THE SCHEDULE:           Seattle Pacific at Buc Scoring Invitational
                                          Friday, April 30, 2021
                                          Boppell Track @ Whitworth University / Spokane, Wash.
                                          Track events, 3:15 p.m.     Field events, 2:00 p.m.
                                          No live Webcast     Live results
                                                
 
SEATTLE – Different meet. Different venue. Different road trip.
 
The Seattle Pacific Falcons are eagerly anticipating all of it.
 
SPU's track and field teams hit the highway early Friday morning, crossing the Cascades on their way to Spokane for the Buc Scoring Invitational. Competition begins in the afternoon at Whitworth University's Boppell Track, inside The Pine Bowl.
 
Field events start at 2:00 p.m. Races on the oval start at 3:15. The last event is set for 7:50 p.m.
 
SPU is coming off a six-win day at last Saturday's Peyton-Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma.
 
KEEPING TRACK OF THE ACTION
As has been the case throughout the season, no fans will be admitted to the meet. Live results will be available. The link is at the top of this story.
 
PLEASANT TEMPS, BUT MAYBE A BIT BREEZY
When the Falcons went to Eastern Washington two weeks ago for the CWU Wildcat Invitational in Ellensburg, it was hot, with temperatures nearing 80. It'll be a bit more pleasant this time, The forecast calls for partly sunny skies and temperatures in the lower 70s.
 
There's virtually no chance of rain, but athletes could be dealing with some wind gusts between 15 and 20 miles per hour.
 
GNAC MULTIS SET FOR NEXT WEEK
The GNAC Multi-Event Championships are scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday, May 3 and 4, at the CWU Recreation Sports Complex in Ellensburg.
 
The women's heptathlon, in which Seattle Pacific will have two entries, begins at 10:45 a.m. on Monday and 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The first day will include the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200-meter dash. The second day is the long jump, javelin, and 800-meter run.
 
The men's decathlon starts at 10:30 on Monday and 10:00 on Tuesday. SPU will not have any entries in that one.
 
 

Seniors Renick Meyer and Kellie May will represent the Falcons in the hep – and they were at this same venue just two weeks ago for the Wildcat Invitational. Meyer came out on top after a two-day battle with Western Oregon freshman Jenelle Hurley, totaling 4,629 points. Hurley was close behind with 4,594.
 
After Day 1, during which Meyer won the hurdles and Hurley won the high jump, it was Hurley in the lead, 2,780 to 2,718. Meyer won the long jump to start Day 2.
 
Meyer's point total currently ranks No. 19 on the NCAA Division II qualifying list. A minimum of 13 and a maximum of 17 will be accepted in the hep for nationals. Heading into this week, the 13th-place score is 4,857, while 17th place is 4,725.
 
May finished ninth at the Wildcat Invite with 3,322 points. She won the shot put portion.
 




SCOUTING THE BUC SCORING INVITATIONAL
With this being one of the final two regular-season meets, the Falcons are going all-in on top events.
 
The women's sprints are loaded with seniors Grace Bley and Julia Stepper, sophomore Jenna Bouyer, and freshman Aniya Green all entered in the 100 and 200. Stepper has the GNAC's top time in the 100, and Bley is atop the 200 list. Peace Igbonagwam is back in the 400, along with Charisma Smith.
 
Ellie Rising has become a regular in the 800 – and a successful one, at that. Not only is she the GNAC leader with her 2:13.95, she is within reach of the NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 2:12.07.
 
Dania Holmberg leads a flock of four Falcons entered in the 1500. She is the GNAC leader with a time of 4:36.54. The NCAA provisional qualifying time is 4:32.89.
 
SPU will have its usual trio of pole vaulters, led by senior Scout Cai, who's 8 for 8 in that event this spring. Her PR of 12-11 ½ was achieved in the season opener on March 6. As of now, though, it's likely going to take better than a 13-footer to make the NCAAs.
 
Along with the 400, Igbonagwam is entered in the long jump. It will be her first time in that event since she won her second straight GNAC indoor title in February 2020. Her last outdoor long jump was at the 2019 GNAC Championships, where she placed fourth at 18-4½ She has gone 19 feet outdoors and 19-7½ indoors.
 
 

Evan Carpenter and Darius Holmes, both freshmen, have busy days in store on the men's side, with four events each: the 200, 400 and both relays for Carpenter; the pole vault, shot put, discus, and 4-by-400 relay for Holmes.
 
Sophomore David Njeri is focusing solely in the triple jump this week, an event he won at the CWU on April 17. At 47 feet, 1¾ inches (his winning mark in Ellensburg), he's just an inch and a quarter off the GNAC lead.
 
Colin Boutin is racing the 5000 for the second week in a row. He already has a big 14-second personal-best of 15:14.45 to start the season at the PLU Open. He was about three seconds short of that last Saturday on a cool, damp day in Tacoma, but Friday's warmer, drier conditions could work in his favor. Senior Elius Graff is entered, as well.
 
Jared Putney already has one PB in the 3000-meter steeplechase, going 9:37.15 in cool conditions on April 9. He'll be joined by freshman teammate Austin Weese.
 
Brayden Schultz will take another shot at going sub-4 in the 1500 (his best is 4:02.55), and J.R. Hentges takes another run at sub-2 in the 800 (2:01.70).
 
SO WHAT'S THE STORY THIS WEEK?
-- The Buc Scoring Invitational has been around for several years, but this will be the first time Seattle Pacific has participated. No other Great Northwest Athletic Conference schools are scheduled to be in Spokane this weekend.
-- The meet will have team scoring. Several teams are expected to compete, but instead of top-8 championship scoring (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1), the dual meet scoring system will be used: 5-3-1 for the top three places, and 5 for the winning relay (no points for any other relay place).
--The last time SPU competed in Spokane was the War VI Northwest Scoring Clash in 2013 at Spokane Falls Community College. That meet still takes place on an annual basis.
-- Senior Julia Stepper's victory in the 100-meter dash at last week's Peyton-Shotwell Invitational was her first this season and the sixth of her career in an individual race. Of those, four have come in the 100; the other two have been in the 200. She also has been on multiple GNAC title-winning and school record-setting 4-by-100 relays.
-- Freshman distance runner Ellie Rising is riding a three-meet winning streak in the 800 meters.
-- Sophomore David Njeri has logged a victory in three consecutive meets: the long jump on April 9 in the dual meet against Seattle University, the triple jump at the CWU Wildcat Invite on April 17, and the long again at last week's Peyton-Shotwell Invite.
-- Although they were not the overall winners of their events, Aniya Green (women's 200), Julius Shepherd (men's 400 hurdles) and Darius Holmes (discus) all won their heats / flights last Saturday in Tacoma.
 
BACK FOR A SECOND RUN
Kate Lilly had never done a 3000-meter steeplechase. Peace Igbonagwam hadn't done an open 400-meter dash since high school.
 
 

Both Falcons went for it at last Saturday's Peyton-Shotwell Invitational, and both are slated to do those same events this week in Spokane.
 
Lilly finished second in the steeplechase, clocking 11 minutes, 57.59 seconds. Coming into the week, that is No. 3 on the GNAC list. That event hasn't attracted many competitors so far this spring – just seven from around the conference have done it, with the top time of 11:38.94 belonging to Kailee Stoppel of Montana State Billings.
 
Igbonagwam was second in the 400 in 57.26. That is No. 4 in the GNAC. Sitting atop the list is Lauren Wuertz of Northwest Nazarene at 56.59.
 
IT'S STILL SPU-WESTERN-CENTRAL
All spring, it has been Seattle Pacific, Western Washington, and Central Washington looming as the primary contenders for the GNAC women's team championship when the conference gathers at Western Oregon University on May14-15.
 
Through last weekend's competition, that scenario remains the same. Based on the times and distances in the national database and applying the appropriate team points for the top eight spots, SPU currently is seeded for 202½ points, with 10 top seeds among the 21 events: 100-meter dash, 200, 800, 1500, 5000, 4-by-100 relay, 100 hurdles, pole vault, long jump, and heptathlon.
 
Western Washington is seeded for 153½ points, with top seeds in the high jump, triple jump, and javelin. Central Washington is seeded for 135, and has No. 1 marks in the 400 hurdles, shot put, discus, and hammer.
 
On the men's side, WWU remains a runaway favorite, seeded for 235 points. Next is Central Washington with 165. Seattle Pacific is seeded for 27, having a No. 2 seed in the triple jump with David Njeri, a co-No. 2 in the long jump with Njeri, and a No. 3 in the 200 with Jeff Gordon.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
A small number of Falcons are on the list of top marks in NCAA Division II, as reported on the Track and Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). For the NCAA Championships, the desired minimum number of competitors in individual and multi events is 13; the maximum is 17. For relays, the desired minimum is 12 teams, the maximum is 14. Some events likely will have competitors beyond the desired minimum, but no event is guaranteed any more than the minimum. The times / marks for those minimums and maximums are included.
-- Scout Cai is tied for No. 18 in the pole vault at 12 feet, 11½ inches. Amanda Fassold of Azusa Pacific leads at 14-0½. No. 13 mark: 13-12¼.   No. 17 mark: 13-0¼.
-- Dania Holmberg is No. 24 in the 5000 at 16:57.67. Eilish Flanagan of Adams State is No. 1 at 15:57.81. No. 13 time: 16:37.29.  No. 17 time: 16:40.67.
-- Renick Meyer is tied for No. 29 in the long jump at 18-11¾. Marie Jeanne Ourega from Academy of Art is leading at 21-7¼. No. 13 mark: 19-6¼. No. 17 mark: 19-4¼.
-- Meyer is No. 19 in the heptathlon with 4,629 points. Leading is Cheyenne Williams of Saginaw Valley with 5,517. No. 13 total: 4,857. No. 17 total: 4,725.
-- The 4-by-100 relay with Jenna Bouyer, Renick Meyer, Julia Stepper, and Grace Bley is tied for No. 30 at 47.05. West Texas A&M is on top at 45.37. No. 12 time: 46.31. No. 14 time: 46.34.

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

POLLING PLACE
SPU's women moved up to No. 7 in the West Region and are No. 81 nationally in this week's rankings compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
  The Falcons are the highest-ranked GNAC team on the national list. Western Washington is No. 6 and Central Washington is No. 8 on the regional list.
 
Azusa Pacific is No. 1 both nationally and in the West.

AROUND THE GNAC 
Click on this link for the latest news, notes, and results from around the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. 

UP NEXT
The Falcons wind up the regular season next Friday in the Ken Shannon Invitational at Husky Track. Field events begin at 10:00 a.m., and running events start at approximately 2:00 p.m.