Monday, February 18, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. –  Indoor track and field team championships have earned Western Washington University’s men’s team and the University of Alaska Anchorage’s women’s squad the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Team of the Week award.

The Viking men won their third GNAC Indoor title – their first since 2006 – last Friday and Saturday at Jacksons Track in Nampa, Idaho.  WWU scored 152 points to outdistance Alaska Anchorage (134) and five-time defending champion Western Oregon (120) for the title.

The UAA women, meanwhile, ended Seattle Pacific’s historic nine-year title run outpointing Western Washington 147 to 117 ½ for the title.  The Falcons had won all nine of the previous championship meets.  SPU finished third with 99 points.

Western Washington got individual titles from Alex Donigian (60, 200), Jonathon Poolman (400), Logan Myers  (high jump) and Kevin Yates (long jump) in winning the men’s team title. 

The Vikings foursome of Poolman, Nathaniel Schmidt, Jason Nokes and Devon Smith also won the men’s  4x400 meter relay.

Twenty different WWU male athletes earned individual points in the meet led by Alex Donigian with 20.  Also in double figures in individual events were Jonathon Poolman with 15 points, Kevin Yates with 13 and Brett Watson with 12.

Twelve Viking athletes also earned a total of 15  all-conference awards including Donigian (60, 200), Tim Clendaniel (triple jump), Thomas Guidon (pole vault), Keenan Komoto (pole vault), Peter Maguire (60 hurdles), Myers (high jump), Nokes (4x400 relay), Poolman (400, 4x400 relay), Schmidt (200, 4x400 relay), Smith (4x400 relay), Watson (high jump) and Yates (long jump).

A total of 13 Alaska Anchorage women scored points in individual events to lead the Seawolves to the title in their first season competing in the GNAC indoor championships.

Susan Tanui led the way with 28 points, winning the 3,000 and 5,000 and finishing second in the mile.  Ruth Keino netted 22 points finishing second in the 3,000 and 5,000 and third in the mile.  Rosie Smith won the 200 and finished second in the 60 hurdles to net 18 points.  Karolin Anders scored 14 points and Miriam Kipn’eno earned 10 individual points.

Led by Tanui and Keino with three each, UAA athletes earned 11 GNAC all-conference awards.  Also earning all-conference honors were Anders (pentathlon), Susan Bick (800), Grace Morgan (200) and Smith (200, 60 hurdles).

The top three finishers in individual events plus members of the winning relay teams receive GNAC all-conference honors.