Track & Field Weekly Report

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. 1