 9:00.06.

• Senior Lexi Tubbs led the Northwest Nazarene women, placing fourth in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.97 seconds. Sophomore Jackie Mahowald added a fifth-place finish in the women’s triple jump with her mark of 37 feet, 6 inches.

• Northwest Nazarene is away from competition this weekend, returning to the Jackson’s Indoor Center on Feb. 1 and 2 at the Jackson’s/Nike Boise Indoor.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s did not compete last week and return to the track for the UW Invitational in Seattle on Friday and Saturday.

• Freshman Tyler Cronk’s provisional qualifying mark led the Saints in their season-opening UW Preview on Jan. 12. His collegiate debut mark of 6 feet, 10.75 inches is tied for tie sixth-best in Division II this season. It is also No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List, trailing former Saints’ national champion Mikel Smith’s best of 7 feet, 3.25 inches.

• Sophomore Michael Russell placed third in the men’s 200 meters out of 49 competitors in the event, clocking a time of 22.38 seconds. Junior Josh Schultz added a third-place finish in the heptathlon, scoring 4,338 points in the seven-event discipline.

• Junior Ariya Kendrick was the Saint’s top women’s placer, taking third in the 60-meter hurdles in a time of 9.27 seconds.

• Freshman Keshara Romain took fourth in the women’s triple jump with her mark of 37 feet, 1.75 inches, and took fifth in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 3.5 inches. Romain has already provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the triple jump. Her best of 39 feet, 5 inches, at the Jackson’s Open in December is No. 12 in Division II this season No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• The Falcons did not compete last weekend. They return to the track at Dempsey Indoor at this weekend’s UW Invitational.

• Sophomore Renick Meyer’s victory in the long jump at the UW Indoor Preview headlined Seattle Pacific’s season-opening performance two weeks ago at the UW Indoor Preview.

• Meyer won the long jump over a field of 31 competitors. She finished with an indoor personal best of 18 feet, 10.75 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is ninth in Division II this season and No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List. Meyer also competed in the 60-meter hurdles, just missing the finals with her time of 8.87 seconds in the second preliminary round.

• Freshman Peace Igbonagwam was not far behind Meyer in fourth place in the long jump with her mark of 17 feet, 9 inches, in her collegiate debut.

• Junior Kate Lilly ran a respectable 10:02.40 in the women’s 3,000 meters to open the season. Freshman Kaylee Mitchell finished in a time of 10:07.45 in her first collegiate race on the boards.

• Senior Jesse Phan had the top placing performance for the SPU men, finishing ninth in the 800 meters in a time of 1:56.22.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser did not compete last week. The Clan is back in action on Friday and Saturday at the UW Invitational.

• Junior Rowan Doherty led the Clan’s season-opening efforts at the UW Invitational on Jan. 12. He finished 18th in the men’s 3,000 meters with a personal best time of 8:12.35. That was best among Division II competitors in the race and is the fourth fastest time nationally this season. The mark also ranks Doherty No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Senior Carlos Vargas also hit a provisional qualifying mark in the same race, racing a time of 8:22.33. That time ranks No. 10 in Division II this season. Doherty and Vargas were among four GNAC runners to notch provisional qualifying marks in the event at the meet.

• Senior Sophie Dodd earned the Clan’s first women’s NCAA Championships provisional qualifier of the season. She placed 11th in the 800 meters with a time of 2:13.86, which ranks No. 9 in Division II this season. She was one of three GNAC competitors to notch provisional qualifiers in the event.

• Freshman Renate Bluschke was the top individual placer for the Clan, taking fourth in the 400 meters in a time of 56.86 seconds. She also teamed with Dodd, Nicole Lindsay and Addy Townsend to place fourth in the 4x400-meter relay in a time of 3:53.63.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon was away from competition last weekend. The Wolves are back on the track at the UW Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

• At the UW Indoor Preview on Jan. 12, senior Tyler Jones finished 23rd in the men’s 3,000 meters and was second among Division II competitors in the field. His time of 8:17.20 ranks seventh in Division II this season and just missed a spot on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Senior Olivia Woods, meanwhile, set the Western Oregon record in the women’s 600 meters. She placed 10th in the race with a time of 1:34.51, which cut a second off her own previous record in the event.

• Sophomore Curt Knott had the highest individual finish for the WOU men, placing seventh in the 800 meters in a time of 54.23 seconds. Freshman Max Carmona finished eighth in the 600 meters in 1:22.84. The men’s 4x400-meter relay team of Gabe Arce-Torres, Lashaun Emile, Adam Alnazer and Knott placed fifth in a time of 3:24.56.

• Freshman Ana Popchock turned in the only other top-10 performance for the WOU women, placing eighth in the triple jump with a mark of 36 feet, 2 inches.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington did not compete last week. The Vikings will head to Seattle this weekend for the UW Invitational.

• Junior Maddie Taylor led the Vikings in thier season-opening UW Indoor Preview on Jan. 12. Taylor cleared 5 feet, 8 inches, to finish second out of 32 competitors in the women’s high jump. It is tied for second-best clearance in WWU history and is tied for sixth on the GNAC All-Time List. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is tied for sixth in Division II this season.

• Senior Tupre Wickliff and sophomore Garrett Davies finished sixth and seventh, respectively, in the men’s high jump. Both athletes cleared 6 feet, 6.75 inches, with Wickliff taking sixth on fewer total misses.

• Senior Anna Paradee notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the women’s pole vault, clearing 12 feet, 3.5 inches. The mark is tied for 10th in Division II this season.

• Freshman Seren Dances took second in the men’s long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 7.25 inches. Freshman Ethan Sterkel placed fifth with his mark of 22 feet, 1 inch. Dances is provisionally qualified for nationals in the heptathlon, having scored 4,795 points at the Candy Cane XI meet in December.

• On the track, sophomore Bryant Welch led the way as he placed fourth in the 400 meters in 49.92 seconds. The Vikings’ men’s 4x400-meter relay team of Mark Daniels, Koby Okezie, Reid Lovercamp and Myles Smith was the top-placing non-Division I team, clocking 3:23.01 to place fourth.