Thursday, April 21, 2022

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

Ahl ran the second-fastest outdoor 1,500 meters in GNAC history and the seventh-fastest in Division II history at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday, running 3:39.97 to place 29th in the 149-athlete field. He also placed ninth in the 800 meters at the Beach Invitational on Saturday with a time of 1:51.87.

Also Nominated: Joshua Wagner (Alaska Anchorage), Austin Albertin (Central Washington), Carson Jessop (Montana State Billings), Justin Crosswhite (Western Oregon), Mac Franks (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Jarrett Chong, Simon Fraser
Freshman • Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Chong moved up to No. 3 in Division II this season in the javelin, finishing second at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a mark of 217 feet, 7 inches.

Also Nominated: Omar Young (Central Washington), Forrest Cross (Montana State Billings), Samuel Cole (Western Oregon).

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

Andrews-Paul set the Division II record in the 800 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational, finishing fourth in a time of 2:01.43 to break the previous record of 2:02.39 set by Carsyn Koch-Johnson of Cedarville in 2016. The time ranks No. 11 in the world this year. Andrews-Paul also placed fourth in the 400 meters in a time of 54.07 seconds that ranks No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 4 in Division II this season.

Also Nominated: E’Lexis Hollis (Central Washington), Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific), Ana Popchock (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kaylee Wright, Western Oregon
Sophomore • John Day, Ore.

Wright placed fourth in the javelin at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate on Thursday with a mark of 151 feet, 4 inches. The mark ranks second in the GNAC this season and improves Wright’s NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark to No. 9.

Also Nominated: McCall DeChenne (Central Washington), Sydney Kania (Simon Fraser).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• A trio of GNAC top-10 performances for sophomores Joshua Wagner and Coleman Nash and junior Enrique Campbell led Alaska Anchorage at the Bryan Clay Invitational and the Beach Invitational.

• Wagner reset his own UAA record in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, clocking 14.22 seconds at Bryan Clay. The time is No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list behind the record of 14.19 set by Western Washington’s Travis Milrbandt in 2016 and is tied for 16th in Division II this season.

• Campbell broke the UAA record in the men’s 100 meters, running 10.59 seconds at Bryan Clay to eclipse the previous record of 10.65 by Oshane Hylton in 2018. The time also ranks No. 10 on the GNAC all-time list, the first change to the list since 2019.

• Nash notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the men’s 10,000 meters at Bryan Clay. His time of 29:24.40 is 18th in Division II this season and No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Junior Jacob Moos had the lone top-three performance for the Seawolves in either meet, placing third in the second section of the 5,000 meters in a personal best time of 14:28.59.

• Senior Tylantiss Atlas was the top UAA women’s performer. She turned in a time of 55.33 seconds in the 400 meters at the Bryan Clay, a time that is No. 22 in Division II this season and an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier.

• Alaska Anchorage will not compete this week. The Seawolves will be back in action on April 30 at the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational in Bellingham, Washington.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• A national meet qualifying marks for junior McCall DeChenne and a victory for senior Austin Albertin led Central Washington’s efforts in the Cal State LA Twilight, the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and the Beach Invitational.

• DeChenne provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon at the Bryan Clay with a score of 4,657 points that ranks No. 16 in Division II this season. In the process, DeChenne had lifetime best performances in the shot put (34-11.75), the 200 meters (25.18), long jump (17-1.5) and javelin (101-7).

• Albertin was one of just two GNAC athletes to win an event in SoCal last week, taking the men’s 400-meter hurdles at the Cal State LA Twilight in a time of 53.86 seconds. The time is the best in the GNAC this season by nearly a second.

• Sophomore E’lexis Hollis had a strong performance in the women’s 100 meters at the Bryan Clay, turning in a time of 12.04 that ranks second in the GNAC this season.

• At the Beach Invitational, junior Jacob Thompson had a season-best in the men’s pole vault with a mark of 14 feet, 10 inches that is tied for second in the GNAC this season.

• Also at the Beach Invitational, senior Zachary Sundt had a two-second season-best in the men’s 1,500 meters, turning in a time of 3:56.28.

• At the Bryan Clay, junior Omar Young notched the top mark in the conference this season in the men’s discus. His mark of 151 feet, 4 inches placed 18th.

• Central Washington will host the CWU Wildcat Invitational on Saturday in Ellensburg.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Senior Carson Jessop hit the national provisional qualifying mark in the steeplechase and Montana State Billings posted a pair of top-two finishes in the throws at the Cal State LA Twilight, Bryan Clay Invitational, Mt. SAC Relays, Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and the Beach Invitational.

• Jessop was fifth in his heat of the men’s steeplechase at the Bryan Clay. His time of 9:07:74 is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time, is third in the GNAC this season and No. 21 in Division II. On Friday, Jessop ran the 800 meters at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and turned in a time of 1:59.33.

• At the Cal State LA Twilight, freshman Ryann Moline took second in the women’s javelin with a mark of 121 feet, 1 inch. Junior Forrest Cross added a second-place finish in the men’s hammer with a mark of 154 feet, 10 inches.

• Junior Kailee Stoppel had a personal best in the steeplechase at the Bryan Clay. Her time of 11:15.57 is the third-fastest in the GNAC this season. On Saturday, Stoppel added a personal best in the women’s 1,500 meters in a time of 4:45.13.

• Also on Saturday, junior Ase Ackerman ran a lifetime best in the men’s 1,500 meters with a time of 3:54.03. The time is No. 2 on the MSUB all-time list.

• Montana State Billings returns to action on Thursday and Friday, taking part in the Trudnowski Open in Helena, Montana.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not compete last week. The Nighthawks do not return to the track on Friday 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 19th 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
• Saint Martin’s did not compete last week. The Saints return to action in Ellensburg, Washington on Saturday at the CWU Wildcat Invitational.

• Four individual event victories, including two in the women’s distances, led Saint Martin’s performances at the PLU Invitational on April 9 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).

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• An NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time for sophomore Annika Esvelt and a pair of great performances in the pole vault headlined Seattle Pacific’s performances at the Bryan Clay Invitational and the Mount SAC Relays.

• Running her first 10,000 meters on the track, Esvelt finished 12th overall at the Mount SAC Relays with a time of 34:20.76 that ranks No. 9 in Division II this season and No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list. She was second among Division II competitors in the race.

• Senior Madison Licari cleared 12 feet in the women’s pole vault for the first time in her career and took second in her section of the event at the Bryan Clay with a clearance of 12 feet. Licari’s mark is No. 2 in the GNAC this season.

• Sophomore Kainoa Lee was a winner in the second section of the men’s pole vault at the Bryan Clay. His clearance of 14 feet, 8.25 inches is also No. 2 in the GNAC this season.

• Senior Colin Boutin ran a personal best in the men’s 10,000 meters at the Bryan Clay, clocking a time of 31:11.10 that is the second-fastest time in SPU history and third-best in the GNAC this season.

• The Falcons also saw personal best performances from junior Libby Michael in the women’s 1,500 meters (4:37.30), sophomore Julius Shepherd in the men’s 400-meter hurdles (56.66) and sophomore Aniya Green in the women’s 200 meters (25.71).

• Junior David Njeri added a ninth-place finish at the Bryan Clay in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 48 feet, 4.5 inches.

• Seattle Pacific will send athletes to both the Oregon Relays, Friday and Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, and the CWU Wildcat Invitational on Saturday in Ellensburg.

SIMON FRASER
• Junior Alison Andrews-Paul’s Division II record performance in the women’s 800 meters led Simon Fraser as it competed in the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Mount SAC Relays and the Beach Invitational.

• Running at the Bryan Clay on Thursday, Andrews-Paul placed fourth in the top section of the 800 in a Division I record time of 2:01.43. That eclipsed the previous Division II record of 2:02.39 set by Carsyn Koch-Johnson of Cedarville in 2016. The performance leads Division II, ranks fourth across all college divisions and was No. 11 in the world as of April 20. Later in the weekend, Andrews-Paul clocked a time of 54.07 seconds in the 400 meters that ranks No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 4 in Division II this season. The performances landed Andrews-Paul selection as the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week and the USTFCCCA Division II Women’s Athlete of the Week.

• Junior Aaron Ahl was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he ran the fourth-fastest 1,500 meters in Division II at the Bryan Clay on Friday. His time of 3:39.42 was a four-second personal best, is No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 2 in Division II this season.

• Freshman Jarrett Chong earned GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after he took second in the javelin at the Bryan Clay. His mark of 217 feet, 7 inches moves him up to No. 3 in Division II this season and No. 11 on the GNAC all-time list.

• In all, Simon Fraser saw eight athletes make or improve NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks in 10 different events.

• The SFU women moved up eight spots to No. 12 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Women’s Outdoor Team Index. The SFU men returned to the top 25, ranked No. 24.

• Simon Fraser will compete this week in the Oregon Relays, Friday and Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene.

WESTERN OREGON
• Junior Kaylee Wright’s performance in the women’s javelin highlighted Western Oregon efforts at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Mount SAC Relays and Pacific Coast Intercollegiate to Southern California and the Lewis & Clark Invitational in Portland.

• Wright was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she placed fourth in the javelin at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate with a mark of 151 feet, 4 inches. She becomes the 24th GNAC women’s athlete to surpass 150 feet in the javelin and is No. 9 in Division II this season.

• The Wolves had two men’s athletes provisionally qualify for nationals in the 1,500 meters at the Bryan Clay. Senior Justin Crosswhite ran 3:48.93 to place 25th in a time that ranks No. 43 in Division II this season. Senior Hunter Hutton ran 3:49.48, ranking No. 48 in Division II this season.

• Senior Bailey Smith also provisionally qualified for nationals in the men’s steeplechase at the Bryan Clay. His time of 9:09.65 ranks 24th in Division II this season and is fourth in the GNAC.

• At the Lewis & Clark Invitational, freshman Mark Warren won the men’s hammer with a mark of 150 feet, 1 inch. Junior Lyndee McLauchlin was a winner in the women’s javelin with a mark of 125 feet, 3 inches.

• The Wolves also received third-place finishes at L&C from senior Kalulusno Ngaida in the women’s high jump (5-1.25) and freshman Macy Clemens in the women’s long jump (16-4.25).

• Western Oregon will make the short trip to Eugene this week to compete in the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• A historic night in the men’s 1,500 led Western Washington’s performances at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Mount SAC Relays, Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and Beach Invitational.

• At the Bryan Clay on Friday, seniors Mac Franks and Calahan Warren and freshman Drew Weber ran the top three times in WWU history in the 1,500. Franks finished in a time of 3:42.22, Warren ran 3:43.00 and Weber ran 3:45.77. Franks set the WWU record, ranks No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list and is No. 6 in Division II this season. Warren ranks No. 5 on the GNAC all-time list and is No. 9 in Division II this season while Weber is No. 10 on the GNAC all-time and 19th in Division II.

• Weber went on to place eighth in the men’s 800 meters at the Beach Invitational in a time of 1:51.84.

• Sophomore Jeret Gillingham earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the men’s steeplechase at the Mount SAC Relays. His time of 8:59.42 ranks 14th in Division II this season.

• Senior Amanda Short secured a fifth-place finish in the javelin at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate with a mark of 150 feet, 9 inches.

• Freshman Kacey Provo set an outdoor best in the men’s pole vault at the Bryan Clay, placing fourth with his mark of 15 feet, 2.25 inches. The mark leads the GNAC this season.

• Western Washington will travel to Ellensburg on Saturday to compete in the CWU Wildcat Invitational.