Wednesday, May 10, 2023

MONMOUTH, Ore. – As the GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships return to Western Oregon University’s McArthur Field, the Wolves are in position to do something special for the home crowd.

The Wolves are the defending women’s champions and swept both the men’s and women’s championships at February’s GNAC Indoor Championships. The win on the men’s side ended a four-year streak where Western Washington had swept the indoor and outdoor titles. Both teams are title contenders this week.

Western Oregon was 25 points clear of second-place Western Washington in the women’s team competition last year. The Wolves return three individual champions, all in the field events. In all, title defenses will be mounted in 11 women’s events and six men’s events.

With sunny conditions and temperatures expected to soar into the 90s, the conditions for a fast and exciting meet are in place.

MEN
Western Washington has the depth to make four in a row outdoors. That depth is particularly present in the distances where WWU owns the GNAC’s top-five times in the 10,000 meters and five of the top six in the 5,000 meters. Sophomore Kevin McDermott leads the conference in the 5,000 (14:09.26) and sophomore George Karamitsos leads the way in the 10,000 (29:40.69).

Sophomore Drew Weber has the GNAC’s leading time in the 800 meters (1:49.34) and is second in the 1,500 meters (3:44.83) while sophomore Jeret Gillingham leads the way in the steeplechase (8:55.62). All four athletes own NCAA Championships provisional qualifying times.

Senior Drew Johnson leads the conference in the 100 meters (10.58) after placing second last year. In the field events, junior Ryan Greenwalt has the GNAC’s top mark in the long jump (23-4.75) and sophomore Miller Campbell leads the way in the hammer (181-1).

To win its first outdoor title since 2011, Western Oregon will lean on the distances and throws. Senior Dayne Gordien leads the GNAC in the shot put (54-9.5) after winning the event at the GNAC Indoor Championships. He also leads the conference in the discus (163-5). Sophomore Mark Warren ranks fourth in the hammer (176-3) after placing third in the event last year.

Senior JJ Walker provided eight points with his second-place finish in last week’s decathlon (6,680 points) and ranks fourth in GNAC in the pole vault (14-11.5). Junior Marlon Harrison is ranked third in the triple jump (46-0.75).

Junior Hunter Hutton ranks third in the conference in the 1,500 meters (3:46.67) and is among five GNAC athletes in the event with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Junior Justin Conklin will contend for the 110-meter hurdles title, ranking third in the conference (14.79).

Northwest Nazarene is in the title conversation thanks in great part to Steven Schmidt. The sophomore defended his decathlon title last week (7,046 points), becoming just the sixth 7,000-plus point decathlete in GNAC history. During the event, Schmidt cleared 7 feet, 0.5 inches in the high jump, tying him for the second-best mark on the GNAC all-time list and seventh in Division II this season.

Schmidt also owns the top mark in the conference in the pole vault (15-11) and ranks sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (15.09) and the javelin (179-7).

The Nighthawks have the top three marks in the high jump with sophomore Gerohm Rihari ranked second (6-7.5) and freshman Jonah Groce ranked third (6-5). Sophomore William Koenig ranks third in the pole vault (15-0.25) after placing second last year. Senior Dylan Hendry ranks third in the shot put (48-9). In the sprints, sophomore Hunter Braseth is second in the 200 meters (21.39) and fifth in the 100 meters (10.69).

Simon Fraser is led by junior Charlie Dannatt. The defending champion in the 1,500 meters, his season-best time of 3:41.38 is second in Division II this season. He is also provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 800 meters (1:50.95). Sophomore Sebastian Brinkman owns the No. 2 time in the GNAC in the 5,000 meters (14:15.45) and sophomore Jordan Schmidt is second in the 800 meters (1:50.43).

In the sprints, sophomore Jesaiah Penson-McCoy leads the 200 meters (21.43) and is third in the 100 meters (10.63). Senior Bryan Cortes leads the GNAC in the javelin (198-5), reaching the mark alone at a meet in Canada last weekend.

Central Washington is led by senior Austin Albertin, who owns the GNAC’s top time in the 400-meter hurdles (53.54). Senior Braydon Maier ranks second in the pole vault (15-5.5) and is looking for his fourth title in five years. In the jumps, freshman Isaiah Webster is second in the triple jump (46-0.75) and junior Christopher Hines is third in the long jump (22-11.75).

Freshman Logan Martin ranks second in the hammer (179-3) while sophomore Wyatt Franklin is third in the discus (149-9) and junior Branden Wise is third in the javelin (193-8). Sophomore Drew Klein carries six points into the meet with his third-place finish in the decathlon (6,538).

Junior Joshua Wagner leads Alaska Anchorage as the defending champion in the 110-meter hurdles. He leads the conference this season with a time of 14.73 seconds. Junior Kevin Angarita has the top time and an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the 400 meters (47.81). Sophomore Enrique Campbell is ranked third in the 200 meters (21.55).

Senior David Njeri is the defending champ in the triple jump for Seattle Pacific. His top mark of 49 feet, 7.25 seconds leads the conference by three feet. Sophomore Isaiah Archer ranks third in the GNAC in 400 meters (48.24) and junior Brad Bowman ranks sixth in the pole vault (14-11).

Montana State Billings senior Forrest Cross is the defending champion in the discus. He ranks second in the GNAC this season in that event (156-5) and the shot put (51-6.5). Senior Carson Jessop owns an NCAA provisional time in the steeplechase (9:10.36), ranking second in the GNAC. Senior Ase Ackerman is ranked third (9:14.37).

Junior Andrew Boyd ranks fourth in the 110-meter hurdles (15.01) to lead Saint Martin’s. Sophomore Kainalu Pagente ranks sixth in the steeplechase (9:28.51).

WOMEN
Western Oregon enters the GNAC Championships as the defending champion and doubled down on that trophy by winning the indoor title in February.

Senior Jenelle Hurley brings 10 points into the meet with her title in the heptathlon last week (4,803). The defending champion in the long jump, she has the second-best mark in the conference this season (18-10) behind teammate Ujunwa Nwokoma, who has an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 19 feet, 6.75 inches. Hurley also ranks second in the GNAC in the high jump (5-5.75), eighth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:05.22) and 10th in the 100-meter hurdles (14.94).

Senior Ana Popchock is the defending champion in the triple jump and ranks eighth this season (37-5) after winning the indoor title in February. Freshman Amariyah Clay ranks second in the event (39-3.25). Senior Kaylee Wright will defend her championship in the javelin with a GNAC-best mark of 146 feet, 1 inch.

In the distances, senior Caitlin Heldt leads the conference in the 10,000 meters (36:20.29) and is second in the 5,000 meters (17:06.05). She placed third last year in both events.

Western Washington has three defending champions and stands to make a run at the team title. Sophomore Ila Davis won both the steeplechase and the 5,000 meters last year. She owns an NCAA provisional qualifying mark to lead the steeplechase (10:21.10) and ranks third in the 5,000 (17:08.91).

Sophomore Raine Westfall will defend her title in the hammer with the top mark in the conference this season (165-8). Sophomore Katie Potts leads the GNAC in the discus (153-1) after placing second last year. Junior Matty Lagerwey added eight points to the WWU total with her second-place finish in the heptathlon (4,495). She also ranks third in the long jump (18-4.25).

The Vikings own three of the top four times in the 800 meters, led by junior Marian Ledesma’s NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:08.98. Freshman Meaera Shannon ranks second in the 10,000 meters (36:56.79).

Simon Fraser is led by the most dynamic athlete in the conference in sophomore Marie-Éloïse Leclair. The defending champion in the 100 and 200 meters, Leclair set meet records in both events last year. She has broken her own GNAC records again this year with times of 11.45 seconds in the 100 and 23.42 in the 200, both of which rank in the top 10 in Division II. Leclair also has the conference’s top time in the 400 meters by three seconds (54.38).

Junior Diana Voloshin is the defending champion in the 100-meter hurdles and is No. 2 in the GNAC this season (14.33). Sophomore Erika Binder ranks second in the 400-meter hurdles (1:02.54). Junior Megan Roxby leads the GNAC in the 1,500 (4:24.56) and ranks second in the 800 meters (2:09.34), both in NCAA provisional qualifying times.

In the field events, sophomore Zuzanna Liniewski is second in the hammer (163-9) after placing second in the event last year while junior Sydney Kania is tied for third in the high jump (5-4.5).

Senior Lauryn Chandler leads Central Washington. The indoor 60-meter hurdles champion, she leads the conference with a time of 13.99 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles. Senior McCall DeChenne is the defending champion in the 400-meter hurdles and leads the GNAC with a time of 1:02.19. Junior E’lexis Hollis owns the second-fastest time in GNAC history in the 100 meters, a time of 11.63 seconds that trails only Leclair.

Senior Juliette Williams ranks third in the 200 meters (24.72). In the jumps, junior Erica Cabanos ranks sixth in both the long jump (17-10.75) and the triple jump (37-10.5). She placed third in the triple jump last year.

Northwest Nazarene senior Abbey Wood will contend to score in both sprints after having set Nighthawks records in the 100 meters (11.93) and the 200 meters (24.42) this season. She ranks second in the 200 and third in the 100. Junior Laine DeJong ranks second in the 400 meters (57.15).

Sophomore Kinsey Yenor is the defending champion in the pole vault. Her leading mark of 13 feet, 0.75 inches ranks No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list. Sophomore Miya Koch has the leading mark in the high jump (5-6) while junior Destany Herbert leads the shot put (47-1.5).

Seattle Pacific sophomore Annika Esvelt will contend for the 5,000-meter title with the top time in the conference (16:52.91). In the sprints, freshman Marissa Crane ranks fifth in the 400 meters (57.81) while sophomore Aniya Green is sixth in the 400 meters (57.99).

Freshman Hannah Chang provided five points with her fourth-place finish in the heptathlon (4,523). She also ranks third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.50). Juniors Lizzy Daugherty and Emily Thomason are tied for second in the pole vault with NCAA provisional qualifying marks of 12 feet, 4 inches.

Montana State Billings junior Kendall Lynn leads the conference in the triple jump (39-4) and ranks fourth in the long jump (18-3). Sophomore Ryann Moline is second in the javelin (136-6) and third in the discus (134-5). Senior Kailee Stoppel is also a scoring threat, ranking third in the steeplechase (11:28.96).

Sophomore Cassidy Walchak-Sloan of Saint Martin’s has an NCAA provisional time in the 1,500 meters and ranks second in the GNAC (4:27.97). She also ranks fifth in the 800 meters (2:13.88) while sophomore Sara Sabra ranks third in the 10,000 meters (37:27.60).

Senior Alfin Nyamasyo leads Alaska Anchorage, ranking fourth in the steeplechase (11:24.05). Sophomore Carlotta Duenninger placed third in the heptathlon (4,281) and ranks sixth in the javelin (123-11). Junior Mikayla Mader is tied for third in the high jump (5-4.5).