Wednesday, April 13, 2022

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Aaron Ahl, Simon Fraser
Junior • Calgary, Alta.

Ahl won the 800 meters at SFU’s Emilie Mondor Invitational on Saturday in Burnaby, beating a field of 40 competitors with a time of 1:51.67. The time was just short of his season-best of 1:51.45, which is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark.

Also Nominated: Bryan Sidor (Central Washington), Bradley Graves (Montana State Billings), Andrew Boyd (Saint Martin’s), Justin Crosswhite (Western Oregon), Bryant Welch (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Damian Mercado, Western Washington
Freshman • Maple Valley, Wash.

Mercado won the triple jump at the PLU Invitational on Saturday with a mark of 44 feet, 6 inches that was a foot better than second-place Josh Schulz of Saint Martin’s. The mark ranks No. 3 in the GNAC this season.

Also Nominated: Drew Klein (Central Washington), Forrest Cross (Montana State Billings), Josh Schulz (Saint Martin’s), Jarrett Chong (Simon Fraser), Samuel Cole (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Alison Andrews-Paul, Simon Fraser
Junior • Ohope Beach, New Zealand

Andrews-Paul earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier for the second straight week, winning the 400 meters at the Emelie Mondor Invitational. Her time of 55.26 seconds ranks No. 8 on the GNAC all-time list and is No. 13 in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: Rose Melville (Central Washington), Madison Thompson (Montana State Billings), Sara Sabra (Saint Martin’s), Jenelle Hurley (Western Oregon), Ila Davis (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Erica Cabanos, Central Washington
Senior • Lebanon, Ore.

Cabanos won the triple jump at Friday’s Whitworth Peace Meet with a mark of 36 feet, 7 inches that ranks No. 4 in the GNAC this season. Cabanos also took second in the long jump with a season-best leap of 17 feet, 3.25 inches.

Also Nominated: Dakota Lobmeyer (Montana State Billings), Margaret Zilla (Saint Martin’s), Sydney Kania (Simon Fraser), Ana Popchock (Western Oregon), Jessica Neal (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage did not compete last week. The Seawolves will be among the GNAC teams in Southern California this week competing at the Bryan Clay Invitational and the Beach Invitational.

• NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks for sophomore Coleman Nash and senior Tylantiss Atlas led Alaska Anchorage’s performances at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, Mar. 31-Apr. 2.

• Nash placed third in the 5,000 meters in a time of 13:53.33 which is No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list. The performance is No. 2 in Division II this season. Atlas won the women’s 400 meters in a meet record time of 56.13 seconds. The provisional qualifying time ranks No. 18 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Joshua Wagner won the men’s 110-meter hurdles in a meet-record time of 14.47 seconds and added a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in 55.21 seconds.

• Senior Elena Cano placed second in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in a school-record time of 14.15 seconds which ranks No. 18 in Division II this season. Cano also placed second in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:00.16, ranking No. 5 in Division II this season.

• Freshman Mette Van der Meer improved her own school record in the women’s pole vault again, placing sixth with a mark of 11 feet, 6.5 inches. She also placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.57 seconds.

• Both UAA 4x100-meter relay teams placed second with the men clocking 41.87 seconds and the women finishing in 48.46 seconds.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• A pair of top-two finishes for sophomore Erica Cabanos in the horizontal jumps led Central Washington’s efforts at the Whitworth Peace Meet on Friday in Spokane.

• Cabanos was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the triple jump with a mark of 36 feet, 7 inches, and took second in the long jump with a mark of 17 feet, 3.25 inches. The triple jump mark ranks No. 4 in the GNAC this season.

• Freshman Rose Melville was the Wildcats’ other event winner, capturing the women’s 5,000 meters in a time of 19:15.65. Senior Madison Child placed third in the race in 19:25.94.

• Junior Lauryn Chandler finished second in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in a time of 14.85 seconds. Senior Caitlin Gohr added a second-place finish in the women’s steeplechase, clocking in at 12:34.96. Junior McCall DeChenne was third in the 200 meters in a time of 25.37 seconds.

• The women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Child, Gohr, Kay Lester and Madison Thompson also finished second in a time of 4:28.20.

• Senior Bryan Sidor led Central Washington’s men’s performances, placing fourth in the 400 meters in a time of 52.98 seconds. Junior Chris Hines placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles in 57.53 seconds.

• In the throws, senior Avery Fisk placed third in the women’s discus with her mark of 138 feet, 6 inches. Junior Omar Young placed fifth in the men’s discus with his mark of 144 feet.

• Central Washington will be among the GNAC teams in Southern California with entries in the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and the Beach Invitational.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• A pair of wins for sophomore Kendall Lynn in the horizontal jumps led seven event victories for Montana State Billings at Bauer Invitational on Saturday in Rapid City, South Dakota.

• Lynn improved her season-best in the women’s triple jump, winning with a mark of 37 feet, 2.5 inches. She also took top honors in the long jump with a winning mark of 17 feet, 3.5 inches.

• Sophomore Bradley Graves was the winner of the men’s 110-meter hurdles in a season-best time of 14.65 seconds. He went on to help William Ullery, Favor Okere and Ben Ralston win the men’s 4x100-meter relay in a time of 43.26 seconds.

• The women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Madeline Severson, Sierra Durbin, Annelise Clark and Ally Whitmer also picked up a victory, clocking a time of 4:27.41.

• The Yellowjackets showed well in the javelin. Freshman Ryann Moline won the women’s javelin with a mark of 126 feet, 1 inch while sophomore Jordan Cookman was third at 113 feet, 5 inches. Freshman Ryder Klein was third in the men’s javelin with a mark of 153 feet.

• Ralston was the other MSUB winner on the track, winning the men’s 200 meters in a time of 23.54 seconds.

• Montana State Billings makes its way to Southern California this week, participating in the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Mt. SAC Relays, the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and the Beach Invitational.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not compete last week. The Nighthawks do not return to the track until Friday, Apr. 22, at the Eastern Oregon Open in La Grande.

• Northwest Nazarene brought home 14 first-place finishes and saw freshman Steven Schmidt and sophomore Kinsey Langin land NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks at the NNU Invitational & Multis on Apr. 1 and 2.

• Schmidt cleared 6 feet, 9 inches in the decathlon high jump, one of four disciplines he won en route to a second-place finish with 6,378 points. The high jump mark is a national meet provisional qualifier, tied for seventh on the GNAC all-time list and tied for 16th in Division II this season.

• Langin led a top-two sweep for the Nighthawks in the women’s pole vault, winning with a clearance of 12 feet, 3.5 inches that ties her for 28th in Division II this season. Freshman Julie Cheney was second, clearing 11 feet, 9.75 inches.

• Freshman Hunter Braseth swept the men’s short sprints, taking first in the 100 meters in 10.84 seconds and first in the 200 meters in 21.76 seconds. Junior Abbey Wood added a victory in the women’s 100 meters in a time of 12.06 seconds. Sophomore Kalli Brence was also a winner in the women’s 400 meters in a time of 58.78 seconds.

• The Nighthawks swept top honors in both genders in both the high jump and long jump. Freshman Miya Koch won the women’s high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 5 inches, while freshman Gerohm Rihari won the men’s with a mark of 6 feet, 6.75 inches. Rihari also won the men’s long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 11.5 inches while sophomore Laine DeJong won the women’s with her leap of 17 feet, 6.75 inches.

• Additional field event winners included junior Ellie Alberts in the women’s triple jump (35-5.25), freshman Nizhoni Buckway in the women’s javelin (128-2) and senior Colton Burr in the men’s hammer (181-0).

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Four individual event victories, including two in the women’s distances, led Saint Martin’s performances at the PLU Invitational on Saturday in Tacoma, Washington.

• Freshman Sara Sabra won the women’s 10,000 meters with the fastest time in the GNAC so far this season, clocking in at 38:41.95. Freshman Alisha Saucedo won the women’s 1,500 meters in a time of 5:07.49.

• Sophomore Gabriela Cintron earned a victory in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.82 seconds. She was one of two athletes to go under 15 seconds in the competition.

• Senior Josh Schulz was the lone men’s event winner, taking first in the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 7 inches. His brother, freshman Andrew Schulz, took third with a mark of 21 feet, 10.25 inches. Josh Schulz also took third in the triple jump with a mark of 43 feet, 5 inches.

• Sophomore Cree Bell placed second in the women’s 100 meters in a time of 12.70 seconds while her male counterpart, sophomore Landon Armstrong, placed second in the men’s 100 in a time of 11.07 seconds.

• Other runner-up finishes for the Saints included freshman Cassidy Walchak-Sloan in the women’s 800 meters (2:18.66) and sophomore Andrew Boyd in both the men’s 110-meter hurdles (15.54) and 400-meter hurdles (57.63).

• One of two GNAC teams not to travel to Southern California this week, Saint Martin’s will instead compete at the Lewis & Clark Invitational on Saturday in Portland.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Dual victories for freshman Isaiah Archer and senior Jenna Bouyer in the 400 meters led Seattle Pacific’s performances at the PLU Invitational in Tacoma.

• Archer became the first SPU men’s runner to break 50 seconds in the 400 meters since 2017, winning the event in a time of 49.58 seconds. Bouyer, meanwhile, coasted to the win in the women’s 400 meters in a time of 57.07 seconds with senior Peace Igbonagwam placing second in 57.46 seconds.

• Sophomore Julius Shepherd also earned a victory in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 57.28 seconds. Sophomore Kainoa Lee was also a winner in the men’s pole vault, clearing 14 feet, 10 inches.

• The SPU men also had a strong showing in the distances. Freshman Brennan LeBlanc took second in the 10,000 meters in a time of 33:18.69 while freshman Gabe Endresen was third in a time of 33:52.04. Sophomore Jon Owen took second in the 800 meters with a time of 2:01.19.

• Senior Madison Licari led the SPU women in the field events, placing second in the women’s pole vault with her mark of 11 feet, 8 inches. On the track, junior Libby Michael added a third-place finish in the women’s 800 meters in a time of 2:21.80.

• The Falcons’ women dropped two spots in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Women’s Outdoor Team Index to No. 22.

• Seattle Pacific will be in Southern California this week, concentrating its efforts on the Bryan Clay Invitational.

SIMON FRASER
• Another NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time for junior Alison Andrews-Paul led seven Simon Fraser event winners as SFU hosted the Emilie Mondor Invitational at Terry Fox Field.

• Andrews-Paul earned her second straight GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award, winning the 400 meters in a time of 55.26 seconds. The time ranks No. 8 on the GNAC all-time list and is 13th in Division II this season. In the same race, sophomore Emily Lindsay placed third with a provisional qualifying time of 55.98 that is tied for 21st in Division II this season.

• Junior Aaron Ahl picked up GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after he beat a field of 40 competitors in the 800 meters, winning at home in a time of 1:51.67.

• In all, SFU won three men’s individual track races. Junior Jeremy Belcher won the 100 meters in 11.27 seconds while freshman Jesaiah Penson-McCoy won the 200 meters in 22.65 seconds. Freshman Jarrett Chong was also a winner in the men’s javelin with a throw of 179 feet, 11 inches.

• Simon Fraser ran unopposed on both 4x100-meter relays. The women clocked a time of 48.04 seconds while the men finished in a GNAC-leading time of 41.87 seconds.

• The SFU women moved up one spot to No. 20 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Women’s Outdoor Team Index.

• Simon Fraser will make the tour of Southern California this week, competing in the Bryan Clay Invitational, Mt. SAC Relays and the Beach Invitational.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon finished with seven event winners and victories in all four relay races as the Wolves hosted the John Knight Twilight on Friday in Monmouth.

• The WOU women had six of those victories. Junior Jenelle Hurley led the list, setting a personal-best in the 100-meter hurdles to win in a time of 14.55 seconds.

• Senior Caitlin Heldt opened her outdoor season with a victory in the women’s 1,500 meters, clocking a time of 4:54.68.

• In the women’s field events, senior Ana Popchock won the triple jump with a mark of 37 feet, 6 inches and placed third in the long jump with a personal best of 17 feet, 4.25 inches. Junior Kaylee Wright was the winner in the javelin with a throw of 144 feet, 4 inches.

• Two of the three men’s individual event victories on the track came in the hurdles. Junior Brennan Sorah won the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.67 seconds while senior Aaron Hanible took the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 56.67 seconds.

• Senior Justin Crosswhite won the men’s 800 meters in his final home meet in a time of 1:53.55.

• In the men’s field events, senior Austin Goldstein won another javelin competition with his throw of 194 feet, 10 inches. Senior Sam Cole won the hammer with his mark of 166 feet, 8 inches.

• Western Oregon will send its top athletes to Southern California this week to compete in the Bryan Clay Invitational, Mt. SAC Relays and the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate. Athletes will also stay local, competing on Saturday at the Lewis & Clark Invitational.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington earned 11 individual event victories at the PLU Invitational on Saturday in Tacoma.

• Freshman Damian Mercado was selected as the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he won the triple jump with his mark of 44 feet, 6 inches.

• Junior Bryant Welch led a top-three sweep for the Vikings in the men’s 200 meters, winning in a time of 21.82 seconds. Freshman Ryan Greenwalt was second in 22.45 seconds while freshman Lucas Brenek was third in 22.57 seconds.

• The Vikings also received men’s running-event victories from freshman Jonah Bloom in the 800 meters (2:00.20), freshman Quinn Wilcox in the steeplechase (9:40.54), freshman Jalen Javurek in the 10,000 meters (32:20.72) and sophomore Koby Okezie in the 110-meter hurdles (15.13).

• Freshman Ila Davis led the women’s track event winners, capturing the 5,000 meters in a time of 17:49.45 that ranks No. 2 in the GNAC this season. Freshman Sophie Wright added a victory in the 800 meters in a time of 2:16.83.

• Junior Ben Malquist was among the WWU leaders in the field events, winning the shot put with a mark of 40 feet, 5.25 inches and taking second in the discus with a throw of 147 feet, 7 inches.

• Freshman Katie Potts made it a WWU sweep in the shot put, winning the women’s event with her mark of 40 feet, 9.75 inches.

• Other WWU field-event winners included freshman Jessica Neal in the women’s high jump, winning with a mark of 5 feet, 3.25 inches.

• Western Washington will be among the GNAC teams competing in Southern California, participating in the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Mt. SAC Relays, Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and the Beach Invitational.