Thursday, May 25, 2023

PUEBLO, Colo. – Simon Fraser junior Charlie Dannatt led a trio of GNAC qualifiers Thursday on day one of the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships on Thursday at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.

Dannatt was the top qualifier in the men’s 1,500 meters and will run in the finals on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. (MDT). Ranked No. 2 in Division II entering the meet, Dannatt finished in a near-dead heat with Luke Julian of Colorado Mines, clocking a time of 3:50.25. Julian was one-hundredth of a second behind at 3:50.26.

Seven of the 12 qualifiers for Saturday’s final came out of the first heat. Western Washington sophomore Drew Weber was also in that fast first heat, placing ninth and 16th overall in a time of 3:53.73.

Red Leafs sophomore Marie-Éloïse Leclair was also an automatic qualifier for Saturday’s final in the women’s 100 meters. The two-time GNAC champion and record holder placed second in the first heat and fourth overall in a time of 11.52 seconds. Central Washington junior E’lexis Hollis placed 15th in a time of 11.78 seconds.

Western Washington sophomore Ila Davis, meanwhile, was the final time qualifier for Friday’s final in the women’s steeplechase. Placing sixth in the first preliminary heat, she was 12th overall and grabbed the final spot by two-tenths of a second in a time of 11:01.05.

Vikings sophomore Jeret Gillingham rounded out the day on the track by placing 14th in the men’s steeplechase in a time of 9:30.05.

Northwest Nazarene sophomore Steven Schmidt struggled in a stacked field in the men’s decathlon, sitting 13th after the first day with a score of 3,579 points. His best event came in his specialty, the high jump, where he won the discipline with a clearance of 6 feet, 10.75 inches. Schmidt finished 13th in the long jump, 14th in the 400 meters and 15th in the 100 meters and shot put.

Day two of the Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships begins Friday with the sixth event of the decathlon, the 110-meter hurdles, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Other events involving GNAC athletes include finals in the men’s triple jump and women’s steeplechase along with preliminary heats in the women’s 200 meters, men’s and women’s 800 meters and the women’s 100-meter hurdles.