WEEKEND ROUNDUP: Vikings win GNAC men's indoor crown; WSU Open II & Joe Gray wins NACAC XC title...
NAMPA, Idaho--Alex Donigian of Western Washington (left/photo courtesy WWU Athletics) earned GNAC Male Outstanding Performer honors in leading their respective teams to titles in the 11th annual GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday at Jacksons Track at the Ford Idaho Center.
Donigian swept the 60 meters and 200 meters for the second year in a row in meet-record times of 6.75 and 21.79, respectively. His 60 time is also an all-time GNAC record.
"Alex had a tough day in Friday's prelims, but was much better today," said WWU coach Pee Wee Halsell. "He won the 200 even though he was in the slow heat, and had a great performance in the 60. It was an amazing day, and great to see his hard work pay off."
Peter Maguire of the Vikings won the 60 hurdles in 8.24, claiming a meet record.
Luke Plummer (46-3.75/14.10m) and Kevin Stanley (58-1.25/17.71m) of Central Washington each earned wins in the triple jump and weight throw as the Wildcats took fourth with 73 points.
Saint Martin's was eighth with 43 points, and Seattle Pacific ninth with 10 points.
The Seattle Pacific women's team finished a solid second in the GNAC title race, scoring 125 points, as defending champ Alaska Anchorage prevailed with 154 points.
The Falcons got wins from McKayla Fricker in the mile (5:00.37), Kishia Mitchell in the 400 (57.00) and from the 4 x 400 relay team of Mitchell, Tasia Baldwin, Jasmine Johnson, and Fricker (3:51.94).
The Viking women's squad finished fourth with 100 points, led by the second victory of the meet by Tanya Bjornson, adding the 60 meter hurdle title to the long jump crown won Friday.
Bjornsson won the 60 hurdles Saturday in a time of 8.72, knocking 0.07 of a second off her own school-best set last year and improving on her provisional status for the national championships. Bjornsson, who also won the long jump Friday, was second Saturday in the 60-meter dash (7.89).
Central Washington, led by Tayler Fettig's meet record of 5-9.75 in the high jump, tying the all-time conference record, finished sixth with 47 1/3 points, while Saint Martin's was eighth with 9 points.
Seattle Pacific will host a last chance qualifying meet next Saturday at the Dempsey Indoor on the campus of the University of Washington following the conclusion of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship meet, scheduled to end around 3 pm.
In Pullman, Washington State University athletes won 13 events at the WSU Open II meet at the WSU Indoor Facility Saturday.
Charlotte Muschamp won the women's high jump, equaling her PR of 5-10 (1.78m) for the third time this season.
In a spirited pole vault competition featuring reigning Pac-12 champ Kristine Felix of WSU, and NCAA scorer Logan Miller of the University of Washington, it was the Huskies' Kristina Owsinski (left/photo courtesy University of Washington) who stole the victory with a leap of 13-6.25 (4.12m), a personal best.
“It has been a good indoor season for us and we had some good performances today,” WSU Head Coach Rick Sloan said. “In the high jump, Charlotte Muschamp did really well and it was good to Holly Parent back in uniform and jumping again."
In Mt. Irvine, Tobago, Club Northwest's Joe Gray (below/photo by Mike Scott) won the NACAC cross country championship Saturday to lead the USA to the team title.
Gray, the Lakewood resident who was fourth at the USA cross country championships in Boulder last week, ran 24:14 over the 8k Mt. Irvine Golf Course as the Americans went 1-3-5-7 to handily defeat Canada 16-30 in the senior men's race.
In the senior women's race, Sequim native Stephanie (Marcy) Dinius' fifth place finish in the 6k race helped the USA get the team title by a 16-25 margin over Canada.
Dinius completed the course in 21.51, as Kellyn Johnson led the way for the Americans with her 20:10 win.
Afterwards, Dinius said, "I had a rough time in the heat and humidity but managed to kick hard at the end. Thankful for another chance to represent the US, and win this time!"
Team USA also won the junior men's race over the Canadians, but came up short in the junior women's race behind Team Canada.
Results from the NACAC cross country championships are available via the Athletics Canada Twitter page (click on the individual photos of the results from each race).
NOTE: The GNAC, Athletics Canada, and the sports information offices of Central Washington, Seattle Pacific and Western Washington contributed to this report.
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