Wednesday, April 28, 2021

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Enrique Campbell, Alaska Anchorage
Sophomore • St. Catherine, Jamaica

Campbell won all three events he competed in at two meets in Oregon. At Friday’s Western Oregon Pop-Up, Campbell won the 100 meters in 10.94 seconds and the 200 meters in a GNAC-leading 21.95 seconds. Both are personal bests and rank on Alaska Anchorage’s top-10 lists. At Saturday’s Linfield Invitational, Campbell won the 400 meters in a time of 49.80 seconds.

Also Nominated: Zachary Davis (Central Washington), Carson Jessop (Montana State Billings), Tyler Shea (Northwest Nazarene), Landon Armstrong (Saint Martin’s), Justin Crosswhite (Western Oregon), Cordell Cummings (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Beau Ackerman, Montana State Billings
Senior • Glendive, Mont.

Ackerman won the college division javelin for the second year in a row at the prestigious Drake Relays with a mark of 216 feet, 3 inches. He was the only athlete to throw over 200 feet in the competition, winning by 26 feet. His mark would have finished third in the meet’s university division.

Also Nominated: Aidan Cain (Central Washington), Dylan Hendry (Northwest Nazarene), Andrew Schulz (Saint Martin’s), Karsten Collins (Western Oregon), Kacey Provo (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Elena Cano, Alaska Anchorage
Senior • Alpine, Texas

Cano won three events, including both hurdles disciplines, at the Linfield Invitational. She captured the 100-meter hurdles in 15.03 seconds, winning by nearly a second, and won the 400-meter hurdles in 1:04.18 with a four-second margin of victory. Cano also won the long jump with a personal-best mark of 18 feet, 3.75 inches.

Also Nominated: Kay Lester (Central Washington), Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Eden Mortensen (Saint Martin’s), Maliyah Thompson (Western Oregon), Karlie Hurley (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kinsey Langin, Northwest Nazarene
Freshman • Meridian, Idaho

Langin improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault, placing fourth at the BYU Robison Invitational with a mark of 12 feet, 8 inches. The mark ties her for 29th in Division II this season and ranks No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Natalie Vetto, Western Washington
Junior • Kirkland, Wash.

Vetto won the javelin at the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational with a mark of 139 feet, 11 inches. The season-best improved her to No. 27 in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Avery Fisk (Central Washington), Kendall Lynn (Montana State Billings), Jocelyn Saribay (Saint Martin’s), Moana Gianotti (Western Oregon).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage fared well in a pair of meets in Oregon last week, competing at the Western Oregon Pop-Up Meet on Friday and the Linfield Invitational on Saturday.

• Sophomore Enrique Campbell was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning all three of his events. At WOU, Campbell won the 100 meters in 10.94 seconds and the 200 meters in 21.95 seconds, both personal bests. At Linfield, Campbell won the 400 meters in a time of 49.80 seconds.

• Senior Elena Cano was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning three events at Linfield. Cano swept both hurdles disciplines, winning the 100-meter hurdles in 15.03 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles in 1:04.18. Cano also won the long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 3.75 inches.

• The Seawolves won six total events at Western Oregon. Freshman Joshua Wagner won the men’s 110-meter hurdles in 15.03 seconds while freshman Cole Nash won the men’s 1,500 meters in 3:59.89.

• Junior Tylantiss Atlas won the women’s 400 meters at WOU in a time of 58.13 seconds. Senior Ruth Cvancara won her season debut in the women’s 800 meters in 2:20.52.

• At Linfield, senior Lawson Sims added a win in the men’s steeplechase with a time of 9:22.32.

• The Seawolves will travel to Bellingham, Washington this weekend, closing the regular season on Saturday at the Ralph Vernacchia Meet.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington won both team titles and scored a total of 13 event victories on Saturday at the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma.

• The Wildcats’ women swept all three hurdles races. Sophomore McCall DeChenne won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.57 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles in 1:03.86. Junior Caitlin Gohr won the steeplechase in a time of 11:48.50.

• The CWU women also claimed three of the four throws. Junior Avery Fisk won the shot put with her mark of 43 feet, 8 inches, and won the discus with a mark of 136 feet. Junior Meagan Smallbeck won the hammer by eight feet with her GNAC-leading mark of 163 feet, 10 inches.

• The Wildcats also performed well in the men’s throws. Senior Andrew Harris won the hammer with a mark of 190 feet, 10 inches, and senior Aidan Cain won the discus with his mark of 143 feet, 11 inches. Cain was also second in the hammer and third in the shot put.

• Freshman Erica Cabanos won both women’s horizontal jumps, capturing the long jump with a mark of 16 feet, 11.75 inches, and the triple jump at 34 feet, 3 inches.

• On the track, senior Zachary Davis won the men’s 100 meters in 10.95 seconds. Senior Rajesh Gill took first in the men’s 10,000 meters in a time of 33:00.27 to lead a top-three sweep for CWU. Junior Kay Lester was the winner in the women’s 10,000 meters, clocking a time of 41:20.54.

• Central Washington closes the regular season on Saturday, participating in the Ralph Vernacchia Meet in Bellingham.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Performances by seniors Beau Ackerman and Isaiah Girard at the Drake Relays led Montana State Billings as the team competed both in Iowa and at the Trudnowski Open in Helena, Montana.

• Ackerman was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he won the college section of the javelin at the Drake Relays for the second time. Ackerman won with a throw of 216 feet, 3 inches, a mark that would have placed third in the university section.

• Girard took third in the college section of the men’s high jump, clearing the bar at 6 feet, 6.75 inches.

• Senior Mason Schram won the men’s 100 meters to lead MSUB at the Trudnowski Open, crossing the line in a time of 11.13 seconds. Schram took second in the 200 meters with a time of 22.45 seconds.

• Freshman Kendall Lynn was the winner in the women’s triple jump with her mark of 35 feet, 8 inches. In the men’s field events, freshman Payden Lynn won the javelin with his mark of 171 feet, 2 inches. Freshman Bryce Olson took second in the triple jump with a mark of 44 feet, 1.5 inches, and placed third in the long jump at 21 feet, 1.25 inches.

• On the track, junior Carson Jessop ran a personal best in the men’s 5,000 meters to win in a time of 15:45.53.

• Montana State Billings will not compete this weekend. The Yellowjackets will close its regular season on May 4 at the Dickinson State Last Chance Meet in Dickinson, North Dakota.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• An improved NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark for freshman Kinsey Langin and a win for junior Tyler Shea led Northwest Nazarene’s performances at the BYU Robison Invitational in Provo, Utah.

• Langin was named the GNAC Co-Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she placed fourth in the pole vault with a lifetime best and NNU record clearance of 12 feet, 8 inches. The mark moves Langin to No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List and ties her for 29th in Division II this season.

• Shea easily won the men’s 10,000 meters by over a minute, crossing in a time of 31:24.60. The time ranks third in the GNAC this season.

• The NNU women also performed well in the 10,000 meters. Junior Kalen Johnson took second with a time of 39:18.86 while senior Bethany Danner was third in 39:32.04.

• In the sprints, freshman Dylan Tidwell took second in the men’s 800 meters in a time of 1:53.64. Senior Lauren Wuertz set a personal best in the women’s 400 meters, placing seventh in a time of 56.48 seconds.

• The Robison Invitational was the final regular-season event of the season for Northwest Nazarene. Next for the Nighthawks is the GNAC Combined Event Championships on Monday and Tuesday in Ellensburg, Washington.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Three men’s event victories led performances for Saint Martin’s on Saturday at the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational.

• Sophomore Landon Armstrong landed first place in the men’s 200 meters with a time of 22.50 seconds. Sophomore Jack Farrell added a victory in the men’s 800 meters in 1:58.44 while the men’s 4x100-meter relay team won with a time of 43.71 seconds.

• Freshman Cassidy Sloan-Walchak led the women’s efforts on the track, placing third in the 800 meters in a time of 2:18.98. Freshman Eden Mortensen took fourth in the 100-meter hurdles with her time of 15.56 seconds.

• Freshman Jocelyn Saribay led the SMU field competitors, placing second in the shot put with her mark of 37 feet, 10 inches. Junior Ashley Vest added a second-place finish in the women’s high jump, clearing 4 feet, 11 inches.

• Freshman Andrew Schulz placed second in the men’s long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 7.25 inches. Junior Andrew Alfred added a third-place finish in the men’s pole vault with his clearance of 13 feet, 10.5 inches.

• Saint Martin’s will close the regular season this Saturday, competing at the Ralph Vernacchia Meet in Bellingham.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific collected six event victories and took second place in the women’s team competition at the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational on Saturday in Tacoma.

• The Falcons took first place in three of the four women’s short sprints. Junior Julia Stepper took first in the 100 meters in a GNAC-leading time of 12.20 seconds. Stepper also had a second-place finish in the 200 meters at 25.1 seconds. Senior Grace Bley won the 200 meters in 25.12 seconds. Freshman Ellie Rising was the winner in the 800 meters with a time of 2:15.64.

• Junior Dania Holmberg was the winner in the women’s 5,000 meters, running a GNAC-leading time of 16:57.67. The time is also an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time and ranks her 24th in Division II this season.

• Senior Scout Cai earned her eighth victory in the women’s pole vault this season, clearing a height of 12 feet, 3.5 inches.

• Sophomore David Njeri was the lone SPU men’s winner, taking the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 4.25 inches. Njeri added a second-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 45 feet, 7.25 inches.

• Sophomore Peace Igbonagwam added a second-place finish in the women’s 400 meters with a time of 57.26 seconds. It was her first open 400 race of the season. Sophomore Brayden Schultz placed third in the men’s 800 meters in 1:59.22.

• Seattle Pacific has two meets on the schedule this week. The Falcons will compete at both the Buc Scoring Meet in Tacoma on Friday and the Ralph Vernacchia in Bellingham on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER
• Due to the closure of the U.S./Canada border due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Simon Fraser’s will not compete in the GNAC track and field season.

WESTERN OREGON
• It was a busy weekend for Western Oregon as the Wolves hosted the WOU Pop-Up Meet on Friday while also sending athletes to the Oregon Relays and the Linfield Invitational.

• The Wolves won 12 events in the Pop-Up Meet. Senior Moana Gianotti won three of the women’s throws, capturing top honors in the shot put (41-8.75), the discus (140-7) and the hammer (144-9).

• Freshman Maliyah Thompson was a two-event winner, taking first in the women’s 100 meters in 13.07 seconds and the 100-meter hurdles in 15.37 seconds.

• In the distances at Monmouth, junior Caitlin Heldt won the women’s 1,500 meters in 4:49.05 while freshman Cedar Davis-Frankfort won the men’s 10,000 meters in 35:51.06

• At the Oregon Relays, senior Justin Crosswhite finished second in the 800 meters in a time of 1:51.97 and also placed seventh in the 1,500 meters in 3:51.06. Junior Hunter Hutton placed fifth in the 800 meters in a time of 1:53.57.

• Freshman Maya Hopwood took seventh in the women’s 100 meters at the Oregon Relays in a time of 12.55 seconds. Sophomore Jalon Fields was fourth in the men’s triple jump at 45 feet, 0.5 inches, and sophomore Jenelle Hurley was sixth in the women’s high jump at 5 feet, 3.75 inches.

• At Linfield, senior Dylan Hasher was the Wolves’ lone event winner as he took the men’s high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 1.25 inches.

• Western Oregon will close the regular season by competing at the OSU High Performance Meet in Corvallis on Friday and Saturday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington finished second in the men’s team competition and picked up a total of 11 event victories on Saturday at the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational.

• Senior Natalie Vetto was named the GNAC Co-Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the women’s javelin and improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark with a throw of 139 feet, 11 inches. She now ranks 27th in Division II this season.

• Senior Cordell Cummings led a WWU men’s sweep in the hurdles, winning the 400-meter hurdles in a GNAC-leading time of 53.75 seconds. Freshman Hunter Flick won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.65 seconds.

• Freshman Trent Kibler won the men’s high jump for the fourth time in as many competitions with a clearance of 6 feet, 0.75 inches.

• Other men’s event winners for the Vikings included freshman Lucas Brenek in the 400 meters (49.64), freshman Kevin McDermott in the 1,500 meters (3:51.00), senior Calahan Warren in the 5,000 meters (14:36.67), freshman Kacey Provo in the pole vault (14-10.25) and sophomore Jaydon Tryon in the javelin (173-10).

• Senior Karlie Hurley won the women’s 400 meters, improving her season-best with a time of 57.00 seconds. Junior Talia Dreicer was the other women’s winner, taking the 1,500 meters in 4:55.08.

• Western Washington hosts its second and final home meet of the season this weekend, the Ralph Vernacchia Meet on Saturday.