Wednesday, February 13, 2019

NAMPA, Idaho – The winds seem to be shifting on the sea that is GNAC indoor track and field.

After sharing the championship last year, Central Washington and Seattle Pacific sit poised to battle it out again when the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships begin on Friday at the Jacksons Indoor Center. While the Falcons claimed their 12th title, the Wildcats earned their first.

After Concordia took the men’s trophy from Alaska Anchorage last year for its first title, it looks like another handoff may be in store. With considerable depth all across the board, Central Washington and Simon Fraser stand at the ready to step to the top of the podium.

The team races will be supplemented by a number of great individual storylines, which include an NCAA Division II record-holder and a freshman who is challenging the conference record in the high jump.

WOMEN
Seattle Pacific and Central Washington shared the women’s team title thanks to its depth across every event and both schools have the depth again to challenge for the trophy again.

The Falcons return a pair of champions in Scout Cai and Renick Meyer. Cai collected titles in both the pentathlon and pole vault last year, but has seen her action limited this indoor season due to injury. Nonetheless, Cai is 14th in Division II in the pentathlon (3,557). Meyer won the 60 meters and was second in the 60-meter hurdles last year. This year, Meyer leads the GNAC in the long jump (18-10.75) and is in the conference’s top-five in the pentathlon and the 60-meter hurdles.

Among other returners, Kate Lilly is ranked second in the GNAC in the mile and fourth in 3,000 meters. A trio of freshmen will also vie for titles and key team points: Jenny Bouyer in the 60 and 200 meters, Peace Igbonagwam in the 60 meters and long jump and Madison Licari in the pole vault. Junior Grace Bley, who won the outdoor 200 title last spring, is ranked No. 2 in the indoor 200.

Mariyah Vongsaveng is the Wildcats’ lone returning champion and hopes to make it three titles in four years in the 60-meter hurdles. The GNAC record holder has the 10th best time in Division II at 8.66 seconds. Senior HarLee Ortega has the No. 4 mark in Division II in the pentathlon (3,707) and has also provisionally qualified for nationals in the long jump. Alexa Shindruk, meanwhile, enters the meet ranked No. 14 in Division II in both the 3,000 meters (9:42.19) and the 5,000 meters (16:48.43).

Wildcats junior Halle Irvine hopes to claim her first indoor pole vault championship after setting the GNAC record at 12 feet, 10.75 inches, earlier this season. Samantha La Rue enters the meet with the conference’s best mark in the shot put (44-10.25). Erykah Weems and Sidney Trinidad will play a factor in the sprints, with Weems entering the meet third in the GNAC in the 400 meters (56.82). In the hunt for the long jump and triple jump titles is Brooke Williams, an NCAA provisional qualifier in both events.

One can never count Simon Fraser out of the championship conversation thanks to its strengths in the distances. Addy Townsend hopes to reclaim her title in the 800 meters. She enters with the fourth-fastest time in Division II (2:08.70) and just missed an NCAA automatic qualifying time in the mile at 4:44.81. Sophie Dodd is also provisionally qualified for nationals with a time of 2:11.02 in the 800. The Clan also leads the GNAC in 4x400-meter relay and distance medley relay, both with NCAA provisional qualifying times.

Simon Fraser is further bolstered in the sprints by Renate Bluschke, who leads the GNAC in the 400 meters (56.67), Meyer Quaynor in the 60 meters (7.79) and Bryce West in the 400 meters (58.29).

Alaska Anchorage will stake its successes on the track behind a pair of national champions. Danielle McCormick is the defending national champion in the 800 and owns a best of 2:10.90 this season, ranking 13th in Division II.  Caroline Kurgat, meanwhile, hopes to add 3,000 and 5,000-meter indoor titles to her matched pair outdoors. Kurgat has run Division II all-time bests this year of 9:07.05 in the 3,000 and 15:28.46 in the 5,000.

Western Washington enters the meet with seven of the top nine marks in the pole vault. The crew is led by 2017 GNAC champion Anna Paradee, who has the 28th best mark in Division II at 12 feet, 3.5 inches. Maddie Taylor leads the conference and is tied for sixth in Division II in the high jump (5-8). The Vikings will also look to Sophia Galvez, who ranks third in the conference in the 5,000 meters (17:37.16), and Hannah Bradley in the 60 meters (7.87).

Concordia enters the meet with some considerable depth all across the board. Chelsea Bone leads the way, ranking 16th in Division II in the pentathlon at 3,514 points. Macie Allen enters with the conference’s top mark in the 60 meters (7.68) while Kori Sprague has the GNAC lead in the shot put (55-10.25). Adding to that depth is Chase Stephens in the high jump (5-4.5) and 60-meter hurdles (8.89) and Joselynn Tensley in the shot put (41-5).

Olivia Woods is poised to lead Western Oregon into the conference meet. Woods reset her own school record in the 400 meters (56.71) last week and notched an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 800 meters (2:09.35), ranking seventh in Division II. Mariah Gonbach also has title ambitions with the league’s third-best mark in the weight throw (52-2.5).

Hometown favorite Northwest Nazarene will have two title contenders. Basketball and track standout Lexi Tubbs won the 60-meter hurdles two years ago and has the 25th best time in Division II at 8.79 seconds. Jackie Mahowald picked up an NCAA provisional qualifier in the triple jump last week (38-5), breaking her own school record in the process.

Saint Martin’s will also have a pair of title hopefuls. Freshman Keshara Romain enters with the GNAC lead in the triple jump (39-5) while Liz Larson is fourth in the weight throw (48-9).

MEN
Concordia took the conference by storm last year, using titles in the sprints and depth in the throws to claim its first-ever GNAC track championship. Those title winners are gone, though, and the depth in the throws is less, which opens the door for a number of other squads to challenge for the trophy.

Central Washington is one of three schools to return a champion and the team’s considerable depth in the field events could set the table for the Wildcats’ first indoor team title since 2007. Braydon Maier is the returning champion, having claimed the heptathlon title as a freshman. He has returned just as strong as a sophomore, ranking 10th in Division II with 5,156 points. Maier is also a title contender in the pole vault, provisionally qualifying for nationals with a mark of 15 feet, 7 inches.

Kodiak Landis, who won the heptathlon in 2017, has the third-best point total in Division II at 5,218 points while Michael Forster is 30th in the nation at 4,836 points. Aidan Cain enters the meet atop the conference in the weight throw (57-10.75) while Zach Whittaker leads the way in the triple jump (47-11.75). Central also has potential title contenders with Bobby Widmar in the 60 meters (6.99) and Daniel Calderon in the 400 meters (49.67).

Like its women’s counterparts, Simon Fraser is in the title mix thanks to its considerable strength in the distance events. Aaron Ahl owns the the No. 6 time in Division II in the mile (4:06.92) while Rowan Doherty ranks 10th in Division II in the 3,000 meters (8:12.35) and 14th in the mile (4:08.27). Pierre-Louis Detourbe is provisionally qualified in both the mile (4:07.80) and the 3,000 meters (8:16.19) while Carlos Vargas is provisionally qualified in the 3,000 meters.

The Clan’s Nathan Mah leads the conference with a time of 22.05 seconds in the 200 meters. Nate St. Romain is tied for third in the 400 meters (49.67) while Nick Bauernschmitt is third in the 800 meters (1:55.68).

Where Simon Fraser is strong on the track, Northwest Nazarene is strongest in the field events. Jake Knight leads the Nighthawks with the league lead and 17th best mark in Division II in the shot put (56-8.5). Dakota Tidwell will be in the mix in the heptathlon, provisionally qualified for nationals with a total of 4,923 points. Elijah Castro leads the conference in both the 60-meter hurdles (8.37) and the long jump (23-2.75). Canyon Anderson is second in the weight throw (55-6.5) and Spencer Hopkins ranks third in the pole vault (15-3).

On the track, Logan Blake enters with the No. 2 time in the GNAC in the 400 meters (49.33) and the No. 4 time in the 200 meters (22.21).

Not typically in the team title conversation, Montana State Billings has strength enough in the field events and sprints to be there. Kaelen Shay leads the GNAC in the 60 meters with a time of 6.96 seconds. Sam Zook, who won the 60 meters in 2017, is third this season in the 200 meters (22.16) while Drake Henson is in the GNAC top-five in the 800 meters (1:56.00). Isaiah Girard set the MSUB school record in the high jump (6-9) and is tied for 18th in Division II while Brady Ostermiller is third in the GNAC in the shot put (52-11.5).

Alaska Anchorage is led by defending champion Christopher Brake in the triple jump. He is currently second in the GNAC with a mark of 46 feet, 8.75 inches. Brake is also ranked fifth in the high jump (6-5) with David Sramek ranked fourth in the pole vault (14-7.25). The Seawolves, as always, will be well served in the distances. Wesley Kirui, the conference cross country champion, leads the GNAC in the 5,000 meters (14:18.62) while Edwin Kangogo is second (14:39.15). Felix Kemboi ranks fourth in the league in the 3,000 meters (8:20.94).  
Western Washington’s best scoring chances will come in the field events. J.T. Konrad established an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault with a GNAC-leading clearance of 16 feet, 0.75 inches. The Vikings have a pair of provisional qualifiers in the heptathlon in Ian Rinefort (4,829) and Seren Dances (4,795), with Dances entering the meet second in the GNAC in the long jump (22-11.75). Koby Okezie is second in the GNAC in the 60-meter hurdles (8.43) and Tupre Wickliff is third in the high jump (6-7).

Concordia is led by defending shot put champion Josh Koch, who enters with the second-best mark in the GNAC this season at 53 feet, 9 inches. In all, the Cavaliers have three of the top-eight marks in the event. Giovanni Brown will vie for a heptathlon title, ranking third in the GNAC with 4,985 points, while Adam Brown leads the GNAC in the 400 meters (49.20) while ranking second in the 200 (22.13).

Western Oregon’s best title chances will come in the distances. Tyler Jones stands at No. 3 in the GNAC with his NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8:17.20 in the 3,000 meters. Curt Knott has the GNAC’s second-fastest 800 time (1:54.88) while Justin Crosswhite is fourth in the mile with a time of 4:10.47. The two-time defending national champions in the distance medley relay, the Wolves lead the GNAC with a time of 9:54.85.

Saint Martin’s will be led by freshman Tyler Cronk, who last week became just the second athlete in GNAC history to clear seven feet in the high jump. His clearance of 7 feet, 1 inch, automatically qualifies Cronk for the NCAA Championships. The Saints will look for points as well from Josh Schulz in the long jump and Michael Russell and Jackson Hand in the sprints.