Tuesday, March 1, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Riding a pair of solid team performances at last week’s GNAC Indoor Championships, Simon Fraser leads the conference for entries into the 2022 NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships, which will be held March 11 and 12 at the Plaster Center in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Simon Fraser will have three individual entries and three relays in the meet, all qualifying with marks within the top 10 in Division II. The individual entries are led by senior Alison Andrews-Paul, who has the top time in the women’s 800 meters. Her season-best of 2:05.09 is three seconds better than the No. 2 time of 2:08.65 run by CSU-Pueblo’s Yasmine Hernandez.

Senior Aaron Ahl is entered in both the men’s mile and 3,000 meters with times that are No. 2 in each field. The GNAC Indoor Championships Men’s Track Athlete of the Meet, Ahl owns a season-best of 3:57.95 in the mile, which is also the GNAC record, and is one of four athletes entered that have run sub-four-minute miles this season. Ahl owns a time of 7:53.89 in the 3,000 meters, second behind the 7:50.98 run by Christian Noble of Lee (Tenn.).

Sophomore Callum Robinson is entered in the men’s 400 meters, ranking 16th in the field with a time of 47.82 seconds.

Simon Fraser will also enter both distance medley relay teams and the women’s 4x400-meter relay. The men’s DMR owns a season-best time of 9:38.04 and is one of three teams this season to go under the former Division II record of 9:40.15 set by Western Oregon in 2017. Adams State has the top seed time of 9:35.94, which was converted from a time of 10:02.08 for altitude.

The women’s DMR is seeded No. 7 with a season-best time of 11:36.75. The women’s 4x400-meter relay team enters the meet with the ninth-best time of 3:46.38.

Western Washington will send two athletes to the national meet. Junior Mac Franks is entered in both the 800 meters and the mile. He has the No. 10 time in the 800 meters in 1:50.07, which is the WWU school record. Franks is seeded No. 6 in the mile with a season-best of 4:02.28.

The Vikings are also represented by senior Beau Sheeran, who is No. 11 in the high jump with his season-best of 6 feet, 10.75 inches.

Seattle Pacific has one entry in sophomore Annika Esvelt. The GNAC Indoor Championships Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet is No. 8 in the 5,000 meters with a best of 16:31.74.

Preliminary heats in the 400 meters, 800 meters and mile will be run on Friday, Mar. 11. Finals will be contested that day in the 5,000 meters and distance medley relay. All other events with GNAC entries will be contested on Saturday, Mar. 12.

NCAA DIVISION II INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
GNAC ENTRIES
MEN
Simon Fraser: Aaron Ahl (Mile, 3,000 Meters), Callum Robinson (400 Meters), Distance Medley Relay
Western Washington: Mac Franks (800 Meters, Mile), Beau Sheeran (High Jump)

WOMEN
Seattle Pacific: Annika Esvelt (5,000 Meters)
Simon Fraser: Alison Andrews-Paul (800 Meters), 4X400 Relay, Distance Medley Relay