Wednesday, April 19, 2023

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Drew Weber, Western Washington
Sophomore • Vancouver, Wash.

Weber picked up NCAA Championships qualifying times in two events at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Weber ran 1:49.34 in the 800 meters to set a WWU record. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifier ranks No. 8 in Division II this season and No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list. Weber also ran a time of 3:44.83 in the 1,500 meters, ranking him No. 6 in Division II this season and No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list.  

Also Nominated: Michael Zapherson (Alaska Anchorage), Johan Correa (Central Washington), Ase Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Brayden Durfee (Northwest Nazarene), Jon Owen (Seattle Pacific), Charlie Dannatt (Simon Fraser).

MEN’S FIELD
Bryan Cortes, Simon Fraser
Junior • Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Cortes hit the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the javelin at the Bryan Clay Invitational. His throw of 195 feet, 8 inches leads the GNAC and ranks No. 28 in Division II this season. Cortes also threw at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate, placing 10th with a mark of 191 feet, 1 inch.

Also Nominated: Chris Hines (Central Washington), Forrest Cross (Montana State Billings), Dylan Hendry (Northwest Nazarene), Jaydon Tryon (Western Washington).

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

Leclair reset her own GNAC record in the women’s 200 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. She placed fourth with a time of 23.42 seconds that clipped two-tenths of a second off her previous record and ranks No. 5 in Division II this season. Leclair won the 100 meters at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate in a time of 11.46 seconds, just missing her GNAC record of 11.45 seconds, and also ran 54.38 in the 400 meters at the Bryan Clay, a time that ranks No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 14 in Division II this season. Leclair was also part of the SFU 4x100-meter relay team that ran an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 46.66 seconds at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate.  

Also Nominated: E’lexis Hollis (Central Washington), Abbey Wood (Northwest Nazarene), Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific), Maliyah Thompson (Western Oregon), Marian Ledesma (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Ujunwa Nwokoma, Western Oregon
Junior • Clackamas, Ore.

Nwokoma notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the long jump at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate. She placed third with a school-record leap of 19 feet, 6.75 inches. The mark leads the GNAC, ranks 22nd in Division II this season and is No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list.

Also Nominated: Kendall Lynn (Montana State Billings), Destany Herbert (Northwest Nazarene), Olivia Windbiel (Simon Fraser), Matty Lagerwey (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Junior Michael Zapherson’s NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the men’s 10,000 meters led Alaska Anchorage’s efforts at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

• Zapherson ran a time of 30:09.56 at Bryan Clay, which ranks No. 8 on the UAA all-time list. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks 48th in Division II this season. Zapherson placed 28th in the 73-athlete field.

• Sophomore John Peckham ran a season-best in the men’s 5,000 meters, clocking a time of 14:51.52. Junior Nell Baker placed 24th in the first of two open heats of the women’s 5,000 with a time of 17:31.76.

• Freshman Jordan Strausbaugh competed in both the women’s 800 meters and 1,500 meters, registering a time of 2:17.79 in the 800 meters and 4:48.89 in the 1,500 meters.

• Senior Alfin Myamasyo finished with a time of 11:24.05 in the women’s steeplechase, which ranks third in the GNAC this season.

• Alaska Anchorage is back in action on Saturday, competing at the CWU Wildcat Invitational in Ellensburg, Washington.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington athletes set or improved three NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks at the Bryan Clay Invitational, the Cal State LA Twilight Open and the Beach Invitational.

• Junior E’lexis Hollis reset her own CWU record in the women’s 100 meters at the Bryan Clay. Her time of 11.78 seconds ranks 33rd in Division II this season and No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list. She won her heat and placed 15th overall.

• Senior Lauryn Chandler improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the 100-meter hurdles at the Beach Invitational, placing 16th in 13.99 seconds. The time ranks 16th in Division II this season and No. 5 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Junior Johan Correa established a provisional qualifying time in the men’s 800 meters at Bryan Clay, finishing third in his section. His time of 1:51.07 is fourth in the GNAC this season and No. 28 in Division II.

• Senior Chris Hines placed 11th in the men’s long jump at the Beach Invitational, posting a lifetime best mark of 21 feet, 9 inches. Hines also went 46 feet in the triple jump at the Bryan Clay, a mark that ranks fourth in the GNAC this season.

• Senior Braydon Maier and sophomore Drew Klein took part in their first decathlons of the season at the Bryan Clay. Maier placed eighth in Group B with a score of 5,933 points while Klein was ninth with 4,955 points.

• Freshman Ellie DeGroot led three CWU athletes to compete in the heptathlon at Bryan Clay. DeGroot was 10th in Group D with a score of 4,172 points.

• Central Washington hosts its only home event of the season, the CWU Wildcat Invitational, on Saturday in Ellensburg, Washington.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Senior Ase Ackerman’s school record in the men’s 1,500 meters led Montana State Billings’ performances at the Bryan Clay Invitational and the Mt. SAC Relays in California and the Blue Hawk Games in North Dakota.

• Ackerman ran a time of 3:50.75 at Bryan Clay, which bettered the previous MSUB record of 3:51.88 set by Robert Peterson in 2015. The time ranks fifth in the GNAC this season. At the Mt. SAC Relays, Ackerman clocked a time of 9:14.37 in the steeplechase to rank third in the GNAC this season.

• Senior Carson Jessop provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the men’s steeplechase at the Bryan Clay. His time of 9:10.36 ranks second in the GNAC this season and 23rd in Division II.

• At the Blue Hawk Games, senior Forrest Cross was a winner in two throws, leading six MSUB event winners. Cross won the shot put with a mark of 48 feet, 5.25 inches and took the discus with a mark of 156 feet, 5 inches.

• In the women’s field events, junior Kendall Lynn won the triple jump with a mark of 38 feet, 2.25 inches and finished second in the long jump with a leap of 17 feet, 9.5 inches.

• In the men’s running events, sophomore Benjamin Ralston won the 100 meters in 10.99 seconds and was second in the 200 meters in 22 seconds. Ralston also combined with Jonny Rocha, Bradley Graves and Favor Okere to win the 4x100-meter relay in 43.28 seconds.

• Junior Aspen Tolman won the women’s 10,000 meters in 43:30.66 while freshman Wyatt May won the men’s steeplechase in 10:13.83.

• Montana State Billings will compete this weekend at the Montana Open on Friday and Saturday in Missoula.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Senior Abbey Wood’s school record in the women’s 200 meters led 16 event winners for Northwest Nazarene at its own NNU Open on Saturday.

• Wood won the 200 in a time of 24.89 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 25.04 set by Taylor Deskins in 2016. Wood also won the 100 meters in a time of 12.21 seconds.

• Three different NNU women’s field-event standouts earned NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks. Junior Destany Herbert provisionally qualified in the women’s shot put with her winning mark of 47 feet, 1.5 inches. The performance ranks 14th in Division II this season and No. 8 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Sophomore Miya Koch won the high jump with a provisional qualifying mark of 5 feet, 6 inches that ties her for 14th in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Kinsey Yenor improved her NCAA Championships provisional mark in the women’s pole vault, winning with a clearance of 12 feet, 5.5 inches that ties her for 24th in Division II this season.

• Senior Dylan Hendry won the men’s discus with a mark of 143 feet, 5 inches and the hammer with a mark of 166 feet, 9 inches. He also placed second in the shot put with a mark of 48 feet, 9 inches.

• Senior Brayden Durfee was also a two-event winner, taking the men’s 100 meters in 11 seconds and the 200 meters in 22.06 seconds.

• Northwest Nazarene heads east this week to take part in the Robison Invitational, Thursday through Saturday in Provo, Utah.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Sophomore Cassidy Walchak-Sloan provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships to lead Saint Martin’s performances at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate, the Beach Invitational and the Bryan Clay Invitational.

• Walchak-Sloan ran 4:30.42 in the women’s 1,500 meters at Bryan Clay to place 29th overall. The time ranks No. 2 in the GNAC this season and 32nd in Division II. At the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate, Walchak-Sloan placed second in Friday’s 800 meters in a time of 2:13.88, which ranks fifth in the GNAC this season.

• At the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate, sophomore Kainalu Pagente placed second in the men’s steeplechase with a time of 9:36.78. Sophomore Michael Harwell placed fourth in 9:51.21.

• Freshman Ethan Guidry led Saint Martin’s in the field events at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate, placing 12th in the men’s javelin with a mark of 186 feet, 2 inches.

• At the Beach Invitational, freshman Alauna Carstens finished fourth in the women’s 5,000 meters in a time of 17:39.69.

• Saint Martin’s will be among four GNAC teams competing this weekend at the CWU Wildcat Invitational on Saturday in Ellensburg, Washington.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Junior Annika Esvelt earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the women’s 5,000 meters, leading performances for a limited Seattle Pacific roster at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

• Esvelt placed 12th in her heat with a time of 16:52.91 in her first race at the distance in nearly a year. The time leads the GNAC and ranks 30th in Division II this season. She went on to run a time of 4:49.29 in the 1,500 meters on Saturday.

• Senior David Njeri was SPU’s lone top-10 finisher in the three-day meet, featuring a wealth of talent from elites on down. Njeri placed ninth in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 48 feet, 11 inches.

• Junior Jon Owen dipped below four minutes in the men’s 1,500 meters for the first time, running a time of 3:59.01. On Friday, Owen clocked 1:57.01 in the open 800 meters.

• Next up for Seattle Pacific is the CWU Wildcat Invitational on Saturday in Ellensburg, Washington.

SIMON FRASER
• Sophomore Marie-Éloïse Leclair put on another show in the sprints as Simon Fraser competed at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate, the Cal State LA Twilight Open, the Mt. SAC Relays and the Bryan Clay Invitational.

• Leclair was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week for her efforts. She won the women’s 100 at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate in 11.46 seconds. At Bryan Clay, Leclair placed fourth in the women’s 200 in a time of 23.42 seconds that lowered her GNAC record and ranks fifth in Division II this season. She also ran 54.38 seconds in the 400 meters, an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time that ranks 14th in Division II this season and No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list.

• Leclair also teamed with Diana Voloshin, Claire Bosma and Emma Cannan for a time of 47.56 in the women’s 4x100-meter relay. The team’s NCAA Championships qualifying time is 36th in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Bryan Cortes was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he threw 195 feet, 8 inches in the men’s javelin at Bryan Clay. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks 28th in Division II this season.

• Junior Megan Roxby improved her NCAA provisional qualifying time in the women’s 1,500 meters. Her time at Bryan Clay of 4:24.56 leads the GNAC and ranks No. 9 in Division II this season.

• Junior Charlie Dannatt improved his NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the men’s 1,500 meters. His finish in 3:42.16 ranks third in Division II this season.

• Simon Fraser does not compete again until the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational on Sat., Apr. 29 in Bellingham, Washington.

WESTERN OREGON
• Junior Ujunwa Nwokoma set a school record in the women’s long jump, leading Western Oregon’s efforts at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate and Bryan Clay Invitational in California and the Lewis & Clark Larry Byerly Invitational in Portland.

• Nwokoma was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after placing third in the event at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate. Her mark of 19 feet, 6.75 inches broke the previous WOU record of 19 feet, 5.5 inches by teammate Jenelle Hurley last year. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list and is 22nd in Division II this season.

• Junior Maliyah Thompson also set a school record with her time of 11.96 seconds in the women’s 100 meters at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate. She is the first athlete in WOU history to duck under 12 seconds in the 100 meters. Thompson ranks third in the GNAC this season.

• At the Bryan Clay Invitational, junior Hunter Hutton ran an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the men’s 1,500 meters. His time of 3:46.67 ranks 18th in Division II this season and No. 4 on the WOU all-time list.

• Senior Caitlin Heldt also ran an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time at Bryan Clay in the 10,000 meters. A personal best by 51 seconds, her time of 36:20.29 ranks 43rd in Division II this season

• At the Larry Byerly Invitational, junior Madeline Lambing was the lone event winner as she won the women’s 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:06.51.

• Western Oregon does not compete again until Fri., Apr. 28 and Sat., Apr. 29, competing at the OSU High Performance Meet in Corvallis, Oregon.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington saw six athletes meet or improve NCAA Championships provisional qualifiers with athletes at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Beach Invitational and Pacific Coast Intercollegiate in California and the Richmond Relays in Richmond, B.C.

• Sophomore Drew Weber was named the GNAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after setting a school record in the 800 meters at Bryan Clay. His time of 1:49.34 clips his previous record of 1:49.48, ranks No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 8 in Division II this season. Weber also ran an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 1,500 meters, a 3:44.83 that ranks No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 6 in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Kevin McDermott broke the WWU record in the men’s 5,000 meters at Bryan Clay. His time of 14:09.26 broke the previous record of 14:10.43 set by Jordan Welling in 2011. It also ranks No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list and 23rd in Division II this season. McDermott also ran 3:59.36 in the 1,500 meters. which ranks 41st in Division II this season.

• Junior Marian Ledesma broke a WWU record in the women’s 800 meters at the Bryan Clay. Her time of 2:08.98 surpassed the previous record of 2:11.45 set by Rachael Johnson in 2011. The NCAA provisional qualifying time ranks ninth in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Jonah Bloom ran a personal best of 1:51.42 in the men’s open 800 meters at the Bryan Clay, placing seventh. The NCAA provisional qualifying time ranks 35th in Division II this season.

• Sophomore Nolan Mickenham moved to No. 5 on the WWU all-time list in the men’s 200 meters with a time of 21.75 seconds that ranks second in the GNAC this season.

• Freshman Meaera Shannon moved up to No. 5 on the WWU all-time list in the women’s 10,000 meters at the Bryan Clay with a time of 36:56.79.

• Western Washington will be among four conference teams competing in the CWU Wildcat Invitational on Saturday in Ellensburg, Washington.