Tuesday, April 10, 2018

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Jorey Egeland, Montana State Billings
Senior • Billings, Mont.

Egeland won the steeplechase at the War XI Meet going away, putting 24 seconds on the field while crossing the finish line in 9:19.96. The time is the fourth-fastest in the GNAC this season and just missed the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 9:17.36.

Also Nominated: Logan Armstrong (Saint Martin’s), Justin Crosswhite (Western Oregon), Cordell Cummings (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Olivia Woods, Western Oregon
Junior • Troutdale, Ore.

Woods led a top-four sweep for the Wolves in the 400 meters at the John Knight Twilight. She reset her own school record in the event with a time of 56.01 seconds, winning by over a second. The mark is No. 2 in the GNAC this season and just missed the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark of 55.93 seconds.

Also Nominated: Alexa Shindruk (Central Washington), Michaela Johnson (Montana State Billings), Ashley Vest (Saint Martin’s), Peyton Shinnick (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Jacob Slate, Concordia
Freshman • Chandler, Ariz.

Slate won the hammer at the John Knight Twilight on Friday by 26 feet with a GNAC-leading throw of 200 feet, 5 inches. The mark improves slate to No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 4 on the Concordia All-Time List. An NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark, Slate has the sixth-best mark in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Beau Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Kauanoe Vanderpoel (Saint Martin’s), Jalon Field (Western Oregon), Alex Barry (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Melissa Ausman, Concordia
Senior • Nyssa, Ore.

Ausman set the GNAC record in the discus to win the event the John Knight Twilight. Her winning throw of 170 feet, 1 inch, bettered the mark of 169 feet, 3 inches, set by former teammate McKenzie Warren last year. She is the first GNAC women’s athlete to go over 170 feet in the event. The mark improved Ausman’s NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark, ranking her third in Division II this season. Ausman also placed third in the shot put with a mark of 45 feet, 7.75 inches.

Also Nominated: Liz Larson (Saint Martin’s), Darian Wilson (Western Oregon), Anna Paradee (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage did not compete last weekend and will not compete again until heading to Southern California on Apr. 19 for the Mt. SAC Relays, Bryan Clay Invitational and the Beach Invitational.

• Senior Caroline Kurgat automatically qualified for nationals after finishing seventh in the invitational section of the 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational. She ran a UAA and GNAC record time of 32:33.64, which is also the second-fastest time in Division II history. Kurgat is also provisionally qualified in the 1,500 meters (4:26.16, 5th).

• The Seawolves’ other women’s NCAA Championships provisional qualifers are Vanessa Aniteye in the 400 meters (55.17, 3rd), Danielle McCormick in the 800 meters (2:08.82, 6th), Yemi Knight in the 800 meters (2:10.47), Tamara Perez in the 800 meters (2:11.31, 16th) and the 1,500 meters (4:30.87, 13th), Emmah Chelimo in the 5,000 meters (17:14.06, 16th) and the steeplechase (11:00.09, 16th) and Mariah Burroughs in the steeplechase (10:51.76, 11th). The Seawolves are also provisionally qualified in the 4x400-meter relay (3:43.01, 5th).

• The UAA men are led by Liam Lindsay, who has the conference’s top time in the 400 meters (48.75). Jorge Sanchez has the conference’s top time in the 10,000 meters (31:20.37) and Brandon Nicholson leads the GNAC in the triple jump (47-5.25). The Seawolves also have the conference’s top time in the 4x400-meter relay (3:16.66).

• For the second straight week, the Seawolves’ women are ranked No. 5 in the USTFCCCA Division II National Team Rankings.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington saw six athletes win events and Alexa Shindruk hit an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier at the War XI Meet in Spokane, Wash.

• Shindruk won the women’s 5,000 meters by over a minute. The junior’s time of 17:00.79 is the best in the conference this season and ninth in Division II.

• Sophomore Aujanique Doss won both women’s sprints, taking the 100 meters in 12.65 seconds and the 200 meters in 25.25 seconds. She is tied for No. 3 this season in the 200 meters.

• Junior Mariyah Vongsaveng won the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 14.78 seconds while senior Ali Anderson took the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:01.65.

• Junior Brooke Williams led CWU’s field event entrants. She won the women’s long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 9.5 inches, and placed second in the triple jump with a mark of 37 feet, 10 inches. Junior Zach Whittaker was the top men’s field-event finisher, taking third in the triple jump with a mark of 42 feet, 6.75 inches.

• Senior Kodiak Landis was the Wildcats’ lone men’s event winner, taking the 200 meters with a GNAC-leading time of 21.86 seconds. The Wildcats also won the 4x400-meter relay in a time of 3:17.66. Sophomore Daniel Calderon was second in the men’s 400 meters in 49.14 seconds.

• In the distances, freshman Nicole Soleim placed second in the women’s steeplechase in 11:16.81, ranking her fourth in the GNAC, while sophomore Delaney Clem was third in the women’s 10,000 meters in 38:42.87.

• Central Washington’s decathletes and heptathletes will compete in the Spokane Multis on Tuesday and Wednesday. The rest of the team will compete on Saturday at the SMU Jay Hammer Invitational in Lacey, Wash.

CONCORDIA
• A GNAC-record performance by senior Melissa Ausman in the women’s discus led nine Concordia event winners at Friday’s John Knight Twilight.

• Ausman won the event with a mark of 170 feet, 10 inches, breaking the record of 169 feet, 3 inches set by former teammate McKenzie Warren in 2017. Ausman also placed third in the shot put at 45 feet, 7.75 inches. The performances earned Ausman selection as the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.

• Freshman Jacob Slate was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week for his winning effort in the men’s hammer. He won the event by 26 feet with a mark of 200 feet, 5 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 6 in Division II this season.

• Freshman Easton Christensen earned a provisional qualifying mark in the men’s javelin, winning at the John Knight with a mark of 208 feet, 4 inches. He is the fifth GNAC athlete this season to throw over 200 feet. Christensen is fourth in the GNAC this season and No. 12 in Division II.

• The Cavaliers had victories in three of the women’s jumping events. Junior Chelsea Bone won the long jump in 17 feet, 7.5 inches, senior Emma Hill won the triple jump in 38 feet, 6.75 inches and junior Tori Johnson won the high jump in 5 feet, 5 inches.

• Senior Christina MacDonald added a victory in the women’s hammer with a mark of 190 feet, 3 inches, and was second in the shot put as she improved to No. 11 in Division II at 48 feet, 4 inches.

• Senior Carlos Ortiz was the Cavaliers’ lone running event winner, taking the men’s 100 meters in 10.74 seconds.

• Concordia’s women climbed one spot to No. 14 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II National Team Rankings.

• Concordia heads south this weekend to compete at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, Calif.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Senior Jorey Egeland’s win in the men’s steeplechase led Montana State Billings’ efforts at the War XI Meet in Spokane, Wash.

• Egeland was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning the race by 24 seconds with a time of 9:19.76. The mark is No. 4 in the GNAC this season and is just short of the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 9:17.36.

• The Yellowjackets’ only other event winner was the men’s 4x100-meter relay team, which clocked a time of 42.55 seconds.

• Senior Sam Zook notched a second-place finish in the men’s 200 meters in 21.87 seconds that ranks second in the GNAC. Freshman Lamont Frisby was second in the men’s 100 meters with a time of 11.22 seconds.

• Sophomore Michaela Johnson was a top finisher in a pair of women’s sprint events. Johnson placed third in the 100-meter hurdles and took fourth in the 100 meters in 13.06 seconds.

• Junior Beau Ackerman threw over 200 feet in the men’s javelin for the second time this season, placing second with a mark of 200 feet, 3 inches. Ackerman is one of five GNAC athletes to throw over 200 feet this season.

• Junior Brady Ostermiller added a third-place finish in the shot put at 47 feet, 1.5 inches.

• With the scheduled Bauer Invitational canceled due to snow, Montana State Billings will instead head west this weekend to compete in the Montana Open in Missoula.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Senior John Van Beuren’s win in the men’s discus led Northwest Nazarene’s efforts at the War IX Meet in Spokane, Wash.

• Van Beuren took the discus with a mark of 158 feet, 11 inches, winning by over two feet. The performance was short of Van Beuren’s season-best of 162 feet, 9 inches.

• The Nighthawks had a trio of third-place finishers in the men’s running events. Sophomore Logan Blake was third in the 200 meters in a season-best 22.14 seconds. Freshman Zachary Magee was third in the 400 meters in a season-best 49.23 seconds while senior Nick Hamilton was third in the steeplechase in 9:45.80.

• Junior Micah Tranch added a third-place finish in the men’s high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 2.75 inches.

• Junior Nice Loufoua finished second in the women’s long jump with a season-best mark of 17 feet, 2.75 inches, and finished fifth in the triple jump at 36 feet, 10.75 inches. Sophomore Jackie Mahowald placed third in the long jump at 16 feet, 10 inches, and was fourth in the triple jump at 37 feet, 1 inch.

• Northwest Nazarene hosts its second and final full home meet of the season this weekend with the NNU Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• A pair of victories in the hammer throw paced Saint Martin’s at the Western Washington Quad Meet in Bellingham, Wash.

• Junior Liz Larson earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark with her win in the women’s hammer at 182 feet, 8 inches. The mark is No. 9 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 14 in Division II this season.

• Senior Kauanoe Vanderpoel was a winner once again in the men’s hammer with his mark of 180 feet, 11 inches. The winning mark was just short of his season-best of 181 feet. 2 inches.

• Senior Deanna Avalos improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the women’s javelin. Her mark of 146 feet, 1 inches, third in the meet, is third in the GNAC and No. 9 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Logan Armstrong was the Saints’ lone running event winner, capturing the men’s 100 meters in 11.36 seconds. Junior Jackson Hand added a third-place finish in the men’s 400 meters in 50.22 seconds while the men’s 4x100-meter relay team finished second in 42.33 seconds.

• In the women’s running events, sophomore Ariya Kendrick placed third in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.12 seconds (matching her season best) while freshman Ashley Vest was third in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:16.15. Junior Sadie Dalgleish was fourth in the steeplechase with her time of 12:34.27.

• Freshman Cyrus Marshall placed third in the men’s pole vault, clearing 13 feet, 2.25 inches, while sophomore Josh Schulz was third in the triple with a mark of 40 feet, 7 inches.

• Saint Martin’s hosts its lone home meet of the season on Saturday, the SMU Jay Hammer Meet in Lacey.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Six women’s event winners paced Seattle Pacific’s performances at the Western Washington Quad Meet.

• Freshman Renick Meyer was a two-event winner. She took the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 14.81 seconds and won the long jump with a GNAC-leading mark of 18 feet, 8.5 inches.

• Freshman Julia Stepper won the women’s 100 meters with a time of 12.43 seconds while senior Becca Houk was second in 12.52 seconds. Sophomore Grace Bley won the 200 meters in 25.39 seconds while sophomore Lani Taylor took the 400 meters in 56.94 seconds.

• Sophomore Scout Cai earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the women’s pole vault, placing second with a clearance of 12 feet. 0.5 inches. The mark ranks her 21st in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Kate Lilly earned a provisional qualifier after finishing fourth in the women’s 1,500 meters in 4:33.34. The time is No. 4 in the GNAC and No. 27 in Division II.

• Freshman Kellie May was second in both horizontal jumps, placing second in the long jump in a season-best 18 feet, 1 inch, and in the triple jump at 36 feet, 11.5 inches.

• The SPU women also won two relays, capturing the 4x100-meter relay in 47.09 and the 4x400-meter relay 3:52.64. The Falcons also fielded a 4x800-meter relay team, finishing second in 9:13.62.

• Freshman Davis Flintoff led the SPU men, placing second in the pole vault with a clearance of 13 feet, 8.25 inches. Senior Peyton Harris was third in the long jump at 21 feet, 9 inches.

• Seattle Pacific will be among the GNAC teams competing this weekend at the SMU Jay Hammer Meet in Lacey, Wash.

SIMON FRASER
• Competing in its only home meet of the season, Simon Fraser had nine individual event winners at the Emilie Mondor Invitational.

• The SFU women notched three individual event winners. Freshman Meyer Quaynor won the 100 meters in 12.60 seconds while freshman Renate Bluschke took the 400 meters in 57.67 seconds.

• Freshman Holly Taylor won a pair of field events, capturing the women’s shot put at 39 feet, 7.25 inches, and the javelin at 116 feet, 2 inches. Taylor also took second place finishes in the discus (123-4) and the hammer (161-3). Junior Mackenzie Stewart won the women’s high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 3.75 inches.

• The Clan had three winners in the men’s distances. Senior Oliver Jorgensen won the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:56.16. Senior Mateo de Dalmases won the 5,000 meters in 15:07.89 while senior Braeden Charlton won the 2,000-meter steeplechase in 6:07.81.

• The men’s sprints saw junior Joshua Adehmar win the 400-meter hurdles in 57.65 while the men’s 4x400-meter relay team won in a time of 3:35.52.

• Freshman Mackenzie Riddell was the lone men’s field-event winner, taking the long jump with a mark of 14 feet, 11 inches. Freshman Tiger Wu was second in the hammer with a mark of 145 feet, 11 inches.

• Simon Fraser goes from the Great White North to the sunny south this weekend, participating in the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, Calif.

WESTERN OREGON
• Competing at home for the first time this season, Western Oregon had six individual event winners, a school record and an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier at Friday’s John Knight Twilight.

• Junior Olivia Woods was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she led a top-four sweep for the Wolves in the women’s 400 meters. She broke her own school record with her winning time of 56.01 seconds. The time is No. 2 in the GNAC and was just short of the NCAA provisional qualifying time of 55.93 seconds.

• Freshman Darian Wilson improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the women’s javelin. Her third-place mark of 144 feet, 5 inches, is fifth in the GNAC and No. 13 in Division II.

• Sophomore Justin Crosswhite ran a season-best in the men’s 1,500 meters to win in 3:54.72. Freshman Neal Cranston was a winner in the men’s 800 meters with a season-best time of 1:55.42.

• Senior Kennedy Rufener added a first-place finish in the women’s 1,500 meters, clocking a time of 4:38.79. The season-best time is seventh in the GNAC this season.

• In the men’s field events, freshman Jackson Stallard won the pole vault with a season-best clearance of 14 feet, 3.25 inches while sophomore Jalon Fields won the triple jump with a mark of 45 feet, 7.75 inches that ranks third in the GNAC.

• The WOU men are in the USTFCCCA Division II Team Rankings for the second straight week, dropping four spots to No. 23.

• Western Oregon competes in Portland this Saturday at the L&C Invitational.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• There’s no place like home for Western Washington as the Vikings had 11 individual event winners and improved on a pair of NCAA provisional qualifiers at their own WWU Quad Meet on Friday.

• Freshman Natalie Vetto improved her provisional qualifying mark in the women’s javelin, finishing second with a mark of 146 feet, 4 inches. The mark is No. 7 in Division II this season. Sophomore Raquel Pellecer won the javelin with a mark of 154 feet, 7 inches.

• Senior Anna Paradee improved her NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the women’s pole vault, winning with a clearance of 13 feet, 0.25 inches. The mark leads the GNAC and is No. 4 in Division II.

• Sophomore Chanelle Eddy won a pair of field events, taking the women’s shot put with a mark of 34 feet, 5 inches, and the hammer in 143 feet, 11 inches.

• Junior Alex Barry led seven men’s field event winners for the Vikings. He improved his lifetime best to win the javelin with a mark of 212 feet, 6 inches. The mark is No. 9 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 8 in Division II this season.

• Freshman Bryce Bryant-Leat won the men’s shot put at 51 feet, 9.25 inches, while senior Brandon Pless won the discus with a mark of 152 feet. Pless was second in the hammer with a mark of 169 feet, 7 inches.

• In the jumps, freshman Seren Dances won the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 11.25 inches, and placed second with a mark of 43 feet, 9.75 inches. Junior Jacob Ringold won the triple jump with his leap of 44 feet, 6.25 inches. Senior Adam Thomas won the men’s pole vault with a mark of 15 feet, 1.75 inches while junior Tupre Wickliff took the men’s high jump at 6 feet, 6.25 inches.

• Junior Daniel Jones won the men’s 200 meters with a time of 22.89 seconds to lead the WWU sprinters.

• After a week out of the rankings, Western Washington’s women are No. 23 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Team Rankings. The Vikings have been ranked in three of this year’s four polls.

• Western Washington will travel to Lacey, Wash., this weekend to take part in the SMU Jay Hammer Meet.