Central's Drew Klein adds GNAC decathlon title; SPU's Hannah Chang makes podium in heptathlon...
BELLINGHAM--Central Washington's Drew Klein (Jeff Evans/WWU Athletics photo) added the decathlon title to his indoor heptathlon crown as he took the victory at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Combined Events championship that concluded Tuesday at Civic Field.
Klein, who was second at the break with 3439 points, ran 15.58 in the 110 hurdles, then won the next two events, the discus at 116-8 (35.58m), and his specialty, the pole vault at 15-6.25 (4.73m).
He finished third in the javelin with a throw of 157-7 (48.04m), then finished fifth in the 1500, running 5:06.02.
Gabe Burchfield of Western Oregon finished second with 6249 points, while first day leader Anders Larsen of Alaska Anchorage dropped to third with 6230 points.
Andrew Boyd of Saint Martin's moved up from fifth to fourth with a final tally of 5994 points. His two best events on the day came in the discus, where he finished second at 113-5 (34.57m) and the javelin, which he won with a throw of 189-9 (57.85m).
In the heptathlon, reigning indoor pentathlon champ Ellie DeGroot of Central Washington, the leader at the break with 2933 points, started strong with a personal best in the long jump, leaping 16-11.25 (5.16m).
However, the wheels came off in the javelin, where she threw 79-2 (24.13m), then didn't finish the 800 due to an injury, which dropped her to eighth and a final score of 3902 poimts.
Vivien Liessfeld of Alaska Anchorage won the heptathlon with a final score of 4639 points.
Hannah Chang of Seattle Pacific placed third with a final score of 4365 points, with her best event a second place finish in the 800 at 2:31.52.
Central Washington's Emy Ntekpere finished her first heptathlon, placing fourth with 4335 points, winning the long jump at 18-3.25 (5.58m).
Teammate Carley Huber was sixth with 4011 points, highlighted by a win in the 800 in 2:27.80.
Nicole Avery of Western Washington finished seventh with 3919 points, with her best scoring event in the long jump, where her best was 16-10.5 (5.14m), worth 598 points.
The GNAC Track & Field championships resume next weekend in Ellensburg.
NEWS & NOTES...
The Washington men's track and field team finds itself back in the USTFCCCA Division I national top 25, thanks to a big throw by javelin thrower Chandler Ault at last weekend's Fresno State Invitational.
His mark of 251-2 (76.54m) ranks him seventh on the NCAA Division I descending order list, and moved the Huskies up to number 23 in this week's USTFCCCA NCAA Division I national rating index released Tuesday.
The nation's top five men's teams are in order: Florida, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, and Arkansas.
Number 7 USC is the only other Pac-12 school in the national top 25.
The Husky women moved up one spot to number 21, thanks to pole vaulter Nastassja Campbell's mark of 14-1.25 (4.31m), which puts her at number 14 on the NCAA D1 descending order list.
The nation's top five women's teams are in order: LSU, Arkansas, Oregon, Texas A&M, and South Carolina.
Pac-12 teams in the national top 25 include number 18 USC and number 24 California.
In a result we completely missed from April 20th, Washington State alum CJ Allen opened his 2024 season in the 400 hurdles with a victory at the Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, running 48.75.
The time is his second fastest career opening race, just short of his career best season opening time of 48.71, set at the same meet last year.
NOTE: The Great Northwest Athletic Conference, USTFCCCA, and the sports information offices of Central Washington, Western Washington, Seattle Pacific, and Saint Martin's contributed to this report.
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