Saturday, February 22, 2020
by Craig Craker, Northwest Nazarene Athletic Communications

NAMPA, Idaho – The Concordia women’s track and field team put together a special weekend at the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Jacksons Indoor Track.

The Cavaliers won the team title, set two meet records, toppled one conference record and had the Performance of the Meet Award winner in the team’s final showing at the conference meet after it was announced the school will cease operations at the end of this semester.

Concordia finished with 128.33 points, outlasting Seattle Pacific in second place with 121. It is the Cavaliers’ first-ever women’s indoor track and field team title. Central Washington was third at 102.

Concordia sophomore Paige Johnson set the meet and conference record in the 60 meters in 7.52 seconds, surpassing marks set by Alaska Anchorage’s Jamie Ashcroft in 2017. She also won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.55 seconds, which is the third fastest time in GNAC history.

Johnson also won the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 5.75 inches to finish with 35 points, which is the second most for an individual woman in meet history. Her 60-meter record earned her the Performance of the Meet Award.

Teammate Kori Sprague set the meet record Friday while winning the weight throw at 61-3, while senior Katrina Linenko won the shot put Saturday with a mark of 46 feet, 2.75 inches.

Saint Martin’s sophomore Keshara Romain set the meet and conference record in the triple jump with a mark of 41 feet, inches. She bettered the meet and GNAC mark of 41 feet, 2.75 inches set by Western Washington’s Jasmine McMullin in 2018. Combined with a second-place finish in the long jump, the performance earned Romain the Field Athlete of the Meet award.

Simon Fraser senior Addy Townsend was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet. Townsend became a four-time champion in the 800 meters in 2:10.87 and won the the mile in 4:58.62. She was also on the second-place 4x400-meter relay in 3:52.6. She also ran a leg on the Clan’s winning distance medley relay team Friday night.

Central Washington’s Erykah Weems won the 200 in 24.56 seconds, the 400 meters in 56.69 seconds and anchored their 4x400 relay to a win in 3:49.73. Weems’ time in the 200 was the sixth fastest in GNAC history.

Seattle Pacific senior Kate Lilly rounded out Saturday’s champions, winning the 3,000 meters in 9:44.88. It is her first conference title.