Friday, February 19, 2016

NAMPA, Idaho – The only two programs to ever win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s indoor championship will duke it out again for the title as Seattle Pacific and Alaska Anchorage top the list of team contenders in the GNAC Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championships, which take place Friday and Saturday at the Jacksons Indoor Center.

After winning the first nine indoor championships, Seattle Pacific reclaimed the top podium position last year, ending a two-year title run by Alaska Anchorage. The Falcons’ run was staked by three individual champions, a win in the 4x400-meter relay and four athletes who earned multiple all-conference honors with top-three finishes.

In 2016, both the Falcons and Seawolves come into the conference meet with a number of returning champions and qualifiers for March’s NCAA Division II Championships.

Seattle Pacific, ranked 23rd in the latest USTFCCCA Division II Computer Rankings, is led by senior Lynelle Decker, who is looking for her first GNAC indoor title. The 800-meter specialist automatically qualified for her fourth consecutive NCAA Indoor Championships with her time of 2:09.38 at January’s UW Invitational. The time ranks No. 2 in Division II. Decker was the 1,500-meter champion at last spring’s GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Decker is joined by a trio of returning champions in seniors Anna Patti and Jahzelle Ambus and sophomore Naphtali Ward. Patti emerged in a talented field to win last year’s 5,000 meters in 17:14.01, but will concentrate in the 3,000 meters this year that also features a loaded field. Patti currently has the 35th best time in Division II at 9:58.84. Ward claimed the high jump title with a mark of 5 feet, 6.5 inches and had a season best of 5 feet, 5 inches. Ambus won the 400 meters as a freshman and has the GNAC’s top mark this season of 56.57 seconds, 28th best in Division II.

The Falcons also feature NCAA provisional qualifiers in freshman Geneva Lehnert, whose league-leading 5 feet, 7 inches in the high jump is 12th best in Division II, senior Mailea Luquin, who is 27th in the pentathlon and second in the GNAC with 3,389 points, and junior Michaella Kahns, who shares the GNAC lead in the pole vault at 11 feet, 6.5 inches.

Alaska Anchorage, ranked fifth in the USTFCCCA Division II Computer Rnakings, returns three champions who have all won multiple events. Joyce Chelimo won both the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters in 2014. She has returned from a redshirt year to automatically qualify for nationals in both events. Her time of 9:17.97 in the 3,000 meters at last weekend’s Husky Classic is the fourth fastest time in Division II history. She also has the nation’s second best time in the 5,000 meters at 16:22.93.

Senior Karolin Anders is the two-time defending champion in the pentathlon and won the long jump in 2015. She leads the conference in both events with a score of 3,813 points in the pentathlon (No. 2 in GNAC history and No. 3 this season in Division II) and a mark of 18 feet, 8.75 inches in the long jump. Anders also owns the third best mark in the nation in the high jump, having cleared 5 feet, 8 inches. Junior Jamie Ashcroft is the two-time champ in both the 60 meters and 200 meters. She leads the GNAC in both races, ranking 14th in Division II in the 200 meters at 24.67 seconds and 27th in the 60 meters in 7.66 seconds.

The Seawolves also have provisional qualifiers in sophomore Caroline Kurgat in the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters, senior Rosie Smith in the pentathlon and 60-meter hurdles and senior Jessica Pahkala in the 800 meters. Kurgat is 10th in Division II in the 5,000 meters with a time of 16:46.49. Smith is tied for 17th in Division II in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.66 seconds and Pahkala leads the GNAC in the 800 meters in 2:14.06.

Simon Fraser has the horses to give both Seattle Pacific and Alaska Anchorage a run for the team title. Junior Rebecca Bassett leads the Clan’s efforts, entering the meet with the eighth best time in Division II in the 3,000 meters in 9:40.31. She also has the GNAC’s second best time in the mile at 4:59.99. Freshman Addy Townsend leads the GNAC in the mile in 4:59.32. She is provisionally qualified for nationals in the mile and the 800 meters, where she has run 2:14.48. Sophomore Alana Mussatto is also provisionally qualified in the 800 meters and is second in the GNAC with a time of 2:14.10.

Freshman Valda Kabia is a potential point-scorer in both sprints, owning the GNAC’s second best time in the 200 meters (25.00 seconds) and third in the 60 meters (7.72). Senior Chantel Desch aims to go out a winner, entering with the fourth best time in the 400 meters (56.62). Junior Ella Brown has provisionally qualified in the triple jump and is second in the GNAC at 37 feet, 10 inches.

Western Washington has the conference’s other returning champion in Jasmine McMullin. The junior won last year’s triple jump in 38 feet, 2.75 inches and has already surpassed that mark in 2016 with 38 feet, 8.75 inches, the 17th best mark in Division II. McMullin also owns the conference’s sixth best mark in the long jump at 17 feet, 0.5 inches. The Vikings have two other NCAA provisional qualifiers in junior Miranda Osadchey in the high jump (5-5, fourth in GNAC) and junior Brittany Grant in the 3,000 meters (10:00.85, seventh in GNAC).

Other contenders for Western Washington include sophomore Anna Paradee, who leads the GNAC in the pole vault at 11 feet, 6.5 inches, and junior Shawna Troupe in the mile (5:02.67, fourth in GNAC).

Conference newcomer Concordia will make a splash in the team scoring, thanks in great part to the throwing events. Sophomore McKenzie Warren broke the GNAC record in the shot put three times this season. Her top mark of 55 feet, 3.5 inches is not only the best in Division II, but qualifies her for the USATF National Indoor Championships. Warren also leads the GNAC in the weight throw with a mark of 55 feet, 5 inches. Senior Jessica Mattos has the second best mark in the GNAC in the weight throw at 54 feet, 5.25 inches. Freshman Christina MacDonald ranks third in the shot put (44-9.75) and sixth in the weight throw (51-10).

The Cavaliers will be further helped by sophomore Caitlyn Safley in the 400 meters (58.61 seconds, sixth in GNAC), freshman Tori Johnson in the high jump (5-4.25, fifth in GNAC) and junior Emma Hill in both the triple jump (36-7.5, fifth in GNAC) and long jump (16-10.5, seventh in GNAC).

Northwest Nazarene hopes the home field advantage will facilitate a jump in the standings. The Crusaders are led by senior Taylor Deskins, who currently owns the second best time in the 60 meters with a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 7.71 seconds. She is also ranked sixth in the 200 meters in 25.68 seconds. Sophomore Lexi Tubbs enters with the second best conference mark in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.86 seconds while senior Taylor Van Valey owns provisional qualifying marks in both the shot put (43-7.75, fourth in GNAC) and the weight throw (53-7.5, third in GNAC).

Central Washington is led by senior Dani Eggleston, who will concentrate on the 3,000 meters where she has Division II’s 22nd best time in 9:49.85. She is also provisionally qualified for nationals in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17:03.68, 15th best in Division II. Freshman Mariyah Vongsaveng is third in the GNAC in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.86 seconds and sophomore McKenna Emmert is third in the pole vault with a mark of 11 feet, 1.75 inches. Junior Madison Garcia will compete for points in the 60 meters (7.94 seconds, fifth in GNAC) as will senior Amanda Youngers in the shot put (42-9.75, sixth in GNAC) and the weight throw (50-4.5, seventh in GNAC).

Western Oregon’s strength is in the throws where senior Emmi Collier is ranked second in the shot put with Division II’s 16th best mark mark of 46 feet, 3.5 inches. Collier is also fourth in the GNAC in the weight throw with her mark of 53 feet, 6.5 inches. Senior Stephanie Stuckey has the third best mark in the GNAC in the 400 meters at 5:00.58.

Saint Martin’s is led by senior Shannon Porter, who has set school records this season in both the 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. Porter’s mark of 16:57.09 is 15th best in Division II and second in the GNAC while her time of 9:51.99 is 18th best in Division II. Senior Lisa Petersen has the GNAC’s fifth best mark in the 60-meter hurdles in 9.08 seconds while junior Kirby Neale is fifth in both the shot put (42-10.75) and the weight throw (52-3.25).

Montana State Billings’ scoring chances will come from the distances and jumps. Senior Della Lyle enters the meet with bests of 10:19.90 in the 3,000 meters and 18:35.39 in the 5,000 meters. Sophomore Amanda Nichols is fifth in the GNAC in the pole vault (10-6) while freshman Janessa Williams in ninth in the triple jump (35-5.25).