Friday, February 20, 2015

NAMPA, Idaho - Western Washington and Seattle Pacific took the early leads in the 12th annual GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships Friday at Jacksons Track.

The Vikings, the two-time defending men's champions, got second-place finishes from Nathaniel van Tuinen in the long jump and Brandon Pless in the shot put and thirds from Brett Watson in the long jump and Ryan Macdonald in the shot, in earning 50 first-day points, eight ahead of Alaska Anchorage.

Day 1 on the women's side was even closer with Seattle Pacific finishing with 57 points, two ahead of two-time champion Alaska Anchorage.  Central Washington is just 10 back with 47 points.

First-day winners on the men's side included Payton Lewis of Northwest Nazarene, who set a meet record in the pole vault clearing 16-11. Alaska Anchorage's Henry Cheseto won the 5,000 meters in a time of 14:39.24 and Vladislav Tsygankov of Simon Fraser leaped 23-6 3/4 to win the long jump.  CWU's Kevin Stanley won the shot with a put of 51-10.

On the women's side, UAA's Karolin Anders won two events, sweeping the pentathlon with a meet-record point total of 3,761 and the long jump (18-6 1/2).  She set pentathlon meet records in the long jump (18-5 1/4) and high jump (5-6 1/2) in the process.  CWU's Tayler Fettig also cleared 5-6 1/2 in the high jump. 

The pentathlon also featured a multi-event meet record by UAA's Rosie Smith, who finished second overall.  Smith was clocked in a time of 8.82 in the 60 hurdles.

Other Day 1 winners included Becki Duhamel of Central Washington in the weight throw with a meet-record toss of 57-10 1/4, Anna Patti of Seattle Pacific in the 5,000 in a  time of 17:14.01 and SPU's Naphtali Ward in the high jump (5-6 1/4).  Duhamel won her event for the second time previously finishing first in 2013.

Simon Fraser, meanwhile, swept the two distance medley relay races, winning the men's in a time of 10:14.41 and the women's in a time of 11:59.08.

Friday's prelims featured four meet records, led by UAA's Jamie Ashcroft in the women's 60 (7.60) and 200 (24.43).  Ashcroft's times also were GNAC all-time records.  On the men's side, Travis Milbrandt set a meet record in the 60 hurdles prelims with a time of 8.15 and WWU's Alex Donigian set a new standard in the 200 meters with a time of 21.76.

The championships continue Saturday morning with the final three events of the heptathlon, beginning at 9 a.m.  Field events begin at 10 a.m. and running events start following the 11 a.m. opening ceremonies.

Two-time champion Cody Thomas of Alaska Anchorage takes a 106-point lead over Jaysen Yoro of Saint Martin's into the second day of the multi-events.  Thomas scored 2,919 points in the first four events, while Yoro had 2,813 points and set meet records in the 60 (7.07) and high jump (6-6 1/4).

Friday's Results

Men (5 events) -  Western Washington 50, Alaska Anchorage 42, Simon Fraser 27, Northwest Nazarene 27,  Central Washington 22, Saint Martin’s 11, Western Oregon 8, MSU Billings 6, Seattle Pacific 2.

Friday's Finals:

5,000 – 1. Henry Cheseto, UAA, 14:39.24; 2. Dominik Notz, UAA, 14:39.37; 3. Oliver Jorgensen, SFU, 14:53.33; 4. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 15:01.77; 5. Isaac Griffith, WWU, 15:02.82; 6. Tabor Reedy, WWU, 15:07.27; 7. Victor Samoei, UAA, 15:07.29; 8. Edwin Kangogo, UAA, 15:17.28.

Distance Medley – 1. Simon Fraser 10:14.41; 2. Alaska Anchorage 10:20.57; 3. MSU Billings 10:24.32; 4. Western Washington 10:24.44; 5. Central Washington 10:28.33; 6. Western Oregon 10:34.11; 7. Seattle Pacific 10:38.75; 8. Northwest Nazarene 10:47.81.

Long Jump – 1.  Vladislav Tsygankov, SFU, 7.18 – 23-6 ¾; 2. Nathaniel van Tuinen, WWU, 7.17 – 23-6 ¼; 3. Brett Watson, WWU, 7.04 – 23-1 ¼; 4. Payton Lewis, NNU, 7.01 – 23-0; 5. Cody Thomas, UAA, 6.96 – 22-10; 6. Kevin Yates, WWU, 6.95 – 22-9 ¾; 7. Luke Plummer, CWU, 6.95 – 22-9 ¾; 8. Jerry He, SFU, 6.76 – 22-2 ¼.

Pole Vault – 1. Payton Lewis, NNU, 5.16 – 16-11 (meet record, old, 4.91 – 16-1 ¼. Ryan Brown, Western Washington, 2010); 2. Matt DeHan, SMU, 4.76 – 15-7 ¼; 3. Zach McClanahan, NNU, 4.66 – 15-3 ½; 4. Jared Webster, NNU, 4.66 – 15-3 ½; 5. Gordon Kordas, WWU, and J.T. Konrad, WWU, 4.51 – 14-9 ½; 7. Zane Irvine, CWU, 4.51 – 14-9 ½; 8. Joseph Keeton, SMU, 4.36 – 14-3 ½.

Shot Put – 1. Kevin Stanley, CWU, 15.80 – 51-10; 2. Brandon Pless, WWU, 15.30 – 50-2 ½; 3. Ryan Macdonald, WWU, 15.20 – 49-10 ½; 4. Jeremy Moore, WOU, 15.12 – 49-7 ¼; 5. Grant George, UAA, 14.81 – 48-7 ¼; 6. Armando Tafoya, CWU, 14.76 – 48-5 ¼; 7. Kauanoe Vanderpoel, SMU, 14.24 – 46-8 ¾; 8. James Shumate, CWU, 14.04 – 46-0 ¾.

Women (6 events): Seattle Pacific 57, Alaska Anchorage 55, Central Washington 47, Northwest Nazarene 30, Simon Fraser 13, Western Washington 12, Saint Martin’s 9, Western Oregon 8, MSU Billings 3.

Friday's Finals:

5,000 – 1. Anna Patti, SPU, 17:14.01; 2. Amy Johnston, UAA, 17:21.81; 3. Susanna Fleming, NNU, 18:11.29; 4. Megan Rogers, CWU, 18:13.62; 5. Bryn Haebe, UAA, 18:27.90; 6. Taylor Guenther, WWU, 18:34.01; 7. Sarah Macdonald, SPU, 18:46.55; 8. Anysja Manzer, NNU, 18:49.71.

Distance Medley Relay – 1. Simon Fraser 11:59.08; 2. Alaska Anchorage 12:05.63; 3. Western Oregon 12:10.88; 4. Central Washington 12:21.77; 5. Seattle Pacific 12:23.73; 6. MSU Billings 12:32.63; 7. Western Washington 12:43.45; 8. Northwest Nazarene 13:20.64.

High Jump – 1. Naphtali Ward, SPU, 1.69 – 5-6 ½; 2. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.64 – 5-4 ½; 3. Louisa McInnis, SPU, Katelyn Wright, WWU,and Karolin Anders, UAA,  1.64 – 5-4 ½; 6. Courtney Brewer, NNU, 1.59 – 5-2 ½; 7. Miranda Osadchey, WWU, 1.59 – 5-2 ½; 8. Rachel Miller, NNU, 1.59 – 5-2 ½.

Long Jump – 1. Karolin Anders, UAA, 5.65 – 18-6 ½; 2. Kyra Brannan, SPU, 5.63 – 18-5 ¾; 3. Tasia Baldwin, SPU, 5.51 – 18-1; 4. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 5.37 – 17-7 ½; 5. Ali Anderson, CWU, 5.31 – 17-5 ¼; 6. Natasha Lazecki, SFU, 5.30 – 17-4 ¾; 7. Rosie Smith, UAA, 5.18 – 17-0; 8. Maliea Luquin, SPU, 5.15 – 16-10 ¾.

Weight Throw – 1. Becki Duhamel, CWU, 17.63 – 57-10 ¼ (meet record, old, 54-2, Duhamel,  2013); 2. Caitlin Curtis, NNU, 17.00 – 55-9 ¼; 3. Taylor VanValey, NNU, 15.72 – 51-7; 4. Angel Rodgers, SMU, 114.71 – 48-3 ¼; 5. Quiana Lawrence, SMU, 14.22 – 46-8; 6. Dorothy Moore, CWU, 14.17 – 46-6; 7. Emily Wetherell, WOU, 14.05 – 46-1 ¼; 8. Lexi Sarver, NNU, 13.77 – 45-2 ¼.

Pentathlon – 1. Karolin Anders, UAA, 3761 (meet record, old 3,640, Anders, 2014); 2. Rosie Smith, UAA, 3453; 3. Mailiea Luquin, SPU, 3372; 4. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 3350; 5. Maddi Homes, SPU, 3209; 6. Janessa Dyk, NNU, 3030; 7. HarLee Ortega, CWU, 2932; 8. Cheryl Hong, SPU, 2903. 

Pentathlon Events: 60 Hurdles – 1. Smith 8.82 (meet record, old, 9.19, Fettig, CWU, 2014).  High Jump – 1. Anders and Fettig 1.69 – 5-6 ½ (ties old record, Fettig, 2014).  Shot Put – 1. Anders 11.86 – 38-11.   Long Jump – 1. Anders 5.62 – 18-5 ¼ (meet record, old, 5.57 – 18-3 ¼, Katy Gross, SPU, 2012).  800 – 1. Dyk 2:26.62.