Weekly release, with stats and postseason qualifying list (PDF)


THE SCHEDULE:           SPU at Ken Foreman-Ken Shannon Invitational
                                         Saturday, May 10, running and field events 10 a.m.
                                         Husky Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
                                         No Webcast or live results
                                         Meet schedule
      

SEATTLE – Just like that, the end of the regular season for Seattle Pacific track and field has arrived. But at least it has arrived close to home.

The Falcons will make their final tune-up for postseason competition on Saturday when they take part in the annual Ken Foreman-Ken Shannon Invitational at Husky Stadium, just 10 minutes from campus. Competition begins at 10 a.m. with the women's pole vault and the women's steeplechase. The last event is set for 3:05 p.m.

At the end of the day,  Seattle Pacific athletes will turn their focus to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, set for next Friday and Saturday, May 14 and 15, at Western Oregon University in Monmouth.

SPU heads to the Foreman-Shannon Invite off of some strong performances last weekend. The Falcons won a total of nine events at the inaugural Saint Martin's Track & Field Invitational in Lacey, including two by Natalie Nobbs (long jump, 400 hurdles). And at the Oregon Relays in Eugene, seniors Chad Meis (steeplechase), Kate Harline (1,500 meters) and Natty Plunkett (5,000 meters) all put up personal-best performances.

MAGNIFICENT AT THE MULTIS
The week already has gotten off to a sterling start for the Falcons. On Tuesday, junior Crystal Sims (Portland, Ore.) won the women's heptathlon at the GNAC Multi-Event Championships in Nampa, Idaho. Sims won four of the seven events, and finished with 4,769 points. Along the way, Sims posted the best marks in the 100-meter hurdles, shot put, 200-meter dash, and long jump.

Sophomore Brittany Aanstad (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) won the high jump, and sophomore Brittany Tri (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) took the javelin. Junior Jennifer Pike (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS) finished third overall with 4,291 points; freshman Katy Gross (Everett, Wash./Cascade HS was fourth with 4,265; and Tri was eighth with 3,855. Aanstad did not compete in the final three events because of back pain.

All of that gave Seattle Pacific a good jump on the field for the GNACs. The Falcons picked up 22 team points that will count toward their final conference meet total.

While the women were racking up points in the heptathlon, freshman Nate Johnson (Boise, Idaho) was doing likewise in the men's decathlon. In just his second multi-event competition as a Falcon, Johnson broke the 6,000-point barrier, finishing with 6,040, and jumped from sixth place after the first day to fourth place in the final standings.

And, as was the case last month at the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational in Bellingham, Johnson was steady across the board. Among 15 competitors, his best placing was second in the discus, and he was no lower than eighth in any of the 10 events.

HONORING THE MEET MENTORS
The Ken Foreman-Ken Shannon Invitational is named for two legendary Seattle college track coaches.

That starts with SPU's own Foreman, who was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame last December in Indianapolis. Foreman is considered the founding father of Falcon athletics and served three terms as the school's track coach, the last of which stretched from 1985 to 2000.

By the time he stepped away, Foreman, who now lives in Hawaii with wife Denise but still returns to Seattle a few times each year, had coached 159 All-American athletes in his 37 years at the SPU helm. Falcon athletes under his guidance won 26 individual collegiate championships.

Just like Foreman at SPU, Shannon enjoyed a long tenure (1968-97) at the University of Washington, although even after stepping down from his full-time role, he continued to work with the Huskies on a part-time basis for a few more years.

During his time as head coach, UW athletes won 39 conference championships and 18 NCAA titles. The Washington men had a total of seven finishes among the top 12 at the NCAA Division I championships, and the Huskies racked up more than 80 All-American honors.

SCOUTING THE FOREMAN-SHANNON INVITATIONAL
Following her GNAC heptathlon victory on Tuesday, Crystal Sims intends to get right back into action on Saturday, and is entered in the 100 hurdles, the 200 and the 400. After posting a 14.95 in the hurdles at the GNAC heptathlon, she is within four-tenths of a second of the NCAA provisional qualifying standard.

Other Falcon women to watch will be Katy Gross in the high jump (she's an inch short of NCAA provisional), junior Melissa Peaslee (Fox Island, Wash./Gig Harbor HS) in the pole vault, an event in which she is tied for No. 8 in all of Division II, and GNAC long jump leader Trinna Miranda (Tigard, Ore.).

For the SPU men, javelin throwers Nate Wagner (Olympia, Wash./Northwest Christian HS) and Jace Derwin (Snoqualmie, Wash./Mount Si HS) will take another shot at the NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Both are very close to the standard of 193 feet, 7 inches: Wagner comes in with a best of 191-10, and Derwin has gone as far as 190-3.

In the 1,500, senior Chad Meis (Renton, Wash./Seattle Christian HS) is the only SPU runner with a guaranteed spot for the GNAC Championships. But three others are on the cusp of the 4:00.80 automatic standard, and they'll get another chance on Saturday: junior Jacob Wahlenmaier (Everett, Wash./Cascade HS, 4:02.86), freshman Andrew Van Ness (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS, 4:05.15) and freshman Will Harrison (Tucson, Ariz., 4:07.41).

FALCON REPLAY

-- Sophomore Natalie Nobbs was a double-winner, and seven Seattle Pacific teammates joined her atop the pile at the Saint Martin's Track & Field Invitational last Saturday in Lacey. Nobbs (Yakima, Wash./Riverside Christian HS) won the 400-meter hurdles (1:05.53) and the long jump (a PR 17 feet, 7½ inches). Also victorious for the Falcon women were senior Latasha Essien (Portland, Ore.) in the 200 meters, junior Jacquie Mattson (Odell, Ore.) in the high jump, freshman Amanda Alvarez (Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River HS) in the triple jump and sophomore Brittany Aanstad in the javelin. In the men's meet, freshman Ryan Endresen (Portland, Ore.) took the 400 hurdles, and junior Jacob Wahlenmaier won the 1,500 meters.
-- Senior Chad Meis shattered his personal-best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase when he won his heat of that event last Friday at the Oregon Relays in Eugene. Meis came across the line in 9 minutes, 15.13 seconds, fast enough to put him onto the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying list. His previous best time, set last season, was 9:20.38. Meis had run the steeple just one other time this season, logging a 9:26.99 on March 26 at the Stanford T&F Invitational. Also last Friday in Eugene, senior Kate Harline (Orem, Utah) went a career-best 4:35.47 in the 1,500 meters, and sophomore Natty Plunkett (Bellevue, Wash./Newport HS) enjoyed a career run of 17:24.43 in the 5,000. And on the final day of the Oregon Relays, SPU seniors Jessica Pixler (Sammamish, Wash./Eastlake HS) and Lisa Anderberg (Edmonds, Wash./Kamiak HS) were second in their respective heats of the 800. 

COACHES GET INTO THE ACT, TOO
Even though their days as college athletes are done, their days as competitors are still going strong for SPU assistant track coaches Eddie Strickler and Carly Dockendorf.

Strickler, who works with Falcon distance runners and specializes in the 800 meters, won that event at Saint Martin's in 1 minute, 55.65 seconds.

Dockendorf, a world-caliber pole vaulter who set a Canadian national women's indoor record earlier this year and helps SPU athletes in that event, cleared 14 feet, 1¼ inches to emerge victorious at the Oregon Relays in Eugene.

Both Strickler and Dockendorf competed unattached.

STREAKING

Ryan Endresen has gotten onto a winning roll in the 400 hurdles. The Falcon freshman has won his last three meets in that event. It started in Ellensburg at the Spike Arlt Invite on April 17 when he went what then was a career-best time of 54.86 -- his first time below the 55-second mark. He won again on April 23 at the Western Washington Twilight meet in Bellingham, going 55.10. His winning margin on the cold, rainy night was the bare minimum one one-hundredth of a second. Then, he put up another personal-best last Saturday of 54.79 to win at the Saint Martin's Invitational.

WELCOME TO THE LIST
The Falcons have one new NCAA provisional qualifying mark and two new GNAC automatic marks based on last week's performance. Joining the NCAA list is sophomore Carly Andrews (Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah HS) in the javelin. Andrews threw it 132 feet, 5 inches last Saturday at the Saint Martin's Invite, easily beating the NCAA provisional distance of 131-2.

Senior Latasha Essien and freshman Emily Quatier (Portland, Ore.) added one event apiece to their GNAC lists. Essien, running the 200 meters for the first time this season, stopped the watch in 25.27 seconds, easily beating the automatic standard of 26.13 and ranking No. 2 in the GNAC behind the 25.25 of Western Washington sophomore Ellie Siler. Essien also is an automatic qualifier in the 100. Quatier, competing in the 100 for the first time in college, clocked a 12.78 for a GNAC provisional qualifying spot. Quatier already is an automatic qualifier in the 200 (25.80) and the 400 (57.96).

WHERE IN THE WORLD…?
Jessica Pixler's world-class performances in the 1,500 and 5,000 earlier this season are still world-class. In the latest rankings from IAAF, the world governing body of track and field, Pixler is No. 7 in the 1,500 with the 4:11.06 she ran on April 16 at the Mt. SAC Relays. Katie Follett from the University of Washington, who edged Pixler that night with a 4:10.66, ranks No. 5.

In the 5,000, Pixler's time of 15:44.07, which she ran on March 26 at the Stanford Track & Field Invitational, would rank No. 26. But while her name is on the 1,500 list, it does not officially appear on the 5,000.

BRINGING THE GNAC PICTURE INTO FOCUS
With the conference championships approaching on the calendar, Seattle Pacific has 36 automatic qualifying marks spread among 19 of its women, and nine automatic marks compiled by eight of its men.

In addition, SPU has 30 provisional qualifying marks for its women and 11 for its men. Heading into this week, 27 of those 41 provisional qualifiers are “above the line,” meaning they are among the top 16 for their respective events and thus would be allowed into the meet.

And in six instances, Falcon athletes are in the top 16, but have not yet made the GNAC provisional qualifying mark. They must make at least the provisional standard to be considered for the meet, regardless of where they rank in the conference.

LEADERS OF THE GNAC PACK
Seattle Pacific athletes among the top three in the GNAC coming into this week:
Women's 100 -- 2, Latasha Essien.
Women's 200 -- 2, Essien; T3, Crystal Sims.
Women's 400 -- 3, Sims.
Men's 800 -- 3, Nate Seely.
Women's 800 -- 1, Jessica Pixler; 2, Lisa Anderberg; 3, Jane Larson.
Women's 1,500 -- 1, Pixler; 2, Larson.
Women's 5,000 -- 1, Jessica Pixler.
Men's 3,000 steeplechase -- 3, Chad Meis.
Men's 400 hurdles -- 3, Ryan Endresen.
Women's 4x100 relay -- 3, Seattle Pacific.
Women's 4x400 relay -- 3, Seattle Pacific.
Women's high jump -- 1, Brittany Aanstad; 2, (tie) Katy Gross and Alison Worthen.
Women's pole vault -- 1, Melissa Peaslee.
Women's long jump -- 1, Trinna Miranda.
Women's triple jump -- 2, Amanda Alvarez.
Men's javelin -- 3, Nate Wagner.
Women's javelin -- 2, Aanstad.

Click on this link for a complete look at GNAC leaders.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING
-- Jessica Pixler is the NCAA Division II leader in the 800, the 1,500 and the 5,000. In the 800, her 2:04.89 is nearly three seconds faster than No. 2 Anja Puc of Nebraska-Omaha (2:07.55). In the 5K, Pixler's 15:44.07 is 19 seconds better than No. 2 Tanya Zeferjahn of Queens (N.C.), who has a 16:03.51. And in the 1,500? It's a 1-2 SPU senior tandem of Pixler (4:11.06) and Jane Larson (4:23.05). Larson (Fall City, Wash./Cedar Park Christian HS) is way ahead of third-place Mary Dell of Shippensburg (4:27.25).
-- Senior Lisa Anderberg is eighth in the 800 meters at 2:10.98, with Larson right behind in ninth at 2:11.19.
-- Junior Melissa Peaslee  is part of a three-way tie for eighth among D-2 pole vaulters at 12-5½.
-- Sophomore Brittany Aanstad is seventh in the javelin at 142-11
-- Freshman Amanda Alvarez is 17th  in the triple jump at 38-11. The current 16th-place mark is 38-11¾.
-- Senior Chad Meis is 19th in the steeplechase at 9:15.13. The current 16th-place time is 9:12.96.

POLLING PLACE
The Seattle Pacific women climbed a notch in one poll, but fell one notch in another this week. The Falcons dropped to No. 7 in the USTFCCCA national poll. The Falcons have 116.99 points. Angelo State of Texas remains No. 1, totaling 255.68 points. Also from the GNAC, Western Washington fell five spots to No. 25 with 45.35.

In the West Region poll, the Falcon women climbed one spot past Chico State to No. 2. SPU has 417.56; Chico is third at 411.36. UC San Diego remains No. 1 by a wide margin with 567.88.

The SPU men, after climbing into the West's top 10 last week at No. 10, are No. 11 this week with 87.73 points. They were bumped out by GNAC rival Northwest Nazarene, now No. 10 with 92.04.

ON THE HONOR ROLL
-- Jessica Pixler was named the GNAC Athlete of the Week on April 19, the 29th such honor of her career. Pixler was tabbed for the weekly award after her two school and GNAC record-breaking runs in the 800 and 1,500 in California on April 16 and 17. Of Pixler's 29 Athlete of the Week awards, seven have been for outdoor track. She also has 12 for cross country and 10 for indoor track.
-- The GNAC selected senior Jane Larson as its Female Athlete of the Week on March 22. At the Oregon Preview on March 20 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Larson went 2:11.75 in the 800 meters to take third place. It was an NCAA provisional qualifying time.
-- On March 8, freshman Amanda Alvarez was the GNAC Female Athlete of the Week for her triple jump performance at the UPS Outdoor Preview. Alvarez went 38 feet, 11 inches at Baker Stadium in Tacoma on March 6.

AROUND THE GNAC
Click on this link for news and notes from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Click on this link for a look at the leading GNAC performers in all events.

UP NEXT
The Falcons head to Monmouth, Ore., next week for the GNAC Championships. Competition takes place Friday and Saturday, May 14 and 15, at McArthur Field on the campus of Western Oregon University. Field events (all finals) will begin at 4 p.m. Running events (preliminaries, except for the final-only 3,000 steeplechase and 10,000 meters for both men and women) start at 4:45. On Saturday, field events start with the women's hammer at 10:45 a.m., and running gets under way with the women's 4x100 relay at 12:30 p.m. The last event is set for 3:25 p.m., with awards to start at 3:30.