Wednesday, January 17, 2018

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Dustin Nading, Western Oregon
Junior • Longview, Wash.

At the UW Preview, Nading placed ninth in the 3,000 meters in a school record time of 8:11.67. The performance broke David Ribich’s former record of 8:13.94 and moves him up to No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List. The time is also an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is the sixth fastest time in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Noah Wallace (Concordia), Sam Zook (Montana State Billings), Jackson Hand (Saint Martin’s), Cordell Cummings (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Chris Brake, Alaska Anchorage
Sophomore • Nelson, New Zealand

In a field dominated by Division I competition, Brake placed third in the high jump at the UW Preview with a clearance of 6 feet, 8.75 inches. The mark is tied for ninth on the GNAC All-Time List, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is tied for 16th best in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Josh Koch (Concordia), Nels Flanagan (Montana State Billings), Josh Schulz (Saint Martin’s), Peter Behncke (Simon Fraser), Alani Troutman (Western Oregon), Ben Malquist (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Julia Howley, Simon Fraser
Senior • St. John’s, N.L.

Howley placed 12th in the elite heat of the 3,000 meters at the UW Preview with a personal best time of 9:32.78. The time is the best in Division II so far this season, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and moves the senior up to No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list in the event.

Also Nominated: Chase Stephens (Concordia), Michaela Johnson (Montana State Billings), Artresa Nickelsen (Saint Martin’s), Olivia Woods (Western Oregon), Claire Hansen (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Christina MacDonald, Concordia
Senior • Myrtle Creek, Ore.

MacDonald opened the season by tying the GNAC record in the weight throw at the UW Preview, placing third with a mark of 58 feet, 2.5 inches. She equaled the mark set by Kristin Hepler of Western Oregon is 2004. It is also an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier. MacDonald also placed sixth in the shot put with a mark of 46 feet, 9.5 inches. The mark is No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List. Both marks are 11th best in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Shaniah Schwend (Montana State Billings), Tiffany Pott (Saint Martin’s), Jasmine McMullin (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage notched four top-five finishes as the Seawolves opened the season at the UW Preview.

• Sophomore Chris Brake was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he finished third in the high jump. His mark of 6 feet, 8.75 inches, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is tied for 17th in Division II this season. It also ties him for ninth on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Junior Danielle McCormick placed third in the women’s 800 meters with a time of 2:11.17. She was beaten only by two professional athletes as she hit an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier that is sixth in Division II this season.

• Senior Liam Lindsay placed fourth in the men’s 400 meters with a time of 49.51 seconds. He also anchored the Seawolves’ 4x400 relay team that placed fourth with a time of 3:22.58.

• Senior Tamara Perez placed ninth in the women’s 800 meters with a time of 2:20.74 and had the top GNAC time in the mile in 5:08.83.

• Alaska Anchorage will race again in two weeks, competing at the UW Invitational back at Dempsey Indoor.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington saw its best marks on the women’s side as the Wildcats re-started the season at the UW Preview.

• Junior Mariyah Vongsaveng placed ninth in the qualifying heats of the women’s 60-meter hurdles in a time of 8.81 seconds. The mark is just short of her season best of 8.71 seconds from the Dec. 9 Jacksons Open, which ranks 10th in Division II this season.

• Senior Ali Anderson was the top GNAC finisher and the top non-Division I finisher in the women’s 400 meters, placing ninth in a time of 57.14 seconds. Anderson has a season best of 56.20 seconds in the event, ranking her fifth in Division II. In addition, Anderson is sixth in Division II in the pentathlon with a score of 3,501 points set at the Candy Cane multis in December.

• Senior Trevaughn Scott opened his season with an eighth-place finish in the men’s 400 meters, clocking a time of 50.12 seconds.

• Senior Kodiak Landis had the fastest GNAC time in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 8.59 seconds. Landis has already notched NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the pole vault (15-11, 12th) and the heptathlon (5,244, 4th).

• Central Washington returns to action next Saturday, competing at the WSU Open in Pullman, Wash.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia opened the season with seven NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks and a GNAC record at the UW Preview.

• Senior Christina MacDonald was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she tied the conference record in the women’s weight throw. She placed third with a mark of 58 feet, 2.5 inches, tying the mark set by Western Oregon’s Kristin Hepler in 2004. MacDonald also placed sixth in the shot put with a mark of 46 feet, 9.5 inches. MacDonald hit NCAA provisional qualifying marks and is ranked 11th in Division II in both events.

• Senior Melissa Ausman also hit NCAA provisional qualifiers in both throws, placing fourth in the shot put with a mark of 49 feet, 4.25 inches, and fifth in the weight throw with a mark of 57 feet, 8.25 inches. The shot put mark is No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 4 in Division II this season. The weight throw performance is fourth on the GNAC All-Time List and 13th in Division II this season.

• Junior Katrina Linenko also hit an NCAA provisional qualifier in the women’s shot put. Her mark of 45 feet, 4.25 inches is 10th on the GNAC All-Time List and 17th in Division II this season.

• Junior Josh Koch had an NCAA provisional qualifier in the men’s shot put. His eighth-place mark of 54 feet, 10 inches is 16th in Division II this season. Sophomore Jakob Chamberlin hit a provisional mark in the shot put as well. His mark of 52 feet, 8 inches is 27th in Division II.

• Sophomore Adam Brown had the best non-Division I time in the men’s 400 meters, clocking a time of 49.38 seconds. Freshman Noah Wallace led all GNAC athletes in the men’s 800 meters with his third-place time of 1:53.78.

• Concordia heads east this weekend, competing in the Bronco Invite at the Jacksons Indoor Center in Nampa, Idaho.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Eight top-three finishes and a school record for senior Nels Flanagan led Montana State Billings’ efforts at the Bobcat Invitational.

• Flanagan improved his record in the men’s weight throw by over two feet, placing second with a mark of 56 feet, 6 inches. The mark is just short of the NCAA Championships provisional qualifier of 57 feet, 3.5 inches.

• Senior Sam Zook led a top-three sweep for the Yellowjackets in the men’s 60 meters. Zook won the event with a time of 6.80 seconds, tying his season best which ranks fourth in Division II. Freshman Lamont Frisby was second in 6.95 seconds while sophomore Mason Schram was third in 6.98 seconds.

• Sophomore Isaiah Girard just missed the NCAA provisional qualifier in the men’s high jump, placing second with a mark of 6 feet, 6.75 inches. Sophomore Marcus Lindquist was third in the men’s triple jump with a leap of 43 feet, 4.5 inches.

• The Yellowjackets had two third-place finishes in the 800 meters. Senior Jorey Egeland was third in men’s race with a time of 2:02.20 while sophomore Nikki Aiken was third in the women’s race in a time of 2:37.89.

• Montana State Billings will head east for its second meet of the season, competing at the SDSU Division II Invitational in Brookings, S.D.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene picked up two NCAA Championships provisional qualifiers at the Ed Jacoby Invitational at the Jacksons Indoor Track.

• Senior Payton Lewis earned his provisional qualifier in the men’s pole vault, placing second with a clearance of 16 feet, 4.75 inches. The mark is No. 2 in Division II this season.

• Freshman Dakota Tidwell hit the provisional qualifying mark in the men’s heptathlon right on the nose, winning with a score of 4,671 points. He won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.91 seconds and was second in the 60 meters and pole vault. Tidwell’s total is tied for 31st in Division II this season.

• Senior John Van Beuren placed second in the shot put with a mark of 51 feet, 2.75 inches, and third in the weight throw with a mark of 56 feet, 5.25 inches. Van Beuren’s season best of 57 feet, 9 inches in the weight throw is No. 31 in Division II this season.

• Freshman Keffrey Stellway opened his NNU career with a second-place finish in the men’s high jump, clearing 6 feet, 1.75 inches. In the women’s high jump, senior Rachel Bartlow tied for fourth with her clearance of 5 feet, 2.5 inches. She was top non-Division I finisher in the event.

• Junior Emily Hammons was the top NNU women’s finisher in the running events, placing ninth in the 3,000 meters in a time of 11:48.45.

• The Nighthawks return to action this weekend, competing in the Bronco Invitational in Nampa.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Sophomore Josh Schulz’s performance in the men’s long jump topped Saint Martin’s efforts at the UW Preview.

• Schulz placed sixth in the discipline with a mark of 22 feet, 6.25 inches. He was second among GNAC competitors in the event.

• Junior Jackson Hand led the Saint’s efforts on the track, placing sixth in a time of 22.23 seconds. The mark was the best by a GNAC competitor in the meet. Hand leads the GNAC with a season-best of 22.01 seconds at last month’s Jackson Open.

• Two women’s throwers improved on season bests in the meet. Junior Megan Vernoy set a season-best in the shot put with a mark of 36 feet, 9.75 inches, while junior Liz Larson improved to 43 feet, 7.75 inches in the weight throw.

• Saint Martin’s will not compete this weekend and will return to Seattle on Jan. 26 and 27 for the UW Invitational.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• A pair of solid efforts in the 60-meter hurdles led Seattle Pacific’s start to the season at the UW Preview.

• Freshman Renick Meyer opened her college career with a time of 8.92 seconds in the women’s 60-meter hurdles. The time is second best in the GNAC this season. Meyer also placed 11th in the long jump and was the top GNAC competitor in the event with a mark of 17 feet, 10.75 inches.

• Junior Peyton Harris ran finished fourth in the first qualifying rounds of the men’s 60-meter hurdles, running 8.58 seconds. The mark is a season-best and third best in the GNAC this season.

• Senior Chynna Phan placed fifth in the women’s 800 meters, opening the season with a time of 2:15.89.

• Junior Geneva Lehnert opened her season by tying for fifth in the women’s high jump, clearing 5 feet, 3 inches. The mark ties her for third best in the GNAC this season.

• The Falcons will not compete this weekend. They return to competition at the UW Invitational on Jan. 26 and 27.

SIMON FRASER
• The top Division II time in the nation for senior Julia Howley in the women’s 3,000 meters led Simon Fraser’s season opener at the UW Preview.

• Howley placed 12th in the event in a time of 9:32.78, which ranks tops in Division II this season. In addition to being an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, it is just two seconds short of the automatic qualifying mark of 9:29.29 and is No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List. For her efforts, Howley was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week.

• Howley led a trio of provisional qualifiers in the event. Senior Miryam Bassett placed 19th in a time of 9:53.87, currently fourth best in Division II, while senior Reta Dobie placed 20th in 9:54.01, currently fifth-best nationally.

• Junior Rowan Doherty placed 15th in the men’s 3,000 meters with a time of 8:20.90. The mark is second in the GNAC and ninth in Division II. Senior Oliver Jorgensen finished 19th in a time of 8:24.04, ranking him third in the GNAC and 11th in Division II this season. Both are NCAA provisional qualifiers.

• Sophomore Diana Voloshin had the top GNAC time at the meet in the women’s 200 meters with a time of 25.75 seconds, which ranks as the second-best time in the GNAC this season. She also placed fifth in her qualifying round of the women’s 60-meter hurdles in 8.99 seconds.

• Senior Peter Behncke was the top placing SFU men’s athlete, taking fifth in the weight throw with a mark of 54 feet, 2 inches. The mark is fourth best in the GNAC.

• Simon Fraser will return to competition on Jan. 26 and 27 at the UW Invitational.

WESTERN OREGON
• A school record and a Division II all-time best led Western Oregon’s season-opening efforts at the UW Preview.

• Junior Dustin Nading broke teammate David Ribich’s record in the men’s 3,000 meters, placing sixth in a time of 8:11.67. The time ranks No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List, is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is sixth best in Division II this season. For his efforts, Nading was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week.

• Ribich, meanwhile, ran the fastest time in Division II history in the men’s 1,000 meters, finishing second in a time of 2:21.38. The time surpassed the record of 2:21.94 run by Joseph Kembi of West Texas A&M in 1997, but is not an official record as Ribich’s race was run on an oversized track. For the performance, Ribich was named the USTFCCCA Division II Men’s Athlete of the Week.

• Sophomore Alani Troutman posted the top GNAC in the men’s long jump so far this season. Troutman placed fourth with a mark of 22 feet, 9.25 inches. He was the top GNAC finisher in the event.

• Senior Aaron Whitaker opened his final season with a fifth-place finish in the men’s 400 meters. His time of 49.67 seconds is third best in the GNAC this season.

• The Wolves enjoyed solid performances from both 4x400-meter relays. The women’s relay team placed fifth in a time of 3:58.08. The men also placed fifth in a time of 3:23.91. Both times are second best in the GNAC this season.

• Western Oregon returns to competition in two weeks, traveling back to Seattle to take part in the UW Invitational.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• An NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark for senior Jasmine McMullin in the women’s triple jump led Western Washington’s season-opening efforts at the UW Preview.

• McMullin opened the year by placing third in the event. Her mark of 39 feet, 4.5 inches was just nine inches off her lifetime best of 40 feet, 1.25 inches. The performance leads the GNAC and is fifth in Division II this season.

• Junior Adam Thomas had the top GNAC mark in the meet in the men’s pole vault, placing 13th with his clearance of 13 feet, 7.75 inches. Junior Tupre Wickliff had WWU’s seventh-best performance all-time in the men’s high jump with his mark of 6 feet, 4.75 inches.

• Junior Sophia Roberts netted WWU’s third-best mark all-time in the weight throw with a mark of 43 feet, 11.25 inches. Freshman Claire Hansen clocked the school’s fifth-best all-time mark in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.26 seconds.

• The Vikings return to action in two weekends, competing in the UW Invitational on Jan. 26 and 27.