2017 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships results (day 1)


 

NAMPA, Idaho — Payton Lewis continued to rack up titles, while Cole Hoberg continued his season-long assault on the Northwest Nazarene record book.

Lewis claimed his third consecutive Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor pole vault championship with ease on Friday, while Hoberg bested his own four-week old school record in the high jump during the first day of completion at the 14^th annual GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

"I was just focused on some points today, scoring some points for the team," Lewis said of his win, as he cleared his opening height of 16 feet, 1.75 inches for the victory then went no higher as he continued a busy day on the track that included qualifying No. 2 in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.41 seconds, and finishing 10^th in the long jump with a mark of 22-1.

 

Lewis' win led a 1-2 finish in the pole vault for NNU as senior Zach McClanahan soared to new heights on Friday, clearing a personal-best mark of 15-9.75 to finish as runner-up champion to his teammate, and earn All-GNAC honors.

Also grabbing All-GNAC honors with a PR was Hoberg, who not only hit a person best height of 6 feet, 10.25 inches for himself, but a new school record to finish second in the high jump. Hoberg topped his own school record of 6-9.75, which he set on Jan. 21.

Also scoring with a PR in the high jump was Micah Tranch, who competing in the heptathlon earlier in the day and cleared a GNAC heptathlon record of 6-7, then bested that height by clearing 6-7.75 to finish fourth in the open high jump.

Meanwhile, Tranch will be back in action on Saturday as the heptathlon concludes. He current is fifth with 2,599 points and holds a slim edge on teammate Blaine Kreutz, who is sixth with 2,594 points.

They'll get the day started at 9:30 am, as the 14^th annual GNAC Indoor Championships conclude Saturday with event finals in the sprints, field events, and distance-running finals.

 

Some of the Crusaders earning spots in sprint finals included Ebu Camara, who qualified sixth in the men's 400 meters in 48.77 seconds, then turned in the No. 1 time in the men's 200 meters in 21.99 seconds, a lifetime best for him.

And qualifying in the 60-meter hurdles, along with teammate Lewis, was Micah Spatz, who had the third-fastest preliminary time of 8.45 seconds on Friday.

Advancing to the women's 60-meter hurdle finals was Lexi Tubbs, who also was third fastest on Friday in 8.78 seconds after flying in from Portland, Ore., after playing basketball for the Crusaders on Thursday night at Western Oregon. Tubbs, along with basketball and track teammate Kate Cryderman, each will compete at the Track & Field Championships on Saturday, then fly to Portland to join the NNU women's basketball team for Saturday night's game at Concordia.

On the track, Tubbs will be joined by teammate Kawena Warren in the hurdle finals as Warren was sixth fastest on Friday in 9.19.

And in the other sprint final, the 60-meter dash, NNU's Taylor Deskins will race for the title after qualifying sixth in 7.82 seconds.

In other finals on Friday, Isaac Mitchell finished fifth in the men's 5,000 meters in 15:07.95, Brayden Eiland was 19^th in the men's weight throw with a mark of 40-7.75, and the NNU men's distance medley relay team of Godfrey Kemboi, Zach Mason, Peyton Brothers and Rylan Manzer finished ninth in 10:54.87.

On the women's side, Katie Conklin tied for sixth in the long jump with a personal-best leap of 17-2.75, while Sierra Manzer was eighth in the 5,000 in 18:53.81, Sasha Korolenko was eighth in the weight throw with a personal-best mark of 47-0, Lauren Duval was eighth in the pentathlon with a PR of 2,890 points, and the Crusaders women's DMR team of Sierra Manzer, MaKenna Conley, Emily Hammons and Anysja Manzer was 10^th in 13:43.86.
 

After one day of competition, Alaska Anchorage leads the men's team title chase with 53 points, and Seattle Pacific leads the women with 48 points. The NNU men are second with 35 points and the Crusader women are ninth with eight points.