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>>> 2017 GNAC Indoor Championship Results

NAMPA, Idaho—Loaded in talent in the middle distance events on the track, Western Oregon University will be a threat to win multiple titles at the 2018 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championship held at the Jacksons Indoor on Feb. 16-17.
 
The Wolves enter the meet with the top times in the men's and women's mile, the women's 5,000, the men's 3,000 and the men's distance medley relay.
 
David Ribich and Dustin Nading will look to repeat a 1-2 finish in the men's mile from a year ago. The two hold the top two marks in conference history with Ribich establishing the all-time GNAC record after recording a 3:58.88 and Nading posting a 4:04.50 this season. The duo will be joined by more potential point generators from Justin Crosswhite, Parker Marson and Stephen Fey.
 
Crosswhite and Marson enter the meet with the No. 5-6 seeds with a 4:15.02 and 4:16.48 to their credit. Fey, meanwhile, gives the Wolves five competitors inside the top seven in the event with a 4:19.70.
 
Ribich and Nading also hold the top two times in the 3,000 this season though Ribich, the defending champion in the event, will drop down to the 800 leading Nading as the race favorite with an 8:10.82 seed time. Nading will be joined by Tyler Jones, who owns the No. 4 seed with an 8:21.20.
 
The Wolves will look for multiple scorers in the 800 with Neal Cranston (No. 6, 1:56.30), Curt Knott (No. 8, 1:57.12) and Thomas Normandeau (No. 9, 1:57.40) in the mix along with Ribich, who will enter the race as the favorite despite not competing in the event so far this year.
 
For the women, Kennedy Rufener and Suzanne Van De Grift will carry the top marks in their respective events. Rufener tops the field in the 5,000 with a 16:53.96 while Van De Grift leads the GNAC in the mile at 4:48.95.
 
In the women's 800, Olivia Woods and Megan Rose carry the No. 3-4 time so far but bring championship experience to the track and will be looking to climb the charts. In addition, Nicole Maurman will provide scoring chances in the mile and 3,000.
 
After making finals in the 200 a year ago, Devon Fortier leads a trio of short sprinters on the men's side. Fortier enters the mete ranked No. 10 in the 60 with a 7.09 while Codi Blodgett and Cody Warner will also be in the mix. In the men's open 400, Aaron Whitaker and AJ Holmberg are grouped in with the conference contenders while Grayson Burke and Sara Madden have potential to score pivotal points in the women's 400.
 
In the jumps, Alani Troutman and Jalon Fields provide the best scoring chances with Troutman ranked fourth in the long jump and Fields fifth in the triple jump. Mariah Gronbach, meanwhile, leads the throws group with a seventh-place ranking in the weight throw.
 
The GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships will begin on Friday, Feb. 16. Mitchell Kruse will start off WOU's representation in the heptathlon. Kruse, seeded No. 8 in the seven-discipline competition, begins the meet with the 60-meter dash at 9 a.m.
 

WOU COMPETITION LIST
FRIDAY RUNNING EVENTS
Time	Event	Name	Seed	Mark
2:30	M-60 Hurdles (Semis)	Jackson Stallard	15	9.17
2:45	W-60 Hurdles (Semis)	Michaela Yonkman	16	NT
		Sara Madden	17	Nt
3:05	M-60 (Semis)	Devon Fortier	10	7.09
		Codi Blodgett	14	7.17
		Cody Warner	18	NT
3:35	M-400 (Semis)	Aaron Whitaker	6	49.67
		AJ Holmberg	18	NT
4:05	W-400 (Semis)	Grayson Burke	7	58.56
		Nicole Niskanen	19	1:02.41
		Sara Madden	21	NT
		Rachel Bayly	22	NT
4:35	M-800 (Semis)	Neal Cranston	6	1:56.30
		Curt Knott	8	1:57.12
		Thomas Normandeau	9	1:57.40
		Dominick Marshall	12	1:59.09
		David Ribich	17	NT
4:50	W-800 (Semis)	Olivia Woods	3	2:10.62
		Megan Rose	4	2:12.37
		Shayla Solomon	11	2:22.26
5:05	M-200 (Semis)	Devon Fortier	18	23.07
		Codi Blodgett	21	23.43
6:30	W-5,000	Kennedy Rufener	1	16:63.96
		Cassie McKinney	21	NT
6:55	M-Distance Medley	Western Oregon	1	9:47.56
7:15	W-Distance Medley	Western Oregon	3	11:48.58
FRIDAY FIELD EVENTS
Time	Event	Name	Seed	Mark
9:00	M-Heptathlon	Mitchell Kruse	8	NM
2:45	M-Weight Throw	Nick Sieber	12	15.45m
		Logan Barker	19	14.15m
4:00	M-Long Jump	Alani Troutman	4	6.94m
		Jalon Fields	20	NM
5:30	W-Long Jump	Darien Wilson	16	5.06m
5:30	W-Weight Throw	Mariah Gronbach	7	15.16m
		Halie Korff	23	12.46m
		Sylvia Dean	11	14.61m
SATURDAY RUNNING EVENTS
Time	Event	Name	Seed	Mark
11:25	M-Mile	David Ribich	1	3:58.88
		Dustin Nading	2	4:04.50
		Justin Crosswhite	4	4:15.02
		Parker Marson	5	4:16.48
		Stephen Fey	7	4:19.70
11:45	W-Mile	Suzanne Van De Grift	1	4:48.95
		Nicole Maurmann	6	5:04.40
		Isabelle Tingelstad	17	5:38.68
12:05	M-60 Hurdles	TBD
12:15	W-60 Hurdles	TBD
12:25	M-400	TBD
12:35	W-400	TBD
12:45	M-60	TBD
12:55	W-60	TBD
1:05	M-800	TBD
1:20	W-800	TBD
1:35	M-200	TBD
1:45	W-200	TBD
1:55	M-3,000	Dustin Nading	1	8:10.82
		Tyler Jones	4	8:21.20
2:35	W-3,000	Kennedy Rufener	3	9:56.05
		Nicole Maurmann	10	10:06.60
		Cassie McKinney	26	NT
3:15	M-1,600 Relay	Western Oregon	5	3:23.31
3:30	W-1,600 Relay	Western Oregon	2	3:51.84
SATURDAY FIELD EVENTS
Time	Event	Name	Seed	Mark
9:30	M-Heptathlon	Mitchell Kruse	8	NM
10:00	M-Shot Put	Brandon Bowen	10	14.87m
		Nick Sieber	16	14.40m
		Mont Child	19	13.26m
		Logan Barker	20	12.96m
10:15	M-High Jump	Kolton Rohde	11	1.80m
		Alana Troutman	12	1.75m
11:15	M-Triple Jump	Jalon Fields	5	13.29m
		Kolton Rohde	9	12.50m
		Jack Grundmeyer	11	12.00m
12:30	W-Shot Put	Moana Gianotti	13	11.67m
		Mariah Gronbach	20	10.10m

 
2017 MEN'S TEAM SCORES: 1. Alaska Anchorage, 154; 2. Western Oregon, 82; 3. Northwest Nazarene 78; 4. Simon Fraser, 77; 5. Concordia, 66.5; 6. Central Washington, 65; 7. Western Washington, 64; 8. Saint Martin's, 36; 9. MSU Billings, 29.5; 10. Seattle, Pacific, 11.
 
2017 WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES: 1. Seattle Pacific, 124; 2. Simon Fraser, 121.5; 3. Alaska Anchorage, 113; 4. Central Washington, 83; 5. Concordia, 60; 6. Western Washington, 51.5; 7. Northwest Nazarene, 41; 8. Saint Martin's 35; 9. Western Oregon, 25; 10. MSU Billings, 8.