Wednesday, February 19, 2020

NAMPA, Idaho – A record-breaking season will make for an exciting GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, which return to the Jackson’s Indoor Center on Friday and Saturday.

A total of three conference records have been broken entering the meet. Western Oregon’s Derek Holdsworth obliterated the men’s 800-meter record in a time that still ranks among the top at the college level this season. Simon Fraser’s Jeremiah Lauzon took down the men’s 200-meter record while Central Washington senior Aidan Cain took down a 13-year-old record in the men’s weight throw.

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After a four-year wait, Western Washington made its return to the top of the podium and the Vikings have the talent to make a run for the trophy again.

Sophomore Seren Dances is the Vikings’ best chance for scoring in multiple events. The defending champion in the long jump, Dances has the top mark in the conference at 22 feet, 7.75 inches, and has provisionally qualified for nationals in the heptathlon with 5,089 points. He is also third in the GNAC in the 60-meter hurdles and eighth in the pole vault.

Senior Cordell Cummings is the one returning champion in the 60-meter hurdles and has the second-fastest time this season at 8.40 seconds. Senior Tupre Wickliff won the high jump in 2018 and enters the meet with the second-best mark at 6 feet, 7 inches. The Vikings will also be helped by top entry marks from junior Ed Kiolbasa in the 3,000 (8:27.29) and Bryant Welch in the 400 meters (49.04).

Alaska Anchorage placed second last year and, with the right number of champions, could vie for its first title since 2017. Senior Chris Brake was the 2018 champion in the triple jump and has the top mark in the conference this season at 47 feet, 1.5 inches. He is also tied for the second-best mark in the high jump. Senior David Sramek will provide critical points in the heptathlon and is among the top-10 athletes in the long jump.

The Seawolves will need the usual strong performances on the track to top the podium. Junior Wesley Kirui is the defending champion in the 5,000 meters and leads the GNAC with a time of 14:30.44. Junior Felix Kemboi, the 2018 5,000-meter champion, is second in the mile (4:10.89).

Third place a year ago, Central Washington’s strength in the field events will make the Wildcats a team contender. Senior Zach Whittaker is the returning champion in the triple jump and owns the conference’s second-best mark at 48 feet, 2 inches. Senior Aidan Cain leads a solid throwing corps after setting the GNAC record in the weight throw of 61 feet, 10.25 inches at the UW Invitational. Senior Andrew Harris also has an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the event.

Junior Daniel Calderon is the Wildcats’ top track entrant, entering with the No. 3 time in the 400 meters at 49.24 seconds. Sophomore Tysen Campbell is among three GNAC athletes who have cleared 14 feet, 7 inches in the pole vault this season.

Western Oregon and Simon Fraser enter the meet with two of the fastest newcomers around. Holdsworth blew away the 800-meter record at the UW Invitational. His time of 1:47.74 not only leads Division II but is No. 3 among all college competitors this season. Lauzon, a freshman, broke the conference record in January with a time of 21.55 in the 200 meters and lowered it to 21.47 last week.

Likewise, Western Oregon freshman Dominique Loggins clocked the fastest time in the GNAC in the 60 meters, 6.98 seconds, at the Portland Indoor #2 meet. Senior Justin Crosswhite is the defending champion in the men’s mile and is solidly placed to repeat with a league-leading time of 4:04.36.

Simon Fraser is bolstered with talent in the sprints and distances. Freshman Callum Robinson complements Lauzon with the No. 2 time in the 200 meters (22.13) and the top time in the 400 meters (48.89). Junior Thomas Gallagher ranks fourth in the mile (4:15.06) and senior Sean Miller is seventh in the 5,000 meters (15:06.13).

Concordia’s points will once again come primarily from the throws. The Cavaliers have the top three marks in the shot put, led by nationals provisional qualifying marks for junior Jakob Chamberlin (55-0.75) and senior Caleb Bridge (53-11). Junior JJ Walker leads the GNAC in the pole vault (14-7.5) and has a provisional qualifying score in the heptathlon.

The 2019 GNAC Freshman of the Year, Saint Martin’s sophomore Tyler Cronk is the defending champion in the high jump and has a top mark of 6 feet, 8.75 inches. He also ranks second in the long jump.

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Seattle Pacific has claimed or shared the conference title in four of the last five years and is poised to make it five out of the last six.

The Falcons return four individuals, led by senior Scout Cai. The three-time defending champion in the pentathlon, Cai has yet to compete in the combined event this season. The 2018 pole vault champ, Cai leads the conference this season with a nationals provisional qualifying mark of 12 feet, 5.5 inches. Sophomore Peace Igbonagwam won the long jump as a freshman. She enters among the conference leaders in both horizontal jumps, the 60 meters and 200 meters.

Senior Grace Bley won the 200 meters last year and has the top time again this year at 24.78 seconds. Junior Renick Meyer won the long jump in 2018 and has provisionally qualified for nationals with her season-best of 18 feet, 9.25 inches. Sophomore Dania Holmberg owns the GNAC’s top time in the 5,000 meters (16:49.07).

Central Washington shared the title with Seattle Pacific in 2018 and finished second last year. The Wildcats return a pair of champions in seniors Erykah Weems and Samantha La Rue. Weems won the 400 meters and was a close second in the 60-meter hurdles. She owns the GNAC’s top time in the hurdles at 8.78 seconds and is third in the 400. La Rue will defend her shot put title and has the conference’s top mark this season by over two feet at 46 feet, 3.25 inches.

Junior Sidney Trinidad has NCAA provisional qualifying marks in both the pentathlon (3,282) and the 400 meters. She also has the top time in the GNAC at 56.19 seconds. Senior Halle Irvine hopes to finally win the pole vault after finishing second each of the last two years.

Alaska Anchorage will once again pin its title hopes on the distances. Sophomore Nancy Jeptoo is the defending champion in the 5,000 meters. So far this season, she has turned in national meet provisional times in both the mile (4:54.77) and 3,000 meters (9:53.80). Senior Emmah Chelimo, the two-time GNAC cross country champion, leads the league in the 3,000 meters (9:41.98).

Senior Elena Cano leads the conference in the pentathlon with 3,436 points while sophomore Tylantiss Atlas is No. 2 in both the 200 meters (24.96) and 400 meters (56.33). Junior Ruth Cvancara is second in the 800, clocking 2:12.28 last week in Seattle.

Simon Fraser will heat things up on the track. Senior Addy Townsend has earned an automatic spot at nationals in both the 800 meters (2:07.74) and the mile (4:40.40), ranking in the top-three in Division II in both categories. Junior Mairin Shields-Brown is provisionally qualified for nationals in the 800 meters with a time of 2:13.17.

Fourth in the team race a year ago, Western Washington is led by sophomore Aliyah Dawkins. She leads the conference with her mark of 5 feet, 7.75 inches in the high jump and is also provisionally qualified for nationals in the pentathlon. Junior Jane Barr, who is sixth in the mile (5:08.11) and sophomore Tovah Swartz-Ireland, who is sixth in the 3,000 (10:12.05), bolstered the Vikings in the distances.

Keshara Romain of Saint Martin’s, a sophomore, is the favorite in both the triple jump and long jump. Romain has automatically qualified for nationals in the triple jump with her mark of 41 feet, 6 inches, ranking No. 2 in Division II and on the GNAC All-Time List. She also owns the conference’s top mark in the long jump at 18 feet, 10.75 inches.

Freshman Maya Hopwood leads Western Oregon. She moved in closer on the GNAC record in the 60 meters, clocking 7.58 seconds last week on the track in Nampa. Senior Grace Knapp will be in the mix in the 5,000 meters with her time of 16:59.24 ranking in the top-15 for Division II.

Concordia junior Macie Allen will challenge Hopwood for the 60-meter gold medal. The champion last year, Allen enters with a season-best time of 7.61 seconds. Senior Kori Sprague aims to defend her title in the weight throw and leads the GNAC with a mark of 59 feet. 11.75 inches. Junior Paige Johnson will be among the contenders in the 60-meter hurdles, high jump and pentathlon with the conference’s No. 2 marks in all three events.