Wednesday, April 5, 2023

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Kevin McDermott, Western Washington
Sophomore • Port Orchard, Wash.

McDermott moved into No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list with a fifth-place finish in the 5,000 meters at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic. His time of 14:11.90 ranks No. 2 on the WWU all-time, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time and ranks No. 6 in Division II this season.  

Also Nominated: Maximilian Kresmer (Alaska Anchorage), Austin Albertin (Central Washington), Ase Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Charlie Dannatt (Simon Fraser), Justin Conklin (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
Forrest Cross, Montana State Billings
Senior • Sundance, Wyo.

Cross won two throwing events and took second in a third at the Yellowjackets/Battlin’ Bears Open. Cross won the discus with a mark of 152 feet, 9 inches and then won the hammer with a personal best of 159 feet, 2 inches that ranks seventh in the GNAC this season. Cross went on to finish second in the shot put with a mark of 51 feet, 6.5 inches that ranks second in the GNAC this season.

Also Nominated: Collin Sample (Alaska Anchorage), Angus Beaton (Central Washington), Blake Furtado (Simon Fraser), Seren Dances (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Marie-Éloïse Leclair, Simon Fraser
Sophomore • Candiac, Que.

Leclair set GNAC records in both the 100 and 200 meters at the Stanford Invitational. She won the 100 meters on Friday in a time of 11.45 seconds that broke the GNAC record of 11.64 seconds set by Jamie Ashcroft of Alaska Anchorage in 2015 and ties for the 23rd best time all-time in Division II. The performance ranks No. 4 in Division II this season. On Saturday, Leclair broke her own record in the 200 meters, placing third in a time of 23.61 seconds. The time ranks ninth in Division II this season. Leclair also ran as part of the Red Leafs’ 4x400-meter relay team that ran an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 3:47.65.  

Also Nominated: Olivia Manley (Alaska Anchorage), Lauryn Chandler (Central Washington), Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Ila Davis (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Jenelle Hurley, Western Oregon
Senior • Grants Pass, Ore.

Hurley beat a field of 22 competitors in the heptathlon at the Pacific Multi-Event, winning with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying score of 4,720 points. The score ranks fourth in Division II this season. Hurley placed in the top two in four of the seven disciplines, winning the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 5.75 inches that just missed the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark and the long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 2.25 inches.

Also Nominated: Erica Cabanos (Central Washington), Kendall Lynn (Montana State Billings), Kennedy Primrose (Simon Fraser).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Two wins for senior Collin Sample in the horizontal jumps led Alaska Anchorage as it competed in the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in the Bay Area.

• Sample captured the men’s long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 8.5 inches, which ranks third in the GNAC this season. He also won the triple jump with a mark of 44 feet, 2 inches.

• Junior Maximilian Kresmer won the men’s 400 meters in a time of 47.87 seconds, a time that ranks No. 4 on the UAA all-time list and just missed the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 47.83 seconds.

• The Seawolves won both 4x400-meter relays. The men’s team of Kevin Angarita, Joshua Wagner, Tim Hunter and Kresmer won in a time of 3:17.12, ranking No. 10 on the UAA all-time list. The women’s team of Blanca De Arvizu Sarrias, Sophia Cvancara, Joei Vidad and Olivia Manley won in a time of 3:54.66.

• Manley also delivered a solid time in the women’s 100 meters, placing third in a time of 12.21 seconds that ranks No. 5 on the UAA all-time list.

• Alaska Anchorage does not compete again until April 12 when the Seawolves travel to Southern California for the Mt. SAC Relays and the Bryan Clay Invitational.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington split its squad between four different meets, competing in the Jack Albiani Invite, Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational in California and the Pacific Open in Forest Grove, Oregon.

• The Wildcats won two events at the Jack Albiani Invite. Sophomore Drew Klein won the men’s 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.35 seconds while freshman Elise Hopper won the women’s 400 meters in a time of 58.49 seconds, ranking her No. 3 in the GNAC this season.

• At the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, senior Lauryn Chandler finished third in the women’s 100-meter hurdles in an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 14.01 seconds. The time ranks No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list and is seventh in Division II this season.

• At the Stanford Invitational, senior McCall DeChenne earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the women’s 400-meter hurdles as she placed seventh in a time of 1:02.19. The time ranks No. 13 in Division II this season.

• Event winners for CWU at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic include junior E’lexis Hollis in the women’s 100 meters (11.89), the women’s 4x100-meter relay team of Juliette Williams, DeChenne, Chandler and Hollis (47.76) and senior Austin Albertin in the men’s 400-meter hurdles (54.49).

• At the Pacific Open, senior Erica Cabanos won both women’s horizontal jumps, winning the long jump with a mark of 16 feet, 3.74 and the triple jump with a mark of 36 feet, 8.25 inches. Freshman Grace Twiss clocked a time of 1:05.70 to win the women’s 400-meter hurdles.

• Central Washington will be back in action on Friday, participating in the Whitworth Peace Meet in Spokane, Washington.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Six individual event victories, including two each for seniors Forrest Cross and Ase Ackerman, led Montana State Billings in the Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open on Saturday in Billings.

• Cross was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after winning the discus and hammer and taking second in the shot put. Cross won the discus with a throw of 152 feet, 9 inches and won the hammer with a personal best mark of 159 feet, 2 inches. Cross placed second in the shot put with a mark of 51 feet, 6.5 inches that ranks second in the GNAC this season.

• Ackerman was a winner in the men’s 800 meters in a time of 1:57.03 as well as the 1,500 meters with a time of 3:59.23.

• Junior Kendall Lynn broke her own school records in the women’s horizontal jumps. She won the triple jump with a mark of 38 feet, 3.25 inches, bettering the record of 37 feet, 8.75 inches set last year. Lynn was second in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 3 inches that bettered her own record of 17 feet, 8.25 inches from last year.

• Senior Kailee Stoppel was the Yellowjackets’ lone women’s winner on the track, winning the 800 meters in a time of 2:19.89.

• Sophomore Ben Ralston won the men’s 400 meters in a time of 49.40 and finished third in the 200 meters in a time of 22.96 seconds. Sophomore Ryann Moline placed third in both the women’s discus (127-1) and the javelin (132-6).

• Montana State Billings will host one more home meet, the Yellowjacket Open, on Friday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not compete last week. The Nighthawks return to action on Friday at the Whitworth Peace Meet.

• Senior Abbey Wood’s two victories in the women’s sprints led 10 Northwest Nazarene individual event winners at the Willamette Invitational on Mar. 25 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 finished in 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.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s did not compete last week. The Saints will not compete again until the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational on Sat., Apr. 29.

• 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 Mar. 25 in Tacoma, Washington.

• Boyd won the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.66 seconds and the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 58.02 seconds. He 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.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific did not compete last week. The Falcons return to action this Saturday, sending athletes to both the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational in Claremont, California and the Emilie Mondor Invitational in Burnaby, British Columbia.

• Junior Lizzy Daugherty’s and senior David Njeri’s performances in the field events led the Falcons at the Mangrum Invitational on Mar. 24 and the Point Loma Collegiate Invitational on Mar. 25.

• Daugherty 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. 28 in Division II this season.

• Njeri 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.

SIMON FRASER
• Sophomore Marie-Éloïse Leclair set two more GNAC records to lead Simon Fraser’s performances at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational.

• Leclair was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she set both records at Stanford. In the 100 meters, Leclair won in a time of 11.45 seconds that smashed the previous GNAC record of 11.64 seconds by Alaska Anchorage’s Jamie Ashcroft in 2016. The time is No. 4 in Division II this season and is tied for No. 23 in Division II history. Leclair then reset her own record in the 200 meters with a third-place time of 23.61 seconds that ranks No. 9 in Division II this season.

• Junior Charlie Dannatt earned NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks in two events at Stanford. Dannatt finished fifth in his section of the men’s 800 meters with a time of 1:50.95 that ranks 11th in Division II. On Friday, he finished second in his section of the 1,500 meters in a time of 3:43.54 that ranks No. 2 in Division II this season.

• Junior Megan Roxby hit NCAA Championships provisional qualifying times in two events at Stanford. She ran 4:27.80 in the women’s 1,500 meters, ranking her sixth in Division II this season. On Saturday, Roxby won her section of the 800 meters in a time of 2:09.34 that ranks No. 4 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Jordan Schmidt also earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the men’s 800 meters at Stanford. His time of 1:50.43 ranks eighth in Division II this season. On Friday, sophomore Sebastian Brinkman ran 14:15.45 in the men’s 5,000 meters to provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships. His time ranks No. 8 in Division II this season.

• Simon Fraser will race at home this weekend, hosting the Emilie Mondor Invitational on Saturday at Terry Fox Field.

WESTERN OREGON
• Led by a pair of combined-event victories, Western Oregon picked up six victories at the Pacific Multi-Events and the Pacific Open.

• Senior Jenelle Hurley was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the heptathlon at the Pacific Multi-Event. Her score of 4,720 points is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks No. 4 in Division II this season. Hurley finished in the top two in four of the seven events, led by the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 5.75 inches and the long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 2.25 inches.

• Senior JJ Walker lead a one-two sweep for the Wolves in the decathlon, winning with a score of 6,152 points. Walker won the discus with a mark of 114 feet, 2 inches and the pole vault with a clearance of 13 feet, 11.25 inches. Sophomore Brennan Sorah was second with a score of 5,712 points.

• At the Pacific Open, senior Maya Hopwood was WOU’s lone women’s event winner, capturing the 100 meters in a time of 12.60 seconds.

• Junior Justin Conklin was a winner in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 14.85 seconds that improved his No. 2 time in the GNAC.

• Junior Marlon Harrison improved his season best in the men’s triple jump, winning with a mark of 46 feet, 0.75 inches. Sophomore Mark Warren also had a season best in the men’s hammer, winning with a mark of 170 feet, 2 inches.

• Western Oregon will host its annual John Knight Twilight on Friday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Sophomore Kevin McDermott led an outstanding week for the Western Washington distances as the Vikings competed at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic and the Stanford Invitational.

• McDermott was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after placing fifth in the 5,000 meters at the Mike Fanelli. His time of 14:11.90 is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark, ranks No. 6 in Division II this season, is No. 2 on the WWU all-time list and No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Sophomore George Karamitsos added an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the men’s 5,000. His time of 14:17.33 is No. 11 in Division II this season and No. 5 in WWU history. In the same race, sophomore Andrew Oslin also hit a provisional qualifying mark with a time of 14:22.73 that ranks 17th in Division II.

• Sophomore Ila Davis won her heat in the women’s steeplechase at the Stanford Invitational. Her time of 10:21.20 is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, ranks No. 2 in Division and No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Sophomore Mia Crocker also earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the women’s 1,500 meters at the Mike Fanelli. Her ninth-place time of 4:31.56 ranks 14th in Division II this season.

• Outside of the distances, senior Seren Dances placed eighth in the men’s long jump at the Stanford Invitational with a mark of 23 feet, 2.5 inches.

• Western Washington will head north this week to compete in the Emilie Mondor Invitational on Saturday in Burnaby, British Columbia.