Wednesday, March 28, 2018

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Carlos Ortiz, Concordia
Senior • Salem, Ore.

Ortiz won the 100 meters at the Willamette Invitational in a school-record and GNAC-leading time of 10.62 seconds. The performance just missed the provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships (10.59 seconds) and ranks No. 7 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Also Nominated: Jackson Hand (Saint Martin’s), Parker Marson (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
Kodiak Landis, Central Washington
Senior • Snohomish, Wash.

Landis won the decathlon at the Sam Adams Classic with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying and Division II leading score of 7,098 points. The performance broke the CWU school record and is No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List. Landis won four of the 10 events, the shot put (41-8), the long jump (22-0.25), the pole vault (15-5.75) and the 400 meters. His time of 49.29 seconds in the 400 leads the GNAC this season.

Also Nominated: Brandon Nicholson (Alaska Anchorage), Jacob Slate (Concordia), Kauanoe Vanderpoel (Saint Martin’s), Chris Steffey (Western Oregon), Tupre Wickliff (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Caroline Kurgat, Alaska Anchorage
Senior • Eldoret, Kenya

Making her first appearance on the track this season, indoor or outdoors, Kurgat won the 1,500 meters at the Willamette Invitational with a time of 4:26.16. The performance is the second-fastest in UAA history and moves her into No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List. An NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, Kurgat’s performance is the second-best in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Ariya Kendrick (Saint Martin’s), Renick Meyer (Seattle Pacific), Grayson Burke (Western Oregon), Sophia Galvez (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
HarLee Ortega, Central Washington
Senior • Payette, Idaho

Ortega won the heptathlon at the Sam Adams Classic with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying score of 4,875 points. The performance is a school record and ranks fourth in Division II this season. Ortega won the long jump with a GNAC-best mark of 18 feet, 5.25 inches, and the high jump at 5 feet, 2.25 inches.

Also Nominated: Christina MacDonald (Concordia), Ashleigh Fraser (Saint Martin’s), Darian Wilson (Western Oregon), Anna Paradee (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage athletes posted four GNAC-leading performances and notched three NCAA Championships provisional qualifiers at the Willamette Invitational.

• Senior Caroline Kurgat was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she hit an NCAA provisional qualifier in the 1,500 meters. Her winning time of 4:26.16 was the second-fastest time in UAA history, is No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 2 in Division II this season.

• Senior Tamara Perez hit an NCAA provisional mark in the same race, finishing second to Kurgat in 4:30.87. The time ranks No. 5 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Emmah Chelimo hit an NCAA provisional qualifier in the women’s 5,000 meters, winning at Willamette in a time of 17:14.06. The performance is the 10th best in Division II this season. Junior Zennah Jepchumba, meanwhile, just missed the provisional qualifier as she finished second in 17:14.70.

• Junior Jorge Sanchez ran the top time in the GNAC in the men’s 5,000 meters this season, placing fifth in a time of 15:04.71.

• Freshman Brandon Nicholson posted the conference’s best mark this season in the men’s triple jump, finishing second with a mark of 45 feet, 10.5 inches.

• In the sprints, junior Yemi Knight won the women’s 800 meters in a time of 2:16.22. Sophomore Oshane Hylton was second in the men’s 200 meters in 22.60 seconds while junior Daniel Remington was second in the men’s 400 meters in 50.38 seconds.

• The Alaska Anchorage women are ranked for the first time this season in the USTFCCCA Division II Team Rankings at No. 19.

• Alaska Anchorage will compete in the Bay Area this weekend at the Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• School records in the two multi-event disciplines led Central Washington’s efforts in a trio of meets.

• At the Sam Adams Classic in Spokane, senior Kodiak Landis won the men’s decathlon with a school-record score of 7,098 points. He won five of the 10 events, led by a GNAC-leading time of 49.29 seconds in the 400 meters. The score is No. 3 on the GNAC All-TIme List, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and the top mark in Division II this season. The performance earned Landis GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors.

• Senior HarLee Ortega also scored a school-record performance in the women’s heptathlon, winning with a score of 4,875 points. She won two of the seven events, including the long jump with a GNAC-leading leap of 18 feet, 5.25 inches. The mark is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is No. 4 in Division II this season. The performance earned Ortega GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week selection.

• The Wildcats had two more provisional qualifiers in the men’s decathlon. Freshman Braydon Maier placed second with a score of 6,562 points, which is No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 9 in Division II this season. Maier was second in the 110-meter hurdles with a GNAC best time of 15.11 seconds. Junior Michael Forster was third with his score of 6,491 points, ranking 10th in Division II this season.

• During the women’s heptathlon, sophomore Erykah Weems ran a GNAC-leading time of 14.64 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles.

• Distance runners led the Wildcats’ performances at the Willamette Invitational. Junior Corbin Carlton placed second in the men’s steeplechase with a GNAC-leading time of 9:18.98 while senior Josh Boston was third in the men’s 5,000 meters in 15:26.44. Junior Alexa Shindruk was third in the women’s 5,000 meters in 17:26.81.

• Both of Central Washington’s teams are among the top-25 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II National Team Rankings. The CWU women are ranked No. 13 while the men are Ranked No. 21.

• Central Washington competes in just one meet this weekend, participating in the Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma.

CONCORDIA
• A school-record performance by senior Carlos Ortiz in the men’s 100 meters led Concordia’s performances at the Willamette Invitational.

• Ortiz won the event with a time of 10.62 seconds. The performance leads the GNAC this season, is No. 7 on the GNAC All-Time List and just missed the NCAA Championships provisional qualifier of 10.59 seconds. The sprint earned Ortiz selection as GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week.

• The Cavaliers were dominant, once again, in the throws. Senior Melissa Ausman posted a five-foot personal best to win the women’s discus with a throw of 156 feet, 9.25 inches. That mark is No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List and is sixth-best in Division II this season.

• Senior Christina MacDonald won the women’s hammer with a mark of 182 feet, 11.5 inches, improving her to No. 4 in Division II this season. She also notched a new NCAA provisional qualifier in the shot put, placing second in 47 feet, 6.5 inches. The mark is No. 6 in Division II this season. Junior Katrina Linenko provisionally qualified for the shot put as well with a mark of 45 feet, 4.5 inches.

• Freshman Jacob Slate hit an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the men’s hammer, winning with a mark of 195 feet, 8.25 inches. The throw is No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 4 in Division II this season. Sophomore Jakob Chamberlin also provisionally qualified in the event, placing second at 186 feet, 3 inches. Chamberlin also won the discus with a mark of 167 feet, 3.25 inches.

• Junior Josh Koch won the men’s shot put and hit the NCAA provisional qualifier with an effort of 53 feet, 6.5 inches. The GNAC-leading mark is tied for 16th in Division II this season.

• Senior Emma Hill improved her provisional qualifying mark in the women’s triple jump, winning with a mark of 39 feet, 1 inch. The performance is No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List and is sixth in Division II this season.

• The Concordia women also had field event winners in junior Tori Johnson, who won the high jump with a GNAC-leading mark of 5 feet, 4.25 inches, and junior Chelsea Bone, who took the long jump at 17 feet, 8 inches.

• In the men’s sprints, freshman Noah Wallace won the 800 meters with a GNAC-leading time of 1:54.62 while sophomore Andrey Gamza won the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 56.35 seconds.

• Both Concordia teams continue to be ranked in the USTFCCCA Division II National Team Rankings. The Cavaliers’ women are ranked No. 10 while the men are ranked No. 13.

• Concordia’s multi-event performers are competing on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Boxer Combined Event. The full team does not compete again until the John Knight Twilight on Apr. 6.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings did not have any competitors at the Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Yellowjackets are in the midst of a long five-week break. They do not open the outdoor season until Mar. 30 when they host the MSUB Invitational in Billings.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene athletes notched two GNAC-leading performances and an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier at home at the NNU Open.

• Senior Payton Lewis had the provisional qualifier, winning the men’s pole vault with a mark of 16 feet, 2.75 inches. The mark leads the GNAC and is No. 11 in Division II this season. Lewis led a day that saw NNU take five of the top six places in the event.

• Junior Micah Tranch won the men’s high jump with a GNAC-leading effort of 6 feet, 6.75 inches. Tranch also won the long jump with a mark of 20 feet, 11.25 inches, and the javelin with a mark of 181 feet, 5.75 inches.

• The NNU men also had three event winners in the sprints. Sophomore Isaiah Kahut won the 100 meters in a time of 11.12 seconds. Sophomore Logan Blake won the 200 meters in 22.18 seconds and freshman Dakota Tidwell won the 110-meter hurdles in 16.05 seconds.

• Junior Katie Conklin led the NNU women with two event victories. She won the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 1.75 inches, which is the No. 2 mark in the GNAC this season. Conklin also won the 200 meters in 28.36 seconds.

• In the women’s sprints, junior MaKenna Conley won the 400 meters in 1:02.09 while sophomore Ally Miran won the 100-meter hurdles in 15.58 seconds. In the field events, junior Nice Loufoua won the triple jump with a mark of 38 feet, 4 inches, the second-best mark in the GNAC this season, while sophomore Kourtney Gwin won the pole vault with a mark of 10 feet, 2 inches.

• The Nighthawks will be in the Bay Area this weekend, competing in the Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco State Distance Carnival.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s saw athletes win 11 events and break a pair of school records in performances at the Peyton Scoring Meet and the Doris Heritage Track Festival.

• Junior Jackson Hand won two sprint events and set the school record in the men’s 200 meters at the Peyton Scoring Meet. His record time of 21.92 seconds also leads the GNAC this season. Hand also won the 100 meters in a time of 11.04 seconds.

• Sophomore Ashleigh Fraser ser a school record in the women’s long jump, winning the event at the Peyton Scoring Meet with a mark of 17 feet, 4.75 inches.

• The Saints took the top mark in both hammer competitions at the Doris Heritage Track Festival. Junior Liz Larson won the women’s event with a mark of 167 feet, 7 inches, while senior Kauanoe Vanderpoel won the men’s with a mark of 170 feet, 6 inches.

• Sophomore Ariya Hendrick won the women’s 100-meter hurdles at the Peyton Scoring Meet with her time of 15.12 seconds. Junior Lindsey Dorney captured the women’s steeplechase in a time of 12:15.75 while the women’s 4x100-meter relay team also win in a time of 49.78 seconds. Junior Megan Vernoy was the Saint’s other women’s field event winner, taking the discus with a mark of 135 feet, 1 inch.

• Sophomore Josh Schulz won the men’s long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 1 inch, while the men’s 4x100-mete relay team was a winner in a time of 42.67 seconds.

• Saint Martin’s returns to Baker Stadium on Saturday, taking part in the Shotwell Invitational.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Hosting its only home meet of the season, Seattle Pacific posted eight event wins at the Doris Heritage Track Festival.

• Freshman Renick Meyer led the way with two event wins. She took the women’s 100 meters in a time of 12.49 seconds and also won the long jump with a meet-record mark of 18 feet, 0.25 inches.

• Freshman Julia Stepper captured the women’s 200 meters in a time of 25.97 seconds and placed second to Meyer in the 100 meters with a time of 12.68 seconds. Senior Becca Houk won the 400 meters with a time of 58.78 seconds.

• Senior Mary Charleson led a sweep of the top six places for the Falcons in the women’s 1,500 meters. Charleson won with a time of 4:40.07 while sophomore Kate Lilly was second with a time of 4:43.07.

• The Falcons’ women also won the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 4:09.89.

• In the field events, junior Geneva Lehnert won the women’s high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 2.25 inches while freshman Kellie May won the triple jump with a mark of 37 feet, 2.25 inches.

• Senior Peyton Harris led the SPU men with his second-place finish in the 200 meters in a time of 23.38 seconds. Junior Jesse Phan placed second in the 800 meters with a time of 1:58.87. The Falcons’ 4x400-meter relay also took second with a time of 3:39.83.

• Seattle Pacific will send select athletes to the Stanford Invitational on Friday and Saturday, with the rest of the squad traveling north to take part in the UBC Invitational in Vancouver, B.C.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser eight event winners as the Clan split its team between the Willamette Invitational and the Doris Heritage Track Festival.

• The Clan notched GNAC-leading times in a pair of relays. The men’s 4x400-meter relay won with a time of 3:24.06 while the women’s 4x100-meter relay crossed the line in a winning time of 48.26 seconds.

• Senior Joel Webster was one of two individual event winners for the SFU men, taking the 400 meters at Willamette with a time of 50.38 seconds. Sophomore Richard Torres won the 800 meters at the Doris Heritage Track Festival with his time of 1:58.30.

• Freshman Renate Bluschke led three SFU women to finish in the top-four of the 400 meters at Willamette. Bluschke won with a time of 57.82 seconds.

• Senior Sophie Dodd won the women’s 400-meter hurdles at Willamette with a time of 1:03.35 while sophomore Chelsea Ribeiro won the women’s steeplechase in a time of 11:21.61.

• At the Doris Heritage Track Festival, freshman Holly Taylor earned top-two finishes in a pair of field events. She won the shot put with a mark of 40 feet, 11.75 inches and placed second in the hammer at 146 feet, 10 inches. Senior Amy Petz was second in the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 2.25 inches.

• Simon Fraser will participate in both the Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco State Distance Carnival this weekend and will send some athletes to the UBC Invitational in Vancouver.

WESTERN OREGON
• An NCAA Championships provisional qualifier for freshman Darian Wilson in the women’s javelin led Western Oregon’s performances at the Willamette Invitational.

• Wilson took second in the javelin with a mark of 135 feet, 8.5 inches. The mark currently ranks sixth in the GNAC this season and 18th in Division II.

• The Wolves finished with two event-winners. Senior Parker Marson won the men’s 1,500 meters in a time of 3:57.24 while sophomore Stephen Fey was second in the race’s second heat with a time of 4:03.32. The Wolves’ women’s 4x400-meter relay team was the other winner in a time of 3:49.89.

• Sophomore Kurt Knott placed second in the men’s 800 meters, running the second-fastest time in the GNAC this season in 1:54.77. Freshman Jacob Collins added a second-place finish in the men’s pole vault with his mark of 13 feet, 0.25 inches.

• Sophomore Grayson Burke led two Western Oregon women’s track runners-up, taking second in the 800 meters in a time of 2:17.36. Senior Megan Rose was second in the 400 meters in a time of 58.11 seconds.

• Western Oregon will send its multi-event performers to the Boxer Combined Events in Forest Grove on Tuesday and Wednesday. The rest of the Wolves’ full squad will split this weekend between the Stanford Invitational, the San Francisco Distance Carnival and the Pacific Open.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington finished with nine event winners at the Doris Heritage Track Classic in Seattle.

• Freshman Seren Dances was a winner in the two events. He took the men’s 100 meters in a time of 11.83 seconds and captured the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 9 inches.

• Freshman Ian Fay won the men’s steeplechase with a time of 9:32.99 while the men’s 4x400-meter relay team was a winner with a time of 3:30.46.

• The Vikings had a pair of women’s track winners. Junior Tracy Melville led a top-three sweep in the 5,000 meters, winning with a time 18:09.41. Sophomore Waverly Shreffler won the 800 meters with her time of 2:27.18.

• Sophomore Raquel Pellecer led the WWU women’s field event performers, winning the javelin with a mark of 148 feet, 1 inch. Senior Anna Paradee placed second in the pole vault with her clearance of 12 feet, 6.25 inches.

• In the men’s field events, junior Tupre Wickliff won the high jump with a GNAC-leading mark of 6 feet, 8 inches. Freshman Cooper McNatt was a winner in the javelin with his mark of 181 feet, 5 inches.

• Western Washington’s women remained ranked in the USTFCCCA Division II Outdoor Team Rankings, coming in this week at No. 21.

• The Vikings will split their squad this weekend, sending athletes to the Stanford Invitational, the San Francisco State Distance Carnival and the UBC Invitational.