Complete results (PDF)
SEATTLE – With no competitive races since last spring's outdoor track and field season,
Nate Seely wasn't sure how fast he would go when he finally got back onto the oval Saturday morning.
Suffice to say the Seattle Pacific junior went a lot faster than he thought he would – fast enough to put himself in the running for a trip to the NCAA national championships.
Seely, the two-time defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor champion in the 800 meters, returned to action in speedy style at the season-opening UW Indoor Preview, going the distance in 1 minute, 53.60 seconds to hit the Division II provisional qualifying standard right on the money – with more opportunities remaining between now and March to go even faster and climb a few spots up that list.
“That was really unexpected. I just went out to see what I could run,” said Seely (Lynden, Wash./Lynden HS), who finished sixth overall in the meet at the Dempsey Indoor facility on the University of Washington campus. “I didn't really know how good of shape I was in because I haven't raced in a long time. But it felt great. I had very solid training over Christmas break on my own, and workouts have been going really well.”
Seely's time easily eclipsed his previous PR of 1:54.35, which he set twice – most recently last Feb. 19 when he ran to his second straight GNAC indoor 800 title, thereby becoming the first Falcons to win back-to-back indoor crowns since Chris Randolph won three straight long jump championships from 2004-06.
Seely missed the entire fall cross country season because of a hamstring injury.
“I was really thrilled, as were his coaches and teammates. It was really exciting to see him so strong so early,” assistant track coach and head cross country coach Erika Daligcon said. “He has had a great attitude going into the season, really positive and really confident with his training. I knew he was going to run well, but I wasn't sure how the race was going out.
“We just want to keep him healthy and keep his training on track.”
Seely's time made him an automatic qualifier for next month's conference championships, which once again will be in Nampa, Idaho – and he wasn't the only Seattle Pacific athlete making the GNAC automatic list in Saturday's season-opening competition.
Sophomore
Dusty Duncan (Lynden, Wash./Lynden HS) made it in the 400 meters, and in personal-best time at that. Duncan placed sixth overall in 50.15 seconds, a full tenth better than his previous best and moving him closer to the school record of 49.99 that was set by Chris Randolph in 2005.
Junior
Seth Pierson (Cashmere, Wash./Cashmere HS) made the GNAC auto list in the mile with his time of 4:17.22, good for 17
th place. Pierson won his heat of that event, leading for the first three of the five-plus laps. Distance running teammates
Jordan Wolfe (Bend, Ore.) and
Will Harrison (Tucson, Ariz.) were automatic qualifiers in the 3,000, Wolfe in 8:44.28 and Harrison in 8:55.48.
SPU's other automatic conference qualifier was senior pole vaulter
Ray Zoellick (Bothell, Wash./Cedar Park Christian HS). Zoellick cleared 14 feet, 9 ½ inches to take ninth place overall. The NCAA provisional qual height is 15-7. Zoellick is the defending GNAC outdoor pole vault champion.
Falcons junior
Nate Johnson (Boise, Idaho) made the finals of the 60-meter hurdles, placing eighth in 8.81 seconds, good for GNAC provisional qualifying. Also making conference provisional was freshman
David Ferguson (Inverness, Ill.), with a 23.00 in the 200 that was good for 12
th place.
NCAA MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
UW Indoor Preview
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Dempsey Indoor / Seattle, Wash.
Team scores – Not kept.
60-meter dash – 1, Josh Norman (Puma) 6.66.
SPU placers – 31,
RJ Straker 7.37; 32,
David Ferguson 7.37.
200 – 1, Michael Okoro (E. Washington) 21.90.
SPU placers – 12, Ferguson 23.00*; 26, Straker 23.70; 34,
Thomas Svendsen 24.55.
400 – 1, Brad Wall (E. Washington) 48.60.
SPU placers – 6,
Dusty Duncan 50.15!; 20,
Ryan Endresen 51.61; 25,
John Corazza 51.99; 34,
Taylor Ladd 55.46.
600 – 1, Adam Paul-Morris (Costal Track) 1:19.68. No SPU competitors.
800 – 1, Mark Wieczorek (Unattached) 1:49.87.
SPU placer – 6,
Nate Seely 1:53.60#!
Mile – 1, Stephen Pifer (OTC) 4:03.16.
SPU placer – 17,
Seth Pierson 4:17.22!
3000 – 1, Matthew Clowes (Unattached) 8:14.41.
SPU placers – 28,
Jordan Wolfe 8:44.28; 44,
Will Harrison 8:55.48; 56,
Tavish Taylor 9:01.38; 59,
AJ Baker 9:05.47; 67,
Turner Wiley 9:15.58; 70,
Gavin Brand 9:21.01; 71,
Nathanael Sleight 9:21.20; 75,
Trevor Taylor 9:43.86.
60 hurdles – 1, Calum Innes (Trinity Western) 8.22.
SPU placers – 8,
Nate Johnson 8.81*.
4x400 relay – 1, Eastern Washington 'A' 3:18.27. No SPU team.
4x800 relay – 1, Washington 'A' 7:26.20. No SPU team.
High jump – 1, Mike Mason (Valley Royals) 7-1 ½ / 2.17m. No SPU entries.
Pole vault – 1, Scott Roth (Unattached) 17-9 / 5.41m.
SPU placer – 9,
Ray Zoellick 14-9 ½ / 4.51m!; Johnson no height.
Long jump – 1, Norris Fredrick (Unattached) 26-3 / 8.00m.
Triple jump – 1, Darian Brooks (Stanford) 48-1 ¼ / 14.66m. No SPU competitors.
Shot put – 1, Marlyn Anderson (E. Washington) 52-4 ½ / 15.96m. No SPU competitors.
Weight throw – 1, Zach Nielsen (E. Washington) 59-2 ¾ / 18.05m.
SPU placers – 17, Doc Derwin 42-7 / 12.98m; 24, Isaac Graves 36-5 ¾ / 11.12m.
# NCAA provisional qualifying
! GNAC automatic qualifying
* GNAC provisional qualifying
