Could this be the year Central Washington sweeps GNAC indoor team title?
It’s championship week for the state’s four Division II schools, as Central Washington, Seattle Pacific, Western Washington, and Saint Martin’s University heads east to Nampa, Idaho for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title clash Friday and Saturday at the Jacksons Indoor Track at the Idaho Sports Center.
Both Central Washington squads are in contention to challenge for the team titles. The women’s squad in fact tied for the conference crown with Seattle Pacific last year, while the men’s team may find itself in the mix to earn its first team title since 2007.
MEN’S PREVIEW
The Wildcats will need the duo of Braydon Maier (left/photo by Paul Merca), the defending heptathlon champion, along with All-American Kodiak Landis to produce some big points this weekend.
Maier has returned just as strong as a sophomore, ranking 10th in Division II with 5,156 points. Maier is also a title contender in the pole vault, provisionally qualifying for nationals with a mark of 15 feet, 7 inches (4.75m).
Landis, who won the heptathlon in 2017, has the third-best point total in Division II at 5,218 points while Michael Forster is 30th in the nation at 4,836 points. Aidan Cain enters the meet atop the conference in the weight throw (58-3.75/17.77m while Zach Whittaker leads the way in the triple jump (47-11.75/14.62m). Central also has potential title contenders with Bobby Widmar in the 60 meters (6.99) and Daniel Calderon in the 400 meters (49.67).
Unlike previous seasons, in which its distance runners carried the Vikings, Western Washington’s best scoring chances will come in the field events. J.T. Konrad established an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault with a GNAC-leading clearance of 16 feet, 0.75/4.90m. The Vikings have a pair of provisional qualifiers in the heptathlon in Ian Rinefort (4,829) and Seren Dances (4,795), with Dances entering the meet second in the GNAC in the long jump (22-11.75/7.00m). Koby Okezie is second in the GNAC in the 60-meter hurdles (8.43) and Tupre Wickliff is third in the high jump (6-7).
Saint Martin’s will be led by freshman Tyler Cronk, who last week became just the second athlete in GNAC history to clear seven feet in the high jump. His clearance of 7 feet, 1 inch (2.16m), automatically qualifies Cronk for the NCAA Championships. The Saints will look for points as well from Josh Schulz in the long jump and Michael Russell and Jackson Hand in the sprints.
WOMEN’S PREVIEW
Seattle Pacific returns a pair of champions in Scout Cai and Renick Meyer. Cai collected titles in both the pentathlon and pole vault last year, but has seen her action limited this indoor season due to injury. Nonetheless, Cai is 14th in Division II in the pentathlon (3,557). Meyer won the 60 meters and was second in the 60-meter hurdles last year. This year, Meyer leads the GNAC in the long jump (18-10.75/5.76m) and is in the conference’s top-five in the pentathlon and the 60-meter hurdles.
Among other returners, Kate Lilly is ranked second in the GNAC in the mile and fourth in 3,000 meters. A trio of freshmen will also vie for titles and key team points: Jenny Bouyer in the 60 and 200 meters, Peace Igbonagwam in the 60 meters and long jump and Madison Licari in the pole vault. Junior Grace Bley, who won the outdoor 200 title last spring, is ranked No. 2 in the indoor 200.
Mariyah Vongsaveng is Central Washington’s lone returning champion and hopes to make it three titles in four years in the 60-meter hurdles. The GNAC record holder has the 10th best time in Division II at 8.66 seconds. Senior HarLee Ortega has the No. 4 mark in Division II in the pentathlon (3,707) and has also provisionally qualified for nationals in the long jump. Alexa Shindruk, meanwhile, enters the meet ranked No. 14 in Division II in both the 3,000 meters (9:42.19) and the 5,000 meters (16:48.43).
Wildcats junior Halle Irvine hopes to claim her first indoor pole vault championship after setting the GNAC record at 12 feet, 10.75 inches (3.93m), earlier this season. Samantha La Rue enters the meet with the conference’s best mark in the shot put (44-10.25/13.67m). Erykah Weems and Sidney Trinidad will play a factor in the sprints, with Weems entering the meet third in the GNAC in the 400 meters (56.82). In the hunt for the long jump and triple jump titles is Brooke Williams, an NCAA provisional qualifier in both events.
Western Washington enters the meet with seven of the top nine marks in the pole vault. The crew is led by 2017 GNAC champion Anna Paradee, who has the 28th best mark in Division II at 12 feet, 3.5 inches (3.75m). Maddie Taylor leads the conference and is tied for sixth in Division II in the high jump (5-8/1.73m). The Vikings will also look to Sophia Galvez, who ranks third in the conference in the 5,000 meters (17:37.16), and Hannah Bradley in the 60 meters (7.87).
Saint Martin’s will also have a pair of title hopefuls. Freshman Keshara Romain enters with the GNAC lead in the triple jump (39-5/12.01m) while Liz Larson is fourth in the weight throw (48-9/14.86m).
The GNAC’s championship central page is available here, which includes the links to the meet schedule, the meet program, and live results.
The GNAC rankings is available here.
NOTE: The Great Northwest Athletic Conference contributed to this report.
Both Central Washington squads are in contention to challenge for the team titles. The women’s squad in fact tied for the conference crown with Seattle Pacific last year, while the men’s team may find itself in the mix to earn its first team title since 2007.
MEN’S PREVIEW
Maier has returned just as strong as a sophomore, ranking 10th in Division II with 5,156 points. Maier is also a title contender in the pole vault, provisionally qualifying for nationals with a mark of 15 feet, 7 inches (4.75m).
Landis, who won the heptathlon in 2017, has the third-best point total in Division II at 5,218 points while Michael Forster is 30th in the nation at 4,836 points. Aidan Cain enters the meet atop the conference in the weight throw (58-3.75/17.77m while Zach Whittaker leads the way in the triple jump (47-11.75/14.62m). Central also has potential title contenders with Bobby Widmar in the 60 meters (6.99) and Daniel Calderon in the 400 meters (49.67).
Unlike previous seasons, in which its distance runners carried the Vikings, Western Washington’s best scoring chances will come in the field events. J.T. Konrad established an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault with a GNAC-leading clearance of 16 feet, 0.75/4.90m. The Vikings have a pair of provisional qualifiers in the heptathlon in Ian Rinefort (4,829) and Seren Dances (4,795), with Dances entering the meet second in the GNAC in the long jump (22-11.75/7.00m). Koby Okezie is second in the GNAC in the 60-meter hurdles (8.43) and Tupre Wickliff is third in the high jump (6-7).
Saint Martin’s will be led by freshman Tyler Cronk, who last week became just the second athlete in GNAC history to clear seven feet in the high jump. His clearance of 7 feet, 1 inch (2.16m), automatically qualifies Cronk for the NCAA Championships. The Saints will look for points as well from Josh Schulz in the long jump and Michael Russell and Jackson Hand in the sprints.
WOMEN’S PREVIEW
Seattle Pacific returns a pair of champions in Scout Cai and Renick Meyer. Cai collected titles in both the pentathlon and pole vault last year, but has seen her action limited this indoor season due to injury. Nonetheless, Cai is 14th in Division II in the pentathlon (3,557). Meyer won the 60 meters and was second in the 60-meter hurdles last year. This year, Meyer leads the GNAC in the long jump (18-10.75/5.76m) and is in the conference’s top-five in the pentathlon and the 60-meter hurdles.
Among other returners, Kate Lilly is ranked second in the GNAC in the mile and fourth in 3,000 meters. A trio of freshmen will also vie for titles and key team points: Jenny Bouyer in the 60 and 200 meters, Peace Igbonagwam in the 60 meters and long jump and Madison Licari in the pole vault. Junior Grace Bley, who won the outdoor 200 title last spring, is ranked No. 2 in the indoor 200.
Mariyah Vongsaveng is Central Washington’s lone returning champion and hopes to make it three titles in four years in the 60-meter hurdles. The GNAC record holder has the 10th best time in Division II at 8.66 seconds. Senior HarLee Ortega has the No. 4 mark in Division II in the pentathlon (3,707) and has also provisionally qualified for nationals in the long jump. Alexa Shindruk, meanwhile, enters the meet ranked No. 14 in Division II in both the 3,000 meters (9:42.19) and the 5,000 meters (16:48.43).
Wildcats junior Halle Irvine hopes to claim her first indoor pole vault championship after setting the GNAC record at 12 feet, 10.75 inches (3.93m), earlier this season. Samantha La Rue enters the meet with the conference’s best mark in the shot put (44-10.25/13.67m). Erykah Weems and Sidney Trinidad will play a factor in the sprints, with Weems entering the meet third in the GNAC in the 400 meters (56.82). In the hunt for the long jump and triple jump titles is Brooke Williams, an NCAA provisional qualifier in both events.
Western Washington enters the meet with seven of the top nine marks in the pole vault. The crew is led by 2017 GNAC champion Anna Paradee, who has the 28th best mark in Division II at 12 feet, 3.5 inches (3.75m). Maddie Taylor leads the conference and is tied for sixth in Division II in the high jump (5-8/1.73m). The Vikings will also look to Sophia Galvez, who ranks third in the conference in the 5,000 meters (17:37.16), and Hannah Bradley in the 60 meters (7.87).
Saint Martin’s will also have a pair of title hopefuls. Freshman Keshara Romain enters with the GNAC lead in the triple jump (39-5/12.01m) while Liz Larson is fourth in the weight throw (48-9/14.86m).
The GNAC’s championship central page is available here, which includes the links to the meet schedule, the meet program, and live results.
The GNAC rankings is available here.
NOTE: The Great Northwest Athletic Conference contributed to this report.
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