Contact: Bob Guptill (503-305-8756/www.gnacsports.com)
March 26, 2015
WWU’s Donigian, Reichert Going To 88th Annual Texas Relays
THIS WEEK: Thursday – Mt. Hood Multi (CWU, WOU). Friday –
Montana Al Manuel Invitational (MSUB); Mt. Hood Multi (CWU,
WOU); Texas Relays (WWU). Saturday – Willamette Invitational
(UAA, CWU, SMU, WOU); Montana Al Manuel Invitational
(MSUB); West Seattle Club NW Spring Break (CWU, SPU, SFU,
WWU); UBC Open (SFU).
Alaska Anchorage 5th in USTFCCCA Rankings
Viking Athletes Scheduled To Compete Friday
In the women’s rankings, Central Washington is 16th and
Western Washington is 23rd.
Alaska Anchorage is fifth and Western Washington is 10th
in the USTFCCCA Men’s Track and Field computer rankings
this week. Central Washington is 17th.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Washington sprinter Alex
Donigian and javelin throw Katie Reichert will compete in
the 88th annual Nike Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays Friday in
Austin.
Individually, four GNAC athletes have the best times in
NCAA Division II in the early portion of the outdoor
season, including Ryan Macdonald of Western Washington
in the men’s discus.
Just over 7,000 athletes including high school, collegiate
and professionals are competing.
Macdonald set WWU and GNAC records in the event last
week in winning the Rose City Preview at Gresham with a
throw of 177-5 to earn GNAC Field Athlete of the Week
honors.
Both athletes have been national runner-ups in NCAA
meets. Reichert finished second in the javelin last May to
teammate Bethany Drake in the NCAA Division II Outdoor
meet. She has an NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 1592 this spring.
Three other athletes maintained their No. 1 national
ranking – Dominik Notz of Alaska Anchorage in the men’s
5,000 (14:15.61), Shannon Porter of Saint Martin’s in the
women’s 10,000 (35:39.70) and UAA’s Franz Burghagen in
the men’s javelin (224-10).
Last June, Reichert placed 13th at the United States Track &
Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
Macdonald was one of seven GNAC athletes to either
establish or improve on national qualifying marks.
Donigian finished second by .001 seconds in the 60 meters
NCAA Indoor earlier this month in a GNAC record time of
6.72.
Central Washington’s Kent McKinney and Dani Eggleston
had PNQs in the men’s 100 meters (10.61) and the
women’s steeplechase (11:00.27) in the Eastern Oregon
Team Challenge in Hermiston, Ore., and Kevin Stanley had
a PNQ in the hammer (183-9) in the Buc Scoring Invite in
Spokane.
While Reichert and Donigian are in Texas, other GNAC
athletes will be competing in Gresham, Salem, Vancouver
(B.C.), Missoula (Mont.) and West Seattle.
The track weekend starts Thursday with Central
Washington and Western Oregon athletes competing in
the Mt. Hood Multis at Gresham.
McKinney’s performance earned him GNAC Male Track
Athlete of the Week honors, while Eggleston’s effort
earned her the Female Track Athlete of the Week award.
On Friday and Saturday, MSU Billings will compete in the
University of Montana Al Manuel Invitational.
Payton Lewis of Northwest Nazarene, the GNAC Indoor
pole vault champion, earned a PNQ in the outdoor pole
vault with a vault of 15-11 at Hermiston.
Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Saint Martin’s and
Western Oregon will be in Salem Saturday for the
Willamette Invitational.
Anna Paradee of Western Washington betted the
women’s pole vault PNQ with a vault of 12-0 ½ at the Rose
City Preview. She is the GNAC Female Field Athlete of the
Week.
Central Washington will also send athletes to the
Northwest Spring Break Open Saturday. They’ll be joined
by athletes from Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser and Western
Washington.
Improving on her previous PNQ in the women’s javelin was
Kali Walker of Saint Martin’s with a throw of 144-6 in the
Lewis & Clark Spring Break Open.
Other SFU athletes will stay in Canada for the UBC Open.
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