Tuesday, February 10, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. –  GNAC athletes will mostly compete at the University of Washington this weekend as they focus on improving their positions for next week’s 12^th annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships at Nampa, Idaho.

The Seattle event is a three-day affair beginning Friday and Saturday with the Husky Classic and concluding on Sunday with the University of Washington Open.

Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Saint Martin’s, Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser, Western Oregon and Western Washington will all send teams to Seattle.

Northwest Nazarene will stay home to run in the Boise State Team Challenge at Nampa.  Montana State Billings, meanwhile, is idle.

There are no standards for the conference meet as each team is allowed to enter up to 25 male athletes and 25 female athletes along with an unlimited number to fill its relay teams.

Simon Fraser, which was idle last weekend, goes into this weekend ranked among the elite teams in NCAA Division II based on the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II National Team Computer rankings.

The Clan women maintained its No. 3 national ranking, while the SFU men fell eight places to 19th place.  Both SFU teams are ranked No. 1 in this week’s regional rankings.

The computer rankings are based on projected point totals at the NCAA Division II national meet. The NCAA Division II national meet will be held this year Mar. 13-14 at Birmingham, Ala.

In this week’s regjonal rankings, GNAC teams hold down eight of the 10 positions in the men’s rankings and seven of the 10 in the women’s rankings.

USTFCCCA West Region (Feb. 10): Men – 1. Simon Fraser, 2. Western Washington, 3. Alaska Anchorage, 4. Academy of Art, 5. Northwest Nazarene, 6. Azusa Pacific, 7. Saint Martin’s, 8. Central Washington, 9. Western Oregon, 10. Montana State Billings.  Women – 1. Simon Fraser, 2. Seattle Pacific, 3. Azusa Pacific, 4. Academy of Art, 5. Alaska Anchorage, 6. Central Washington, 7. Northwest Nazarene, 8. Western Washington, 9. Western Oregon, 10. Cal State L.A.

Six Qualifying Marks Set at Pullman, Nampa

Six GNAC athletes established or improved on previous national qualifying marks in meets at Nampa, Idaho, and Pullman, Wash., last weekend.

The men’s qualifiers were Josh Hanna of Western Oregon and Rimar Christie of Northwest Nazarene who each won a race.

Hanna won the 800 meters at the Cougar Open in a PNQ of 1:52.75.  That puts him into 19th place of the TFRRS Division II performance list.

Christie, meanwhile, had a PNQ in winning the 60 hurdles (8.27) at the New Balance Boise Indoor in Nampa.  Christie’s time ranks fifth all-time in GNAC history, while Hanna’s time ranks 10th.

Women’s national qualifiers were Chelsey Knott of Northwest Nazarene in the 60 hurdles, Tayler Fettig of Central Washington in the high jump, CWU’s Becki Duhamel in the weight throw and Taylor VanValey of NNU in the shot.

Knott’s time of 8.79 moved her into 18th place on TFRSS and third on the GNAC all-time Top 10. 

Fettig’s mark doesn’t put her in either the TFRRS Top 20 or GNAC Top 10, however, Duhamel solidified her positions on both lists, adding 8 ¼ inches to her previous No. 2 GNAC chart position.  She ranks 17th on TFRSS.

VanValey’s shot mark ranks sixth on the GNAC Top 10, but she did not crack the TFRRS Top 20.

NNU’s Andrew Galbraith missed the NCAA provisional standard in the high jump, but his 6-7 leap ranks eighth all-time in the GNAC.

In addition to Hanna and Christie, GNAC athletes won five events during the weekend.

At Pullman, Ali Anderson (1:00.55 in the women’s 400) and Dani Eggleston of Central Washington (10:17.91 in the 3,000) and the Wildcat 4x400 relay anchored by Anderson (4:06.79) joined Hanna in the victory circle.

At Nampa, Christie was the lone NNU winner, however, two MSU Billings athletes finished first in the Birds and Bees Invitational at Gillette, Mont.

Liam McKay (4:34.05) and Nocona Frame (5:15.61) won the men’s and women’s mile events.

Last Week’s National Qualifiers: Men: 800 – Josh Hanna, WOU, 1:52.75.  60 Hurdles – Rimar Christie, NNU, 8.27.  Women: 60 Hurdles – Chelsey Knott, NNU, 8.79.  High Jump – Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.68 – 5-6.  Weight Throw – Becki Duhamel, CWU, 17.59 – 57-8 ½.  Shot Put –Taylor VanValey, NNU, 13.58 – 44-6 ¾.

Last Week’s GNAC All-Time Top 10s: Men: 800 – 10. Josh Hanna, WOU, 1:52.75.  60 Hurdles – 5. Rimar Christie, 8.27.  Long Jump – 8. Andrew Galbraith, NNU, 2.01 – 6-7.  Women: 60 Hurdles – 3. Chelsey Knott, NNU, 8.79.  Weight Throw – 2. Becki Duhamel, CWU, 17.59 – 57-8 ½.  Shot Put – 6. Taylor VanValey, NNU, 13.58 – 44-6 ¾.

Butterworth Holds on to National Lead in 800, Mile

With the national meet still a month away, Lindsey Butterworth of Simon Fraser remains as the national leader in Division II in the 800 meters (2:06.56) and mile (4:44.80).

GNAC athletes rank second in four events.  Payton Lewis of Northwest Nazarene is second in the men’s pole vault (5.11 – 16-9 ¼).  Katelyn Steen of Western Washington is second in the women’s 5,000 (16:46.92), Simon Fraser is second in the women’s distance medley (11:40.01), a team anchored by Butterworth, and Cody Thomas of Alaska Anchorage is second in the men’s heptathlon (5338).

Ranked third in this week’s TFRRS report is Alex Donigian of Western Washington, in the men’s 60 (6.72) and Simon Fraser’s Jennifer Johnson in the mile (4:47.11),  Johnson also ranks fourth in the 3000 (9:36.18).

NCAA National Top 20 Leaders

Men: 60 – 3. Alex Donigian, WWU, 6.72.  200 – 9. Alex Donigian, WWU, 21.63.  400 – 13. Joel Webster, SFU, 48.45.  800 – 10. Cameron Proceviat, SFU, 1:52.00; 19. Josh Hanna, WOU, 1:52.75.  Mile  - 4. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 4:07.50; 7. Travis Vugteveen, SFU, 4:09.24; 8. Marc-Antoine Rouleau, SFU, 4:09.51; 10. Cameron Proceviat, SFU, 4:10.25; 12. Brady Beagley, WOU, 4:11.20.  3000 – 8. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 8:15.52; 14. Marc-Antoine Rouleau, SFU, 8:19.41.  5000 – 8. Oliver Jorgensen, SFU, 14:28.15; 10. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 14:38.68. Distance Medley – 6. Simon Fraser (Vugteveen, Webster, Proceviat, Rouleau) 9:54.66.  High Jump – 4. Mikel Smith, SMU, 2.15 – 7-0 ½.  Pole Vault – 2. Payton Lewis, NNU, 5.11 – 16-9 ¼; 16. Matt DeHan, SMJU, 4.80 – 15-9.  Long Jump – 14. Brett Watson, WWU, 7.19 – 23-7 ¼.  Heptathlon – 2. Cody Thomas, UAA, 5338; 12. Payton Lewis, NNU, 5075; 20. Jaysen Yoro, SMU, 4872. 

Women: 800 – 1. Lindsey Butterworth, SFU, 2:06.56; 9. Lynelle Decker, 2:12.83.  Mile – 1. Lindsey Butterworth, SFU, 4:44.80; 3. Jennifer Johnson, SFU, 4:47.11.  3000 – 4. Jennifer Johnson, SFU, 9:36.18; 9. Rebecca Bassett, SFU, 9:43.20; 14. Katelyn Steen, WWU, 9:47.97; 18. Peggy Noel, SFU, 9:50.96.   5000 – 2. Katelyn Steen, WWU, 16:46.92; 8. Anna Patti, SPU, 17:17.46; 11. Amy Johnston, UAA, 17:24.12. 60 Hurdles – 18. Chelsey Knott, NNU, 8.79.  Distance Medley – 2. Simon Fraser (Bassett, Lisek, Nock, Butterworth) 11:40.01; 10. Alaska Anchorage (Pahkala, Ashcroft, Lloyd, Decker) 11:53.85.  High Jump – 13. Karolin Anders, UAA, 1.72 – 5-7 ¾.  Shot Put – 18. Becki Duhamel, CWU, 14.00 – 45-11 ¼.  Weight Throw – 17. Becki Duhamel, CWU, 17.59 – 57-8 1/2.  Pentathlon – 6. Karolin Anders, UAA, 3791.

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

Cougar Indoor (Feb. 6-7 at Pullman): Men (Top 6):  200 – 5. Devin Kelly, CWU, 23.18.  400 – 5. Darren Arndt, CWU, 51.46; 6. Brett Watson, WWU, 51.55.  800 – 1. Josh Hanna, WOU, 1:54.36; 3. Sam Naffziger, WOU, 1:55.73.  Mile – 2. Brady Beagley, WOU, 4:19.58.  3000 – 3. Brady Beagley, WOU, 8:47.49; 6. David Ribich, WOU, 8:56.40.  60 Hurdles – 3. Travis Milbrandt, WWU, 8.27; 4. Kaleb Dobson, WOU, 8.44.  4x400 Relay – 3. Central Washington 3:29.61.  High Jump – 2. Brett Watson, WWU, 2.01 – 6-7; 6. Logan Myers, WWU, 1.96 – 6-5.  Long Jump – 2. Kevin Yates, WWU, 6.93 – 22-9; 4. Brett Watson, WWU, 6.63 – 21-9.   Triple Jump – 2. Luke Plummer, CWU, 14.09.  Shot Put – 3. Brandon Pless, WWU, 15.35 – 50-4 ½; 4. Kevin Stanley, CWU, 15.29 – 50-2.  Weight Throw – 4. Kevin Stanley, CWU, 17.32 – 56-10; 6. Armando Tafoya, CU, 16.30 – 53-5 ¾. Women (Top 6):  200 – 5. Ashley Harmon, CWU, 26.73. 400 – 1. Ali Anderson, CWU, 1:00.55; 4. Jayna Inderbitzin, CWU, 1:00.67. 800 – 4. Stephanie Stuckey, WOU, 2:20.44.  Mile – 2. Dani Eggleston, CWU, 5:05.00.  3000 – 1. Dani Eggleston, CWU, 10:17.91.  60 Hurdles – 6. Rochelle Pappel, WOU., 9.14.  4x400 Relay – 1. Central Washington (Ashley Harmon, Liz Ryker, Jayna Inderbitzin, Ali Anderson) 4:06.79.  High Jump – 5. Tayler Fettig, CWU. 1.59 – 5-2 ½. Pole Vault – 6. McKenna Emmert, CWU, 3.41 – 11-2 ¼.  Long Jump – 5. Ali Anderson, CWU, 5.15 – 16-10 ¾.   Triple Jump – 5. Kelly Cronic, CWU, 11.03 – 36-2 ¼; 6. Allyssa Marzano, CWU, 10.98 – 36-0 ¼.  Shot Put – 5. Becki Duhamel, CWU, 13.58 – 44-6 ¾. Weight Throw – 3. Becki Duhamel, CWU, 1.59 – 57-8 ½.  Pentathlon – 3. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 3190.

New Balance Boise Indoor (Feb. 6-7 at Nampa): Men (Top 8): Mile – 3. Chase Cunningham, NNU, 4:24.91.  3000 – 5. Isaac Mitchell, NNU, 8:53.14.  60 Hurdles – 1. Rimar Christie, NNU, 8.27; 4. Payton Lewis, NNU, 8.46.  4x400 Relay – 5. Northwest Nazarene, NNU, 3:28.36.  High Jump – 4. Andrew Galbraith, NNU, 2.01 – 6-7; 8. Kyle McLaughlin, NNU, 1.86 – 6-1 1/4. Pole Vault – 2. Lewis Payton, NNU, 5.00 – 16-4 ¾; 8. Jared Webster, NNU, and Zach McClanahan, NNU, 4.40 – 14-5 ¼.  Long Jump – 2. Payton Lewis, NNU, 6.99 – 22-11 ¼.  Shot Put – 5. John VanBeuren, NNU, 14.10 – 46-3 ¼.   Weight Throw – 4. John VanBeuren, NNU, 15.39 – 50-6; 8. Matt Silva, NNU, 13.99 – 45-10 ¾.  Women (Top 8): 3000 – 2. Susanna Fleming, NNU, 10:29.55; 7. Anysja Manzer, NNU, 10:55.01. 4x400 Relay – 5. Northwest Nazarene 4:04.97. Pole Vault – 8. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.35 – 10-11 ¾.  Shot Put – 6. Taylor VanValey, NNU, 13.58 – 44-6 3/4. Weight Throw – 7. Caitlin Curtis, NNU, 16.55 – 53-11 ¼. 

Birds and Bees Invitational (Feb. 6-7 at Gillette, MT):  Men – Chadron State 195, Colorado Mines 133, Black Hills State 78, Dickinson State 68, South Dakota Mines 48 ½, MSU Billings 38 ½, Gillette 31, Rocky Mountain 13, Colorado Mines Alumni 5.  Individuals (Top 6): 60 – 5. Sam Zook, MSUB, 7.05. Mile – 1. Liam McKay, MSUB, 4:34.05; 5. Mark Hovland, MSUB, 4:36.91.  3000 – 2. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 8:39.39.  4x400 Relay – 6. MSU Billings 3:41.11.  High Jump – 5. Dominique Holt, MSUB, 1.81 – 5-11 ¼.  Pole Vault – 5. Lonnie Sherman, MSUB, 4.38 – 14-4 ½.Women – Chadron State 169, MSU Billings 66, Dickinson State 65, Colorado Mines 63 ½, Black Hills State 60, South Dakota Mines 58 ½, Rocky Mountain 35, Gillette 30.  Individuals (Top 6): 60 – 5. Brianna Gray, MSUB, 8.11.  200 – 6. Brianna Gray, MSUB, 26.79.  800 – 2. Nocona Frame, MSUB, 2:26.67.  Mile – 1. Nocona Frame, MSUB, 5:15.61; 5. Brielle Davis, MSUB, 5:37.99; 6. Taylor Condon, MSUB, 5:40.65.  3000 – 3. Melanie Bock, MSUB, 11:11.89; 4. Rio Frame, 11:13.72. 60 Hurdles – 2. Hope Reid, MSUB, 9.31; 4. Kaytlin Halle, MSUB, 10.24.  4x400 Relay – 5. MSU Billings 4:24.99. Pole Vault – 5. Amanda Nichols, MSUB, 3.00 – 9-10.

GNAC 2014-15 ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

MEN: Track – Josh Hanna, Western Oregon (Jr., Quincy, CA) and Rimar Christie, Northwest Nazarene (Sr., St. Michael, Barbados) … Hanna won the 800 meters at the Cougar Indoor in Pullman in a national-qualifying time of 1:54.36, finishing 1.12 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.  His time adjusted for track size of 1:52.75 ranks 10^th in GNAC history …  Christie won the 60 hurdles at the Boise State Indoor in a school-record time of 8.27.  The provisional qualifying time ranks fifth in GNAC history and No. 2 this season.   Field – Payton Lewis, Northwest Nazarene (Fr., Nampa, ID – Nampa Christian)  set his third school-record of the season placing second in the long jump with a vault of 22-11 ½.  Earlier this season he set school records in the pole vault and heptathlon.

 WOMEN: Track - Chelsey Knott, Northwest Nazarene (Fr., Parma, ID) finished second in the 60 hurdles in a provisional national qualifying time of 8.79 at the Boise State Indoor.  Her time also ranks third in GNAC history in the event.  Field – Taylor VanValey, Northwest Nazarene (So., Brush Prairie, WA – Hockinson) established at PNQ in the shot with a put of 44-6 ¾, moving into sixth place on the GNAC all-time Top 10 list.

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