Wednesday, March 29, 2023

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Kevin Angarita, Alaska Anchorage
Junior • Cali, Colombia

Angarita moved into No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list with his time of 47.81 seconds in the 400 meters at the Aztec Invitational. Angarita placed 10th in the event and was the second non-Division I finisher. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks 12th in Division II this season. Angarita also placed third in the 400 and 12th in the 200 meters at the Mangrum Invitational.  

Also Nominated: Ben Ralston (Montana State Billings), Brody Kemble (Northwest Nazarene), Andrew Boyd (Saint Martin’s), Kevin McDermott (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
David Njeri, Seattle Pacific
Senior • Tacoma, Wash.

Njeri won both the long jump and triple jump at the Point Loma Collegiate Invitational on Saturday. He won the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 7.75 inches, which ranks second in the GNAC this season. Njeri went on to win the triple jump with a mark of 46 feet. On Friday, Njeri placed second in the triple jump at the Mangrum Invitational with a GNAC-leading mark of 46 feet, 4.25 inches.

Also Nominated: Wyatt Franklin (Central Washington), Forrest Cross (Montana State Billings), Austin Seals (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Marian Ledesma, Western Washington
Junior • Lakewood, Calif.

Ledesma ran the fastest time in the GNAC this season in the 800 meters at the Aztec Invitational. Her time of 2:12.54 was good enough for ninth place. She was the top non-Division I finisher in the field as she just missed an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time.

Also Nominated: Olivia Manley (Alaska Anchorage), Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Morgan Erler (Northwest Nazarene), Gabriela Cintron (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Lizzy Daugherty, Seattle Pacific
Junior • Lake Stevens, Wash.

Daugherty notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault at Saturday’s Point Loma Collegiate Invitational. Her winning mark of 12 feet, 3.25 inches is tied for 18th in Division II this season. Daugherty was part of a three-way tie for first in the pole vault in Friday’s Mangrum Invitational, clearing 11 feet, 3.5 inches.

Also Nominated: Carlotta Duenninger (Alaska Anchorage), Brenna Board (Central Washington), Ryann Moline (Montana State Billings), Katie Potts (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Junior Kevin Angarita’s performance in the men’s 400 meters led Alaska Anchorage as it opened the outdoor season at the Aztec Invitational and the Mangrum Invitational in Southern California.

• Angarita was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he placed 10th at the Aztec Invitational with a time of 47.81 seconds. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time is 12th in Division II this season, No. 3 on the UAA all-time list and No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list. At the Mangrum Invitational, Angarita also placed third in the 400 meters and 12th in the 200 meters.

• Senior Collin Sample won the men’s long jump at the Mangrum Invitational with a mark of 22 feet, 6.5 inches. He went on to place sixth in the triple jump with a mark of 44 feet, 4 inches.

• Junior Joshua Wagner returned to the track with a fifth-place finish in the men’s 400-meter hurdles at the Mangrum Invitational with a time of 15.18 seconds.

• Senior Alfin Nyamasyo opened the outdoor season with a fifth-place finish in the women’s steeplechase at the Mangrum Invitational, clocking a time of 11:34.68.

• Junior Carlotta Duenninger placed seventh in the heptathlon with a score of 4,376 points at the Aztec Invitational. Her marks included a clearance of 5 feet, 0.25 inches in the high jump that ranks No. 8 on the UAA all-time list.

• Alaska Anchorage returns to California this week, this time to the Bay Area to compete in the Mike Fanelli Track Classic from Thursday to Saturday in San Francisco.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• A pair of victories for senior Wyatt Franklin in the men’s throws led a limited Central Washington roster that competed at the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma, Washington.

• Franklin finished first in the shot put with a mark of 45 feet, 10 inches that ranks No. 4 in the GNAC this season. He went on to win the discus with a mark of 144 feet, 2 inches.

• Freshman Logan Martin finished behind Franklin for second place in the men’s discus with his throw of 128 feet, 9 inches.

• Senior Brenna Board recorded the only top-three finish for the CWU women, placing second in the discus with a mark of 119 feet, 8 inches.

• Junior Deylan Okinada took second place in the men’s pole vault with his clearance of 13 feet, 5.25 inches.

• The track efforts were led by freshman Steiner Christensen, who placed eighth in the men’s 1,500 meters with a time of 4:16.26.

• Central Washington heads south this week to take part in the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in San Francisco and the Stanford Invitational.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Sophomore Ryann Moline won the women’s javelin to lead Montana State Billings’ performances at the Spank Blasing Invitational in Pueblo, Colorado.

• Moline was a winner by over three feet with her winning mark of 132 feet, 7 inches. She also competed in the discus and the hammer and placed 17th in the discus with a mark of 105 feet, 9 inches.

• Sophomore Ben Ralston led the efforts on the track, placing fourth in the men’s 400 meters in 49.71 seconds and 10th in the 200 meters in 22.42, both season-best times.

• Junior Kendall Lynn added a seventh-place finish in the women’s triple jump with her mark of 37 feet, 1.75 inches while freshman Tatum Hull was ninth in the long jump with a personal-best mark of 17 feet, 7 inches that ties her for No. 2 on the MSUB all-time list.

• Senior Forrest Cross added an eighth-place finish in the men’s discus with a mark of 154 feet, 9 inches.

• Montana State Billings returns home to co-host the Yellowjackets-Bears Open on Friday and Saturday in Billings.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Senior Abbey Wood’s two victories in the women’s sprints led 10 Northwest Nazarene individual event winners at the Willamette Invitational on Saturday in Salem, Oregon.

• Wood improved her season-best times in both events, winning the 100 meters in a time of 12.26 seconds and the 200 meters in a time of 25.63 seconds. She also ran the leadoff leg on the Nighthawks’ winning 4x100-meter relay team, which ran a time of 49.09 seconds.

• Freshman Morgan Erler captured her second straight women’s 5,000-meter race, winning by 24 seconds with a time of 18:17.44. Freshman Brody Kemble made it an NNU sweep in the event as he won the men’s 5,000 in a time of 15:04.74.

• Junior Destany Herbert finished in the top three of three women’s throwing events. Herbert won the shot put with a mark of 42 feet, 7 inches. She was second in the discus with a throw of 125 feet, 3 inches and finished third in the hammer with a mark of 128 feet, 9 inches.

• Senior Brayden Durfee won the men’s 400 meters in a time of 50.01 seconds and placed second in the 200 meters in 22.84 seconds. He also ran the second leg on NNU’s winning 4x100-meter relay team, which ran 42.28 seconds.

• Freshman Makenze Knowles was the Nighthawks’ other winner on the track, taking the women’s 800 meters in a time of 2:22.72. In the men’s field events, sophomore Jacob Steele won the high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 2.75 inches.

• Northwest Nazarene does not compete again until participating in the Aggie Invitational in Logan, Utah on Apr. 7 and 8.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s took home nine first-place finishes, including a sweep of the men’s hurdles by junior Andrew Boyd, at the Peyton-Shotwell Invitational on Saturday in Tacoma, Washington.

• Boyd won the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.66 seconds and went on the beat his brother, freshman Noah Boyd, in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 58.02 seconds. Andrew Boyd went on place third in the javelin with a throw of 164 feet, 9 inches.

• Freshman Ryan Doidge led three SMU winners in the men’s field events, taking the pole vault with a clearance of 13 feet, 5.25 inches. Freshman Hewie Nguyen won the men’s long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 11.75 inches and freshman Ethan Guidry won the javelin with a mark of 174 feet, 8 inches.

• Junior Gabriela Cintron gave Saint Martin’s a sweep of the high hurdles races, taking first in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in a time of 15.16 seconds.

• Freshman Alyssa Duncan took first place in the women’s long jump, securing the SMU sweep with a mark of 16 feet, 8 inches. Senior Sarah Nielsen won the women’s hammer with her mark of 135 feet, 1 inch.

• The Saint Martin’s men also won the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 43.97 seconds.

• Saint Martin’s is not scheduled to compete again until the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational on Apr. 29 in Bellingham, Washington.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific swept the GNAC Field Athlete of the Week awards thanks to junior Lizzy Daugherty’s and senior David Njeri’s performances at the Mangrum Invitational and the Point Loma Collegiate Invitational.

• Daugherty was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the pole vault twice. At the Mangrum Invitational, Daugherty was part of a three-way tie for first with a clearance of 11 feet, 3.5 inches. At Point Loma, Daugherty won the pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 3.25 inches that is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is tied for No. 18 in Division II this season.

• Njeri was selected as the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he won the triple jump at Point Loma with a mark of 46 feet and the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 7.75 inches. At the Mangrum Invitational, Njeri was second in the triple jump with a league-leading mark of 46 feet, 4.25 inches.

• Sophomore Isaiah Archer was the winner in the men’s 400 meters at Point Loma, clocking a time of 48.68 seconds that ranks third in the GNAC this season.

• Senior Libby Michael notched a second-place finish in the women’s 800 meters at Point Loma, registering a time of 2:15.78. Junior Brad Bowman added a third-place finish in the men’s pole vault with a clearance of 13 feet, 9 inches.

• Seattle Pacific does not compete again until Saturday, Apr. 8 at the Poona Pitzer Invitational in Claremont, California.

SIMON FRASER
• A sweep of first-place finishes in the 400-meter hurdles led Simon Fraser’s performances in the UBC Open on Saturday and Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia.

• Sophomore Erika Binder won the women’s 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:04.89 while sophomore Claire Bosma was second in 1:06.19. Binder’s time is the best in the GNAC this season.

• Sophomore Jorrin Lenton won the men’s 400-meter hurdles in a time of 54.64 seconds that leads the GNAC this season.

• The men’s 4x100-meter relay team of Nicholas Monro, Jeremy Belcher, Kaito Suzuki and Jesaiah Penson-Mccoy was also a winner in a time of 43.21 seconds.

• Freshman Olivia Windbiel took second in the women’s triple jump with a mark of 36 feet, 7.5 inches and also placed third in the high jump with a clearance of 4 feet, 11 inches. Sophomore Maddy Prugh added a second-place finish in the women’s javelin with a throw of 110 feet, 5 inches.

• Penson-Mccoy placed second in the men’s 100 meters with a time of 11.01 seconds. Sophomore Blake Furtado finished second in the men’s long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 11.5 inches.

• Simon Fraser heads to the Bay Area this week to compete at both the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational.

WESTERN OREGON
• A top-two sweep in the women’s javelin for senior Kaylee Wright and Lyndee McLauchlin led Western Oregon as it sent athletes to the Aztec Invitational, Mangrum Invitational, Point Loma Collegiate Invitational and the Willamette Invitational.

• The sweep happened at Point Loma where Wright was the winner with a mark of 137 feet, 2 inches and McLauchlin placed second with a mark of 119 feet, 11 inches.

• Senior Dayne Gordien was the winner of the men’s discus at the Willamette Invitational. His mark of 162 feet, 8 inches ranks No. 8 on the WOU all-time list.

• Junior Liliana Lyness-Morales was second in the women’s shot put at Willamette with a mark of 38 feet, 8.25 inches.

• The Mangrum Invitational yielded a trio of second-place finishes. Senior Jenelle Hurley was second in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 5 inches while senior Caitlin Heldt was second in the women’s 5,000 meters with a GNAC-leading time of 17:39.29. On the men’s side, sophomore Emmett Klus was second in the 800 meters in a time of 1:54.59.

• At Point Loma, junior Eli Nafziger threw to a second-place finish in the men’s javelin with a mark of 156 feet, 5 inches.

• Western Oregon does not compete again until it hosts the John Knight Twilight on Friday, Apr. 7.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington came home with eight event victories, including in both combined events competitions, in the UBC Open on Saturday and Sunday in Vancouver, British Columbia.

• Freshman Austin Seals was the winner in the men’s decathlon with a score of 5,371 points. Freshman Nicole Avery won the women’s heptathlon with a score of 3,876 points. It was the first collegiate outdoor combined-event competition for both athletes.

• Junior Katie Potts won two of the four women’s throws, capturing the shot put with a mark of 42 feet, 10.75 inches and the discus with a mark of 145 feet, 3 inches. Both marks lead the GNAC while her mark in the discus is No. 5 on the WWU all-time list.

• Freshman Elie Bassett won the women’s 800 meters in a time of 2:17.21.

• Freshman Nolan Mickenham won the men’s 100 meters in a time of 10.93 seconds while senior Seren Dances won the men’s long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 1.5 inches. Sophomore Brian Le was the winner of the men’s 200 meters in a time of 22.35 seconds.

• The Vikings also sent a select group of athletes to San Diego for the Aztec Invitational, including junior Marian Ledesma, who was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she placed ninth in a time of 2:12.54. The top non-Division I finisher in the race, Ledesma’s time is No. 2 on the WWU all-time list and just missed the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 2:12.23.

• Western Washington will be in the Bay Area this weekend, competing in both the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational.