Wednesday, March 17, 2021

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Justin Crosswhite, Western Oregon
Senior • Hood River, Ore.

Crosswhite opened the season by winning the 1,500 meters at the OSU PNW Team Clash on Saturday, winning the race by nearly four seconds with a time of 3:54.82. The time ranks No. 2 in Division II this season.

MEN’S FIELD
JJ Walker, Western Oregon
Junior • Everett, Wash.

Walker became the first GNAC male athlete to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Championships this season, winning the decathlon at the WOU Winter Multi Events with a score of 6,432 points. The total tops Division II so far this season. Walker placed first in three individual events: the pole vault, high jump and discus.

Also Nominated: Ryan Thoma (Central Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Maya Hopwood, Western Oregon
Freshman • Bend, Ore.

Hopwood opened the 2021 season by placing second in the 100 meters at the OSU PNW Team Clash on Saturday. Hopwood finished in a time of 12.28 seconds, ranking her No. 8 in Division II this season.

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kaylee Wright, Western Oregon
Freshman • John Day, Ore.

Competing in her first meet for Western Oregon, Wright provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the javelin with a mark of 141 feet, 11 inches. She placed fourth in the competition and currently ranks No. 3 in Division II.

Also Nominated: McCall DeChenne (Central Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage is scheduled to open its season at the Doris Heritage Track Classic in Seattle on Saturday.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington opened the 2021 season at the Western Oregon Winter Multis in Monmouth, Oregon.

• Freshman McCall DeChenne was the Wildcats’ top finisher, placing second in the women’s heptathlon with 4,406 points. DeChenne won the opening event, the 100-meter hurdles (14.86), and the closing event, the 800 meters (2:21.36).

• Freshman Ryan Thoma finished second in the men’s decathlon, tallying 5,518 points. Thoma won four of the five individual events on day one: the 100 meters (11.34), long jump (21-9), shot put (36-11.5) and 400 meters (51.68) and won the javelin on day two (167-4).

• Central Washington’s full squad will open the season on Saturday, competing at the Doris Heritage Track Festival in Seattle.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings is scheduled to open the outdoor season on Saturday at the MSUB/Rocky Meet in Lockwood, Montana.

• One of two GNAC teams to compete during the indoor season, Montana State Billings took part in the Stinger Open in Spearfish, S.D., on Feb. 20.

• Junior Logan Straus was the top individual finisher in the meet for MSUB, taking third in the men’s 3,000 meters in a time of 9:02.56. Straus also ran the leadoff leg on MSUB’s 4x400-meter relay team, which placed second in a time of 3:53.95.

• Freshman Bryce Olson opened his collegiate career with a fourth-place finish in the triple jump, clearing 43 feet, 6 inches.

• Junior Kaitlin Mason was the top women’s finisher for MSUB, placing fifth in the 60 meters in 8.55 seconds.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene will open the outdoor season at the Team 4 Titus meet on Friday, Mar. 26 and Team 4 Ely meet on Saturday, Mar. 27. Both meets are in Irvine, California.

• One of two GNAC teams to compete during the indoor season, the Nighthawks finished the year ranked No. 1 in both the USTFCCCA West Region men’s and women’s team indexes.

• Junior Colton Burr was named the USTFCCCA West Region Indoor Male Field Athlete of the Year. Burr had the region’s top mark in the weight throw with a best of 54 feet, 1.75 inches, at the BYU Cougar Indoor III meet on Feb. 20. He also had the No. 2 mark in the region in the shot put at 45 feet, 11.25 inches.

• Freshman Kinsey Langin was the only GNAC athlete to earn a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships during the indoor season. Langin was fifth in the women’s pole vault at the BYU Cougar Indoor III with a mark of 12 feet, 0.5 inches. The mark finished tied for 36th in Division II this season.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s opened the 2021 outdoor season at the PLU Opener on Mar. 7 in Tacoma, Washington.

• The SMU men came away with five individual event winners. On the track, freshman Donovan Albert won the 400 meters in 56.06 seconds while sophomore Andrew Boyd took the 110-meter hurdles in 16.20 seconds. Freshman Michael Harwell won the steeplechase in 10:15.43.

• In the field events, senior Josh Schulz took the long jump with a mark of 21 feet, 10.75 inches while freshman Noah Simons won the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 3 inches.

• Freshman Makiya Worthy was the lone SMU women’s winner on the track, capturing the 100 meters in 12.46 seconds.

• Saint Martin’s had two event winners in the field events. Freshman Margaret Zilla won the long jump with a mark of 16 feet, 8 inches. Freshman Jocelyn Saribay was the winner in the shot put with a mark of 37 feet, 10.5 inches.

• The Saints will return to competition on Saturday, competing in the Doris Heritage Track Festival in Seattle.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific came off its year-long layoff with some solid performances at the PLU Opener on Mar. 7 in Tacoma, Washington.

• Senior Scout Cai was named the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Week on Mar. 9 after she won the pole vault with a lifetime best mark of 12 feet, 11.5 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is currently No. 2 in Division II and improves her No. 2 mark on the GNAC All-Time List.

• Senior Grace Bley earned GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors on Mar. 9 after she won the 200 meters in a time of 24.81 seconds. The time is the second-fastest in Division II this season.

• Two freshmen claimed that week’s men’s honors. Jeff Gordon was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week on Mar. 9 after he won the 200 meters in a time of 22.12 seconds. That time ranks sixth in Division II this season. Gordon also ran the anchor leg on the Falcons’ 4x400-meter relay, which placed second in a time of 3:40.04.

• Carter McGinnis was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week on Mar. 9 after he won the pole vault with a mark of 14 feet, 1.25 inches. He won the event by over six inches and currently ranks 10th in Division II this season.

• Junior Dania Holmberg won two events, taking the 800 meters in 2:18.99 and the 1,500 meters in 4:41.15. Junior Renick Meyer won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.80 seconds while sophomore Peace Igbonagwam won the 400-meter hurdles in 1:05.21.

• Seattle Pacific will host the Doris Heritage Track Festival on Saturday at West Seattle Stadium.

SIMON FRASER
• Due to the closure of the U.S./Canada border due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Simon Fraser’s track and field season is on hold.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon opened its 2021 season by hosting the Western Oregon Winter Multis on Tuesday and Wednesday and competing at the OSU PNW Team Clash on Saturday in Corvallis.

• Junior JJ Walker was named the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he won the men’s decathlon at the Winter Multis with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying score of 6,432 points. Walker won the high jump on day one (6-4.25) and then took the discus (114-1) and the pole vault (14-3.25) on day two. Walker’s score is the best in Division II this season.

• Freshman Kaylee Wright was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she threw an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark of 141 feet, 11 inches in Corvallis. She enters the week with the No. 3 mark in Division II.

• The Wolves also swept the track weekly awards. Senior Justin Crosswhite was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning the 1,500 meters in Corvallis in 3:54.82. Freshman Maya Hopwood was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she took second in the 100 meters in 12.28 seconds.

• In all, Western Oregon won five individual events at the OSU PNW Team Clash, all on the men’s side. The winners included freshman Emmett Klus in the 800 meters (1:56.84), sophomore Aaron Hanible in the 400-meter hurdles (56.00), senior Dominic Giordano in the steeplechase (9:37.76) and senior Austin Goldstein in the javelin (183-6).

• Western Oregon will host Oregon State and Humboldt State for a pair of three-way meets on Saturday and Tuesday.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington will open its outdoor track and field season on Saturday at the Doris Heritage Track Festival in Seattle.