Thursday, May 18, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – Led by the conference’s sophomore superstars in Northwest Nazarene’s Steven Schmidt and Simon Fraser’s Marie-Éloïse Leclair, a total of 37 GNAC athletes have earned outdoor track and field All-West Region honors from the U.S. Track and Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The duo earned All-West Region distinction in three different events and are among the 13 conference athletes selected to participate in next week’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. Schmidt was named All-West Region in all three events that he won GNAC championships in: the high jump, pole vault and decathlon.

Leclair was named All-West Region honors in the 100 meters and 200 meters, both of which she repeated as conference champion in, as well as the 400 meters.

All-region honors are afforded by the USTFCCCA the top five athletes in each event in each region as well as members of the top three relays. The head coach of the program must also be a USTFCCCA member to be recognized.

The 19 men and 18 women selected from GNAC institutions include five who have the top marks in the West Region in their respective events entering the NCAA Championships. Schmidt leads the region in the men’s high jump with his best of 7 feet, 0.5 inches while Leclair has the top time in the women’s 100 meters in 11.44 seconds.

Simon Fraser junior Charlie Dannatt leads the region with his time of 3:41.38 in the men’s 1,500 meters, a time that also ranks No. 2 in Division II. Western Washington sophomore George Karamitsos has the top time in the men’s 10,000 meters at 29:40.69.

Northwest Nazarene sophomore Kinsey Yenor leads the region in the women’s pole vault by almost five inches with her best of 13 feet, 1.75 inches. Vikings sophomore Katie Potts leads the women’s discus by six feet with her season best of 153 feet, 1 inch.

USTFCCCA 2023 OUTDOOR ALL-WEST REGION
GNAC Honorees
MEN
Central Washington: Logan Martin (Hammer), Branden Wise (Javelin)
Montana State Billings: Forrest Cross (Discus), Carson Jessop (Steeplechase)
Northwest Nazarene: Dylan Hendry (Hammer), Steven Schmidt (High Jump*, Pole Vault, Decathlon)
Seattle Pacific: David Njeri (Triple Jump)
Simon Fraser: Sebastian Brinkman (5,000 Meters), Bryan Cortes (Javelin), Charlie Dannatt (1,500 Meters*)
Western Oregon: Dayne Gordien (Shot Put, Discus), Hunter Hutton (1,500 Meters)
Western Washington: Miller Campbell (Hammer), Jeret Gillngham (Steeplechase), George Karamitsos (10,000 Meters*), Kevin McDermott (5,000 Meters, 10,000 Meters), Andrew Oslin (10,000 Meters), Jaydon Tryon (Javelin), Drew Weber (800 Meters, 1,500 Meters)

WOMEN
Central Washington: E’lexis Hollis (100 Meters)
Northwest Nazarene: Destany Herbert (Shot Put), Miya Koch (High Jump), Kinsey Yenor (Pole Vault*)
Saint Martin’s: Alyssa Duncan (Triple Jump)
Seattle Pacific: Lizzy Daugherty (Pole Vault), Emily Thomason (Pole Vault)
Simon Fraser: Marie-Éloïse Leclair (100 Meters*, 200 Meters, 400 Meters), Zuzanna Liniewski (Hammer), Megan Roxby (800 Meters, 1,500 Meters)
Western Oregon: Jenelle Hurley (Heptathlon), Ujunwa Nwokoma (Long Jump), Kaylee Wright (Javelin)
Western Washington: Ila Davis (Steeplechase), Marian Ledesma (800 Meters), Katie Potts (Discus*), Ashley Reeck (Steeplechase), Raine Westfall (Hammer)

* - denotes had best mark in the West Region in that event