Wednesday, January 18, 2023

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Jordan Schmidt, Simon Fraser
Junior • Langley, B.C.

Schmidt finished third in the 800 meters at Saturday’s UW Indoor Preview. His time of 1:52.06 is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks sixth in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Joshua Wagner (Alaska Anchorage), Johan Correa (Central Washington), Steven Schmidt (Northwest Nazarene), Tyrone Woodard (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Dayne Gordien, Western Oregon
Senior • Sandy, Utah

Gordien was a winner in his WOU debut, capturing the shot put at the Spokane Indoor Challenge on Saturday. He defeated the 43-athlete field with a mark of 52 feet, 1.5 inches, and finished more than two feet ahead of second-place Bradley Fillis of Eastern Washington. Gordien’s mark is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is tied for 16th in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Angus Beaton (Central Washington), Jake Kiesman (Northwest Nazarene), David Njeri (Seattle Pacific), Miller Campbell (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Marie-Éloïse Leclair, Simon Fraser
Sophomore • Candiac, Que.

Leclair won the 60 meters at the UW Indoor Preview and succeeded in breaking the GNAC record in the event twice. She ran the fastest time in the preliminary heats in 7.49 seconds and bettered that time in the finals with a time of 7.45 seconds, winning by nearly a tenth of a second over Cal State Fullerton’s Trinity Barnett. Both times eclipsed the previous GNAC record of 7.52 seconds set by Concordia’s Paige Johnson in 2020. Leclair’s time is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks No. 8 in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Lauryn Chandler (Central Washington), Vanessa Aniteye (Seattle Pacific), Marian Ledesma (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Destany Herbert, Northwest Nazarene
Junior • Pomeroy, Wash.

Herbert finished second in the shot put at Saturday’s Spokane Indoor Challenge. Her mark of 44 feet, 9 inches is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks No. 20 in Division II this season. Herbert also finished seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 47 feet, 5.75 inches.

Also Nominated: Erica Cabanos (Central Washington), Jessica Neal (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Hurdlers led Alaska Anchorage in its first meet of the season, The UW Indoor Preview, on Saturday in Seattle.

• Junior Joshua Wagner earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, placing fourth in a time of 8.13 seconds. The time ranks 23rd in Division II this season. Wagner also placed 12th in the 60 meters, clocking 7.06 seconds.

• Sophomore Mette Van Der Meer posted an eighth-place finish in the women’s 60-meter hurdles in 9.06 seconds.

• Junior Kevin Angarita placed sixth in both the 200 meters and 400 meters. His time of 49.53 seconds in the 400 meters leads the GNAC while his 22.67 seconds in the 200 meters ranks seventh.

• Sophomore Felix Robertson led UAA in the field events, placing fourth in the triple mark with a mark of 41 feet, 5.75 inches, and in the long jump with a mark of 19 feet, 9.75 inches. Freshman Morgan Grant placed fifth in the triple jump, leaping 39 feet, 6.75 inches.

• Alaska Anchorage does not compete again until Jan. 27 and 28, making a return trip to Seattle to compete in the UW Invitational.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Junior Johan Correa’s school-record time in the men’s 800 meters and senior Lauryn Chandler’s provisional qualifying mark in the women’s 60-meter hurdles led Central Washington at the Spokane Indoor Challenge.

• Correa broke the CWU indoor record in the men’s 800 for the second time this season, placing fifth in a time of 1:53.89. The time ranks fourth in the GNAC this season.

• Chandler ran the fastest time in the conference this season in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, placing third in a time of 8.79 seconds. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time is tied for 20th in Division II this season.

• Senior Erica Cabanos led Central Washington in the field events, placing fifth in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 37 feet. 1.25 inches. She also added a 13th-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 16 feet, 7 inches.

• Junior E’lexis Hollis advanced to the finals of the women’s 60 meters, placing eighth with a time of 7.74 seconds. She tied her season-best mark of 7.66, which is tied for 32nd in Division II this season. Junior Juliette Williams advanced to the final round of qualifying, finishing with a time of 7.88 seconds.

• Senior Angus Beaton added a seventh-place finish in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 49 feet, 11 inches.

• The women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Ellie DeGroot, Sarah Sewell, Williams and Elise Hopper placed sixth in a time of 3:58.86. They were the top non-Division I team in the event. The men’s 4x400-meter relay team of Austin Albertin, Drew Klein, Correa and Isaiah Webster was also sixth in 3:24.30.

• Central Washington returns to action this weekend, competing at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open on Friday and Saturday in Moscow, Idaho.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings does not compete again until Saturday, participating in the Bobcat Challenge in Bozeman, Montana.

• Montana State was also the site of the Yellowjackets’ first meet of the season, the Bobcat Preview, on Dec. 10.

• Sophomore Ben Ralston led the way with his victory in the men’s 400 meters, clocking a time of 50.62 seconds.

• Seniors Ase Ackerman and Logan Straus finished third and fourth, respectively, in the men’s 5,000 meters. Ackerman finished in a time of 15:43.27 while Straus finished in 16:01.02. Senior Ally Whitmer added a third-place finish in the women’s 5,000 in a time of 21:00.42 while sophomore Kit Wiersema was fourth in 21:04.88.

• Freshman Tatum Hull placed third in the women’s 60-meter hurdles in her MSUB indoor debut, running 9.26 seconds. She also placed sixth in the 200 meters in a time of 26.92 seconds.

• The Yellowjackets had a pair of fifth-place finishes in the long jump. Junior Kendall Lynn was fifth in the women’s long jump with a mark of 16 feet, 11.25 inches. Junior Bryce Olson was fifth on the men’s side with a leap of 20 feet, 9.25 inches.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Senior Destany Herbert’s NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the women’s shot put led Northwest Nazarene’s performances at the Spokane Indoor Challenge on Friday and Saturday.

• Herbert was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after placing second in the women’s shot put with her mark of 44 feet. 9 inches. The lifetime best ranks 20th in Division II this season. Herbert also placed seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 47 feet, 5.75 inches.

• Sophomore Steven Schmidt recorded his second individual victory of the season in the men’s high jump, clearing 6 feet, 8.75 inches. He had his season-best mark of 6 feet, 11 inches at the BYU December Invite, which is tied for seventh in Division II this season and is No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list. Schmidt also finished fifth in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.58 seconds.

• Senior Dylan Hendry recorded a sixth-place finish in the men’s weight throw. His mark of 52 feet, 5.5 inches is second in the GNAC this season. Freshman Jacob Kiesman added a seventh-place finish in the men’s shot put with a mark of 47 feet, 10 inches.

• Sophomore Kinsey Yenor placed ninth in the women’s pole vault with a clearance of 11 feet, 10.5 inches. Yenor has a best of 12 feet, 3.5 inches this season, achieved at the BYU December Invite, which is tied for 13th in Division II this season.

• Northwest Nazarene will not compete this weekend. The Nighthawks will be in action next on Jan. 28 at the Inland Northwest Invitational in Spokane, Washington.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Scheduled to compete at the UW Indoor Preview, Saint Martin’s did not field any athletes in the meet. The Saints are scheduled to compete next at the UW Invitational on Jan. 27 and 28.

• Saint Martin’s opened the indoor season by participating in the Wyoming Power Meet on Dec. 9 and the UCCS Pre-Holiday Meet on Dec. 10.

• Sophomore Alisha Saucedo opened the season with a win in the women’s 400 meters at the Wyoming Power meet in 1:02.40. Junior Cree Bell and sophomore Madison Vu finished first and second, respectively, in the women’s 200 meters. Bell won in 26.85 seconds and Vu clocked 27.53 seconds.

• Senior Jack Farrell led a top-three sweep for the Saints in Wyoming in the men’s 400 meters. Farrell won in 54.37 seconds with junior Rudu Wani second in 55.79 seconds and junior Noah Boyd third in 56.59 seconds. Junior Zach Franco added a win in the men’s 200 meters in 24.04 seconds.

• At the UCCS Pre-Holiday Open, Farrell added a sixth-place finish in the men’s mile in 4:42.02.

• In the field events in Wyoming, freshman Ryan Doidge won the men’s pole vault with a mark of 13 feet, 11.25 inches.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Another solid effort for senior Vanessa Aniteye in the women’s 800 meters led Seattle Pacific’s efforts at the UW Indoor Preview on Saturday.

• Aniteye placed ninth overall and first in her heat, knocking two seconds off of her season best with a time of 2:10.83. She continues to lead Division II and ranks 20th across all college divisions.

• Senior David Njeri placed second in the men’s triple jump with a 14-inch season best, finishing with a leap of 48 feet, 5.5 inches. That improved his NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark and ranks 11th in Division II this season.

• Freshman Kayla Tassara was the top SPU women’s finisher in the field events, placing seventh in the pole vault with her mark of 11 feet, 9 inches. Junior Kainoa Lee placed sixth in the men’s pole vault with his mark of 13 feet, 11.25 inches.

• Junior Julius Shepherd notched a fifth-place finish in the men’s 200 meters, finishing in 22.64 seconds. The men’s 4x400-meter relay team of Isaiah Archer, Shepherd, Darius Holmes and David Garcia placed fifth in a time of 3:26.15.

• Seattle Pacific will not compete again until Jan. 27 and 28 when the Falcons take part in the UW Invitational.

SIMON FRASER
• Sophomore Marie-Éloïse Leclair’s record run in the women’s 60 meters headlined Simon Fraser’s performances at the UW Indoor Preview on Saturday.

• Leclair broke the conference record twice, running 7.49 seconds in the preliminaries before winning the finals in a time of 7.45 seconds. Both times eclipsed the previous record of 7.52 seconds set by Paige Johnson of Concordia in 2020. The mark is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks eighth in Division II this season. The effort earned Leclair selection as the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week.

• Junior Jordan Schmidt was selected as the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he finished second in the 800 meters in a time of 1:52.06. The leading time in the conference and an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, Schmidt’s mark is No. 6 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Scott Arndt ran an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the men’s 3,000 meters. Arndt placed 21st in a time of 8:17.20, which ranks No. 9 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Jesaiah Penson-McCoy picked up a fifth-place finish in the men’s 60 meters, clocking a time of 6.92 seconds. He was one of just two Division II runners to advance to the final. Sophomore Jeremy Belcher placed seventh in the men’s 200 meters with a time of 22.89 seconds.

• Freshman Emma Cannan added an eighth-place finish in the women’s 200 meters in her SFU debut in a time of 26.29 seconds. In the field events, freshman Olivia Windbiel was eighth in the triple jump with a mark of 35 feet, 3.75 inches.

• Simon Fraser returns to action on Jan. 27, sending athletes to both the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston and the UW Invitational in Seattle.

WESTERN OREGON
• Senior Dayne Gordien and junior Hunter Hutton both notched NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks as Western Oregon competed at both the UW Indoor Preview and Spokane Indoor Challenge.

• Gordien was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week for his win in the men’s shot put at Spokane with a mark of 55 feet, 1.5 inches. The mark ranks No. 5 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 2 on the WOU all-time list and ties him for 16th in Division II this season.

• Hutton notched a provisional mark in Seattle in the men’s 3,000 meters. He was the top non-Division I finisher, placing 20th in a time of 8:16.11 that ranks eighth in Division II this season.

• Freshman Ujunwa Nwokoma had a record-setting debut, placing fourth in Spokane in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 18 feet, 5 inches. That bettered the previous WOU record of 18 feet, 3 inches, set by Jenelle Hurley last season, and leads the GNAC this season. Hurley placed sixth with a mark of 18 feet. 0.25 inches.

• Senior Maya Hopwood finished eighth in the women’s 60 meters in Seattle, clocking a time of 7.77 seconds. She had the seventh-fastest time in the preliminaries at 7.74 seconds. Junior Dominique Loggins had the sixth-fastest time in the preliminaries of the men’s 60 meters in Seattle in 6.98 seconds but did not run in the finals.

• Junior Maliyah Thompson placed eighth in the women’s 60-meter hurdles in Spokane in 9.05 seconds.

• Western Oregon returns to action this weekend, competing in the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open on Friday and Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington saw five athletes run school top 10 times in the 800 meters to lead the Vikings’ performances at the UW Indoor Preview.

• Sophomore Will Henry led the three WWU men to make the top 10, placing fourth in the men’s 800 meters with a time of 1:52.08 that ranks No. 3 on the WWU all-time list. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is No. 7 in Division II this season.

• Junior Marian Ledesma paced the two Vikings women who made the 800-meter top 10. She placed 12th and was second among non-Division I runners in a time of 2:14.40, second best in school history.

• Sophomore Jessica Neal recorded an indoor personal best in the women’s high jump, tying for fourth with a clearance of 5 feet, 5 inches. Junior Matty Lagerwey added a fifth-place finish in the women’s long jump, also setting an indoor personal best with a leap of 18 feet, 4.5 inches.

• Sophomore Miller Campbell finished fourth in the men’s weight throw with a mark of 54 feet, 1.75 inches. It is the leading mark in the conference this season.

• The UW Indoor Preview was the first Western Washington meet in decades without Pee Wee Halsell at the helm. Halsell announced his retirement in December after 36 years leading the WWU cross country and track and field programs. Ben Stensland has been named interim head coach.

• Western Washington returns to action on Jan. 27 and 28, competing at the UW Invitational in Seattle.