Track Preview: ‘Jackets in GNAC Championships this weekend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, May 10, 2017 Track Preview: ‘Jackets in GNAC Championships this weekend

MSUB’s men’s and women’s track and field teams head west this week, for the 2017 GNAC Track Championships hosted

by Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Ore. BILLINGS, Mont. – Ten track and field squads, including Montana State University Billings, will converge on Monmouth, Ore., this weekend for the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Western Oregon University.

The Yellowjackets’ men’s and women’s teams will both be represented at the two-day event at McArthur Field, where several MSUB athletes are expected to compete for top marks in the league. “Everyone is looking forward to getting down to the championship meet, and it’s what we have been pointing towards the whole spring,” said MSUB head coach Dave Coppock. “Every meet, we have tried to establish some marks to get us to the conference championship, and we have a lot to look forward to.”

Tickets for the event are available for online purchase, through the Eventbrite webpage here.

On the men’s side, junior star Sam Zook enters the championships as the favorite in both the 100-meters and 200meters. He will also participate in the 4x100-meters with a competitive relay squad that enters the meet with the seventh-fastest time at 42.46 seconds.

Along with Zook, freshman Braden Rykal is another Yellowjacket with a good chance to compete in the sprints, as he enters the meet tied for sixth in the league in the 200-meters at 22.07 seconds. “Braden has a lot of potential, and he’s been working hard and improving week by week,” Zook commented on his sprints teammate. “I’m excited to see what both he and Kaelen can do this week.”

GNAC 2017 100-Meter Leaders Rk. Name Time 1. Sam Zook 10.45 2. Ebu Camara 10.64 3. Kyler Ooley 10.87 4. Carlos Ortiz 10.90 Bodi Blodgett 10.90 6. Nathan Mah 10.91 7. Darrion Gray 10.95 Eric Jones 10.95

School MSUB NNU CWU CU WOU SFU UAA UAA

Year SO SR SO JR JR FR JR SO

GNAC 2017 200-Meter Leaders Rk. Name Time 1. Sam Zook 21.11 2. Ebu Camara 21.52 3. Nathan Mah 21.87 4. Daniel Kelloway 21.91 5. Cody Warner 21.93 6. Braden Rykal 22.07 Carlos Ortiz 22.07 8. Codi Blodgett 22.13

School MSUB NNU SFU SFU WOU MSUB CU WOU

Year SO SR FR SR JR FR JR JR

The ‘Jackets also have high hopes for hurdler Austin Lindquist, who enters No. 3 in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 15.02.

GNAC 2017 110-Meter High Hurdles Leaders Rk. Name Time School Year 1. Travis Turner 14.80 UAA SR 2. Payton Lewis 14.97 NNU JR 3. Austin Lindquist 15.02 MSUB SR 4. Micah Spatz 15.03 NNU SR 5. Peyton Harris 15.09 SPU JR 6. Andrey Gamza 15.20 CU FR 7. Ryan Gunther 15.26 CWU SO 8. Cordell Cummings 15.33 WWU FR

Zook enters the GNAC Championships with the top mark in both the 100 and 200.

In the women’s hurdles, it will be Michaela Johnson leading the Yellowjackets. The true freshman took third in the 60meter hurdles at the GNAC Indoor Championships, and enters the outdoor meet with the fifth-best time in the league at 14.80 seconds. Johnson will also run the second leg of MSUB’s 4x100-meter relay squad, which enters the championships with a time of 49.30 seconds.

GNAC 2017 100-Meter Hurdles Leaders Rk. Name Time School 1. Diana Voloshin 14.03 SFU 2. Mariyah Vongsaveng 14.09 CWU 3. Lexi Tubbbs 14.31 NNU 4. Tianna Banfro 14.70 CWU 5. Michaela Johnson 14.80 MSUB 6. HarLee Ortega 14.87 CWU 7. Erykah Weems 14.88 CWU 8. Emily Bland 14.91 CWU

Year FR SO JR SR FR SO FR JR

The middle and long distances lend themselves well to MSUB’s men’s squad, as a handful of upperclassmen enter the meet with potential in several different races. In the 3,000-meter steeple chase, three Yellowjackets are within the top12, led by junior Jorey Egeland with a time of 9:18.48. Sophomore Tyus Mendoza is No. 9 at 9:31.65, and senior Josh Panasuk is close behind with the 12th-best time at 9:51.44. Nikki Aiken will represent MSUB in the women’s steeple chase, as she enters No. 9 with a mark of 11:39.60.

In the longer distances, sophomore Ivan Colmenero enters in the top10 in the 10,000-meters at 33:05.44. He will be joined in the event by seniors Garrett Love and Jacob Marshall.

GNAC 2017 3,000-Meter Steeple Chase Leaders Rk. Name Time School Year 1. Edwin Kangogo 8:56.57 UAA JR 2. Christoph Sander 9:09.94 UAA FR 3. Kaleb Korta 9:14.51 UAA FR 4. Andrew Wise 9:16.39 WWU SR 5. Jorey Egeland 9:18.48 MSUB JR 6. Dylan Hayes 9:20.67 WWU SO 7. Oliver Jorgensen 9:22.78 SFU SR 8. Alan Ekanger 9:30.90 WOU JR 9. Tyus Mendoza 9:31.65 MSUB SO 12. Josh Panasuk 9:51.44 MSUB SR Sophomore Beau Ackerman will lead MSUB in the field events, as his entry mark of 60.16 meters in the javelin is the second-best distance in the conference. Brady Ostermiller is another member of MSUB’s throws squad to keep an eye on, as he is No. 8 in the shot put at 14.94 meters and No. 9 in the discus at 44.92 meters.

Jorey Egeland holds the fifth-best mark in the 3,000-meter steeple chase going into the GNAC Championships.

Forrest Cross and Beau Peaslee will also compete in the shot and discus for MSUB this weekend.

GNAC 2017 Javelin Throw Leaders Rk. Name Distance School 1. Alex Barry 62.30 M WWU 2. Beau Ackerman 60.16 M MSUB 3. Jimmy Wheeler 59.08 M CU 4. Griffey Lytle 57.57 M CWU 5. Tyree Rutter 56.68 M CWU 6. Brett Elder 54.17 M CU 7. David Costel 53.59 M WWU 8. Domingo Villareal 52.78 M CWU

Year SO SO SR SO SO FR SO JR

After breaking the school record in the 4x400-meter relays last week, the Yellowjacket foursome of Brenna Beckett, Katelyn Eastburn, Janessa Williams, and Josey Smiedala will be back in action. Williams will also compete in the triple jump, where she enters with MSUB’s top mark of 10.80 meters.

“This is pretty exciting, and all the other meets just build up to this one,” said Williams. “The triple jump is one of my favorite events, and I’m excited because all the athletes feel like they have their legs under them now. I think we can do really well in the relays too, because we have a group of girls who are competitors.”

Like Williams, Beckett will also compete in the triple jump, as well as the long jump. Fellow freshmen Halie Warren, Jamie Orme, and Shelby Browning will also make their debut at the conference meet in each of the jumps for the ‘Jackets.

Sophomore Janessa Williams will represent MSUB in both the relays and jumps this weekend.

In the women’s throws, Abbie Lohof has the top mark in the discus with an entry distance of 36.07 meters. Taylor Stringari will throw the shot put, discus, and hammer for the ‘Jackets. Hailey Steinbeisser, another thrower for the ‘Jackets, will compete in the shot, discus, and javelin over the weekend.

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