Tuesday, February 14, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Episode 113 of the conference’s online radio show GNAC Insider is now available on iTunes, featuring Western Washington men’s basketball forward Jeffrey Parker, Concordia track and field throws coach Jarred Rome and Northwest Nazarene head track and field coach John Spatz.

In his senior season, Parker has been a key part of Western Washington’s bid for its first regular season GNAC title since 2013. Averaging 16.5 points and 4.1 rebounds, Parker has helped Western Washington clinch a spot in the GNAC Championships with two weeks left in the regular season, while being tied for first place in the conference standings. In his career, Parker has scored 1,770 points, which ranks third in WWU history and is only 13 points away from second place. With a conference playoff berth clinched, the Vikings are guaranteed to play at least five more games with Parker only 74 points away from the all-time program record. On Thursday, the Vikings will play at Central Washington on ROOT Sports at 8 p.m. Pacific.

Rome is in his fourth year as an assistant coach for Concordia track and field and the throws center manager. Under the leadership of Rome, throws has been a strength for Concordia track and field. Three-time USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week McKenzie Warren broke the all-time Division II record in the shot put last week at the Husky Classic with mark of 57 feet, 9.75 inches. Rome’s own athletic career has been marked with success as well. The six-time NCAA Division I All-American was the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials champion in the discus and was the nation’s No. 1 thrower in four years. The throw center that he manages is the first of its kind in the United States, being dedicated solely to throws. It’s a world-class venue for collegiate athletes and Olympic hopefuls. Concordia competes again this weekend in Nampa, Idaho at the 2017 GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Spatz is at the helm of the Northwest Nazarene track and field program for a 17th season. Under his leadership, Northwest Nazarene has produced 65 individual conference champions indoors and outdoors, while seven of his athletes have set all-time conference records. The Crusaders have already recorded several standout individual performances this season. Payton Lewis cleared 17 feet, 4.5 inches in the pole vault, which is the second-best mark in GNAC history. Ebu Camara ran the 400-meter dash in 48.42 seconds, ranking seventh in conference history. Northwest Nazarene will host the 2017 GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, which begin on Friday.