Falcons and Wildcats in close battle after day 1 of GNAC indoor championships...

NAMPA, Idaho—After the first day of competition at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship meet at Jackson’s Track at the Idaho Sports Center, the women of Seattle Pacific and Central Washington are locked in a tight battle, similar to last year’s competition, which ended up in a tie between the Falcons and Wildcats.

After six events, Seattle Pacific owns a 54-53 lead over Central Washington, thanks to wins in the pentathlon by Scout Cai (left/photo by Paul Merca), and Peace Igbonagwam in the long jump.

Cai won her third consecutive pentathlon title, scoring 3,815 points to erase the old meet record of 3,761 set by Alaska Anchorage’s Karolin Anders in 2015. Cai won the high jump (5-6.5/1.69m) and the shot put (37-4.5/11.39m), was second in the 60 hurdles (9.15), and third in the long jump (17-8.25/5.39m) and the 800 (2:21.38).

Central Washington’s HarLee Ortega was second with a final score of 3664 points.

Igbonagwam broke a long-standing record in the long jump, leaping 19-7.5 (5.98m) to break the old mark set in 2014 and the GNAC record of 19-5.5 (5.93m) set by the Falcons’ Danielle Ayers-Stamper in 2005. The mark was nearly a personal best of two feet and is the fifth-best mark in the country this year.

Behind Igbonagwam was teammate Renick Meyer at 18-11.75 (5.78m), while Central Washington had four scorers in the event, led by Brooke Williams in fourth with a best of 18-5 (5.61m).

In the mens team scoring, Alaska Anchorage holds a two point lead over Western Washington 44-42, with Central Washington third at the break with 32 points.

WWU’s J.T. Konrad and Central Washington’s Braydon Maier both cleared 15 feet, 8.25 inches (4.78m) in the pole vault, but Konrad earned his first GNAC title with fewer misses at the previous height. Seren Dances of the Vikings edged out Central Washington’s Kodiak Landis for the title in the long jump with a mark of 23 feet, 0.5 inches (7.02m).

Landis took a big step towards his second GNAC title in the heptathlon, scoring 2,825 points through the first four events to hold a 106-point lead over Josh Schulz of Saint Martin’s. Landis was the winner of the 60 meters (7.13 seconds) and tied the meet record with his long jump winning mark of 22 feet, 9.75 inches (6.95m).

Saint Martin’s Kauanoe Vanderpoel ended his Saint Martin’s career with a conference championship in the weight throw with a mark of 56 feet, 8.5 inches (17.28m).

Day 1 results from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships are available here.

NOTE:  The Great Northwest Athletic Conference contributed to this report.