Friday, May 24, 2013

PUEBLO, Colo. - Ali Worthen, who led the country in the women's heptathlon from the very first meet of the year, also was on top in the last meet of the season, winning the title Friday afternoon in the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships.

The Seattle Pacific senior finished with 5,340 points beating runner-up Jesseka Raymond from the Academy of the Art (5,166) and third-place Zoe Sharplin of Central Missouri  (5,161). 

Raymond had been the leader most of the competition, but led Worthen by just five points (and Sharplin by 8) going into the 800 meters, the final event of the competition.

Worthen, however, finished third in the 800 in  a time of 2:21.06, while Raymond finished 12th in a time of 2:35.13 and Sharpin finished 11th in 2:34.85 to pull away to a 174-point victory.

Two other GNAC athletes also finished in the Top 8 to join Worthen as All-Americans as Karolin Anders of Alaska Anchorage placed fifth with exactly 5,000 points and SPU's Katy Gross, who began the day in 13th place, ended up sixth with 4,986 points.

Both Worthen and Gross had the best marks in individual heptathlon events Friday.  Worthen won the long jump with a leap of 18-7 3/4 edging out Gross by 3/4 of an inch.  Gross then had the best javelin toss with a throw of 135-10.

Anders, meanwhile, was consistent throughout, finishing seventh in the long jump and javelin and eighth in the 800.

In another highlight Friday, Susan Tanui of Alaska Anchorage finished second in the steeplechase for the second year in a row, clocking a time of 10:38.36.

It's the third NCAA Outdoor All-American award for Tanui, who also placed eighth in the 5,000 last season.  She also earned an All-American award in March placing third in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor meet. She'll go for another one Saturday night in the 5,000 meters where she is the sixth seed.

Three Simon Fraser athletes qualified for Saturday's finals of the women's 800 meters.  Two of them won their respective heats - Sarah Sawatzky and Helen Crofts - and the third - Lindsey Butterworth - had the second best time on the day.

Butterworth finished second in Heat 1 with a time of 2:10.46, .10 behind Lovan Palmer of Lincoln.  Sawatzky won Heat 2 in a time of 2:11.16 and Helen Crofts, who won the NCAA national indoor 800 title in March, won Heat 3 in a time of 2:10.55.

Seattle Pacific qualified for the finals of the women's 4x400 relay as the team of Kishia Mitchell, Emily Quatier, Jasmine Johnson and McKayla Fricker posted the eighth best time in the prelims (3:45.11). 

SPU will have an opportunity Saturday to became the first GNAC relay team - male or female - to earn NCAA Division II Outdoor All-American honors by placing in the Top 8 at the national meet.

NOTES FROM PUEBLO: Worthen's national title in the heptathlon is the fifth in SPU history in that event, but the first by a GNAC athlete.    The previous best was a pair of seconds by SPU's Danielle Ayers-Stamper in 2003 and 2005.  Worthen finished third last season with 5,297 points ...  It was also the 17th all-time title by GNAC athletes in the 12-year history of the conference, including 10 by women.  SPU athletes have accounted for eight of the 17- three by Jessica Pixler (all in the 1500 in 2007, 2009 and 2010), two by Chris Randolph (in the decathlon in 2005 and 2006) and one each by Teona Perkins (2007 high jump) and Brittany Aanstad (2012 javelin) and now Worthen.

WOMEN

Friday's Results:  Heptathlon - 1. Ali Worthen, SPU, 5340; 5. Karolin Anders, UAA, 5000; 6. Katy Gross, SPU, 4986. (Long Jump - 1. Worthen 5.68 - 18-7 3/4; 2. Gross 5.66 - 18-7; 7. Anders 5.38 - 17-8. Javelin - 1. Gross 41.41 - 135-10; 7. Anders 34.53 -113-3; 8. Worthen 33.97 - 111-5. 800 - 3. Worthen 2:21.06, 8. Anders 2:25.89. 13. Gross 2:36.15).  800 Prelims - 2. Lindsey Butterworth, SFU, 2:10.46 (advances); 3. Helen Crofts, SFU, 2:10.55 (advances); 6. Sarah Sawatzky 2:11.16 (advances), 11. McKayla Fricker, SPU, 2:11.86; 12. Ivy O'Guinn, UAA, 2:12.22; 13. Michaela Kane, SFU, 2:12.89; 17. Susan Bick, UAA, 2:15.56; 18. Emily Quatier, SPU, 2:17.06. Steeplechase - 2. Susan Tanui, UAA, 10:38.36.  Discus - 9. Jade Richardson, SFU, 45.26 - 148-6.   4x400 Prelims  - 8. Seattle Pacific (Kishia Mitchell, Emily Quatier, Jasmine Johnson, McKayla Fricker) 3:45.11 (advances); 11. Simon Fraser (Chantel Desch, Sarah Sawatzky, Michaela Kane, Helen Crofts) 3:49.38.

Thursday's Results:  Heptathlon (Day 1) -  1. Jesseka Raymond, Academy of Art, 3292; 2. Kendra Bassitt, Ashland, 3248; 3. Ali Worthen, SPU, 3226; 9. Karolin Anders, UAA, 3027; 13. Katy Gross, SPU, 2927. Day 1: 100 Hurdles – 4. Worthen 14.08, 10. Gross 14.66, 15. Anders 15.37.  High Jump – 2. Anders 1.72 – 5-7 ¾. 5. Worthen 1.66 – 5-5 ¼, 11. Gross 1.60 – 5-3.   Shot Put – 8. Anders 11.03 – 36-2 ¼, 9. Worthen 10.99 – 36-0 ¾, 12. Gross 10.45 – 34-3 ½. 200 – 4. Worthen 25.31, 14. Anders 26.45, 15. Gross 26.60.   1500 Prelims – 7. Ivy O’Guinn, UAA, 4:35.60 (advances); 20, Lynelle Decker, SPU, 4:49.03.  Steeplechase Prelims – 1. Susan Tanui, UAA, 10:50.98 (advances).  400 Hurdle Prelims – 11, Haleigh Lloyd, UAA, 1:01.44.  10,000 – 3. Ruth Keino, UAA, 36:17.26.

Saturday's Schedule: 2:50 p.m. - Javelin (2. Bethany Drake, WWU, 47.96 157-4; 3. Amanda Schumaker, WOU, 47.16 – 154-9; 6. Seabre Church, WOU, 46.15 – 151-5; 22. Katy Gross, SPU, 42.53 – 139-6). 5:30 p.m. – High Jump (6. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.75 – 5-8 ¾). 5:35 p.m. – 1500 Finals (O’Guinn). 6:55 p.m. – 800 Finals (Butterworth, Sawatzky, Crofts).  8:05 p.m. - 5000  (1. Ruth Keino, UAA, 16:20.87; 6. Susan Tanui, UAA, 16:41.55).  8:55 p.m. – 4x400 Finals (Seattle Pacific).

MEN

Friday's Results: Decathlon  - 13. Cody Thomas, UAA (110 Hurdles - 7th, 15.11. Discus - 11th, 34.32 - 112-7. Pole Vault - 14th, 10-9 3/4. Javelin - 11th, 146-8. 1500 - 8th, 5:05.42). 200 Prelims - 17. Rimar Christie, NNU, 21.41.

Thursday's Results: Decathlon (Day 1) – 11. Cody Thomas, UAA, 3516 (100 – 4th, 10.92.  Long Jump – 16th, 5.93 – 19-5 ½.  Shot Put – 12th, 11.33 – 37-2 ¼.  High Jump – 9th,  1.84  6-0 ½.  400 – 5th, 49.45.).  100 Prelims – Rimar Christie, NNU, false start.  1500 Prelims – 13. Isaac Kangogo, UAA, 4:01.16; 18. Seth Pierson, SPU, 4:06.52. 10,000 – 17. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 33:26.69.

Saturday's Schedule: 12:15 p.m. - Javelin  (1. Cody Parker, UAA, 71.43 – 234-4; 2. Franz Burghagen, UAA, 70.29 – 230-7; 4. Braden Keller, CWU, 67.79 – 222-5; 11. Shane Brooks, WOU, 63.35 207-10; 26. Justin Larson, WOU, 61.65 – 202-3).  5:15 p.m. - Triple Jump  (17. Bryan Mack, CWU, 15.06 – 49-5).