Pixler honored by GNAC again; Falcons ranked #7 in first USTFCCCA indoor poll...

Jessica Pixler (left/photo courtesy Seattle Pacific University) has added to her record-setting collection of Great Northwest Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week Awards. The Seattle Pacific senior was honored on Monday as the Athlete of the Week for women’s track after rewriting her own standard in the mile at last Saturday’s UW Invitational.

Pixler (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake HS) cruised to an 11-second victory at Dempsey Indoor on the University of Washington campus in 4 minutes, 33.46 seconds. That shattered her old Falcon and GNAC record of 4:37.83, which she set last Feb. 14 at the Husky Classic, and also was an automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Division II indoor championships. Pixler is the three-time defending NCAA champion in the indoor mile.

Pixler now has 27 Athlete of the Week honors for her career, with 15 for track (10 indoor, five outdoor) and 12 for cross country.

Thanks to her efforts, and the strength of their distance medley relay squad, the USTFCCCA has recognized Seattle Pacific as the #7 ranked women's track & field team in the country, according to their poll released Tuesday.

Western Washington University, led by distance standout Sarah Porter, is ranked #16 in this week's poll.

The current list of the top 25 teams in NCAA Division II can be accessed here.

NOTE: The USTFCCCA and Seattle Pacific University contributed to this report.