By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

Photography by: Jeff Evans/WWU Athletics.

PUEBLO, Colo. – With the 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships kicking off on Thursday at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference will be well-represented throughout the final weekend of the season.
 
Highlighting the conference’s list of entries are experienced competitors looking to add to their All-American trophy cases, as well as veteran seniors whose hard work throughout their careers has landed them their first-ever national championship berths.  
2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
May 22-24, 2025
Colorado State Pueblo ThunderBowl | Pueblo, Colo.
Live Video: www.ncaa.com
Live Results: https://results.leonetiming.com/?mid=7870
Complete Meet Schedule
 

Complete GNAC Competition Guide – ALL TIMES LISTED ARE MOUNTAIN
Events listed are finals, unless otherwise indicated | Tap an event below to jump to its preview section
THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025
Time	Event	Competitor(s)	School(s)
3:30 p.m.	Men's Hammer Throw	Mark Warren	Western Oregon
4:40 p.m.	Women's 4x100 Relay (Prelims)	Hopper, Gonzalez, Hollis, Nielsen	Central Washington
5:25 p.m.	Men's 1,500 (Prelims)	Kevin McDermott	Western Washington
5:30 p.m.	Men's Long Jump	Nicholas Monro	Simon Fraser
5:40 p.m.	Women's 400 (Prelims)	Bec Bennett	Western Washington
6:10 p.m.	Women's 100 (Prelims)	E'lexis Hollis	Central Washington
6:25 p.m.	Men's 100 (Prelims)	Joshua Caleb	Alaska Anchorage
6:40 p.m.	Women's Steeplechase (Prelims)	Ila Davis; Maya Ewing	Western Washington; Seattle Pacific
7:55 p.m.	Men's 400-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)	Maurice Woodring	Western Washington
8:10 p.m.	Women's 10,000	Annika Esvelt	Seattle Pacific
FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2025
Time	Event	Competitor(s)	School(s)
2 p.m.	Women's Discus Throw	Katie Potts	Western Washington
4:45 p.m.	Women's High Jump	Emy Ntekpere	Central Washington
5:15 p.m.	Men's 800 (Prelims)	Johan Correa	Central Washington
5:30 p.m.	Women's 200 (Prelims)	E'lexis Hollis; Emma Cannan	Central Washington; Simon Fraser
5:45 p.m.	Men's 200 (Prelims)	Joshua Caleb	Alaska Anchorage
6:15 p.m.	Women's Steeplechase*	Ila Davis; Maya Ewing	Western Washington; Seattle Pacific
SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2025
Time	Event	Competitor(s)	School(s)
11 a.m.	Women's Pole Vault	Lauryn McGough	Central Washington
1:15 p.m.	Women's Shot Put	Jessica Polkinghorn; Destany Herbert	Western Washington; Northwest Nazarene
2:45 p.m.	Men's Javelin	Jarrett Chong; Laurenz Waldbauer; Jakob Braunstein	Simon Fraser; Northwest Nazarene; Western Washington
4:10 p.m.	Women's 4x100*	Hopper, Gonzales, Hollis, Nielsen	Central Washington
4:45 p.m.	Men's 1,500*	Kevin McDermott	Western Washington
4:45 p.m.	Men's High Jump	Gerohm Rihari	Northwest Nazarene
5:20 p.m.	Women's 400*	Bec Bennett	Western Washington
5:30 p.m.	Women's Triple Jump	Emy Ntekpere	Central Washington
5:40 p.m.	Women's 100*	E'lexis Hollis	Central Washington
5:50 p.m.	Men's 100*	Joshua Caleb	Alaska Anchorage
6:10 p.m.	Men's 800*	Johan Correa	Central Washington
6:35 p.m.	Men's 400-Meter Hurdles*	Maurice Woodring	Western Washington
6:45 p.m.	Women's 200*	E'lexis Hollis; Emma Cannan	Central Washington; Simon Fraser
6:55 p.m.	Men's 200*	Joshua Caleb	Alaska Anchorage
8:05 p.m.	Women's 5,000	Annika Esvelt	Seattle Pacific
8:30 p.m.	Men's 5,000	Kevin McDermott	Western Washington
* - Pending qualification out of preliminary round.

Mark Warren – Western Oregon
May 22 – 3:30 p.m. – Men’s Hammer Throw
 
Seed: 62.01m/203-5 feet | PR: 62.01m/203-5 feet | GNAC National Champions: 1 (Pro Escobedo, WOU, 2003) | GNAC All-Americans: 3 Most Recent: 2010 (Tyler Fischer, CWU, 8th)
 
Mark Warren claimed his second straight gold medal in the men’s hammer throw at last week’s GNAC meet, continuing his senior season of dominance with another PR of 203-5 feet (62.01 meters). That effort – the third-best in conference history – lifted Warren to No. 9 on the national performance list and solidified his spot at his first-ever NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Warren finished in 11th place at this year’s indoor national championships in the weight throw. The Warrenton, Ore., native will look to become the fourth-ever GNAC All-American in the event and the first since 2010. The conference’s lone national champion in the hammer throw was former Wolf Pro Escobedo, who won the 2003 NCAA title. Sitting atop the national leaderboard at 220-6 feet (67.21 meters) is Ben Haas of Hillsdale.
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Elise Hopper | Zoe Gonzales | E’lexis Hollis | Ashlyn Nielsen – Central Washington
May 22 – 4:40 p.m. – Women’s 4x100 Meter Relay (Prelims)
Top-8 qualify for 4x100 finals: May 24 – 4:10 p.m.
 
Seed: 45.09 | PR: 45.09 | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 0
 
The Wildcat quartet broke the GNAC record this spring, running 45.09 seconds on April 11 at the Whitworth Classic. That topped their time of 45.76 seconds run last season, which stood as the conference record previously. The record time earned the Wildcats a spot in the national championships, with the 17th-fastest time in Division II this year. CWU cruised to the gold medal in the event at the GNAC Championships, and will look to become the first-ever 4x100 relay team from the conference to earn All-America status. New Mexico Highlands holds the top time in Division II this year at 44.33 seconds.
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Kevin McDermott – Western Washington
May 22 – 5:25 p.m. – Men’s 1,500 Meters (Prelims)
Top-12 qualify for 1,500m finals: May 24 – 4:45 p.m.
May 24 – 8:30 p.m. – Men’s 5,000 Meters
 
1,500 Meters Seed: 3:44.37 | PR: 3:44.37 | GNAC National Champions: 2 (David Ribich, WOU, 2017 & 2018) | GNAC All-Americans: 17 Most Recent: 2023 (Charlie Dannatt, SFU, 5th)
5,000 Meters Seed: 13:48.17 | PR: 13:48.17 | GNAC National Champions: 1 (Micah Chelimo, UAA, 2012) | GNAC All-Americans: 4 Most Recent: 2022 (Coleman Nash, UAA, 8th)
 
Looking to cap his career with a bang, Kevin McDermott is off to a good start having won the GNAC gold medals in both the 5,000 meters and 1,500 meters this spring. McDermott clocked the second-fastest 5,000 meters time in GNAC history at 13:48.17 minutes, trailing only UAA’s Micah Chelimo at 13:41.99 minutes on the all-time conference list. It stands as the No. 14 time on the NCAA national performance list this spring. His season-best 1,500 time of 3:44.37 minutes (converted from a mile) stands as sixth-best in conference history and slotted him at No. 18 on the national performance list. McDermott is coming off a 10th-place finish in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and will be competing at the outdoor nationals for the first time in his career. The most recent of the conference’s 17 All-Americans in the 1,500 meters was 2023 fifth-place finisher Charlie Dannatt of Simon Fraser, while Coleman Nash of UAA took eighth in the 5,000 meters at the 2022 NCAA Championships. McDermott will look to become the third Viking to garner All-America in the 1,500 meters, with Anthony Tomisch (2007) and Calahan Warren (2021 & 2022) coming before him. WWU has not had a 5,000 meters All-American since the GNAC was formed. Titouan Le Grix of Wingate is the national leader in both the 1,500 at 3:34.30 minutes and the 5,000 at 13:28.23 minutes.
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Nicholas Monro – Simon Fraser
May 22 – 5:30 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump
 
Seed: 7.48m/24-6.5 feet | PR: 7.48m/24-6.5 feet | GNAC National Champions: 1 (David Registe, UAA, 2008) | GNAC All-Americans: 5 Most Recent: 2011 (David Registe, UAA, 4th)
 
Nicholas Monro has had a season to remember for the Red Leafs, logging the fifth-best long jump in GNAC history and finishing as the silver medalist at the 2025 GNAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The PR leap he achieved was good enough to earn him his first-ever NCAA Championships berth, as he enters the competition with the 15th-best mark nationally. West Texas A&M’s Joseph Oreva is the national leader at 25-10.75 feet (7.89 meters). Three men – including 2008 national champion and three-time All-American David Registe of Alaska Anchorage – have earned All-America in the event since the GNAC was founded in 2002.
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Bec Bennett – Western Washington
May 22 – 5:40 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters (Prelims)
Top-8 qualify for 400m finals: May 24 – 5:20 p.m.
 
Seed: 53.11 seconds | PR: 53.11 seconds | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 5 Most Recent: 2022 (Vanessa Aniteye, SPU, 6th)
 
Viking newcomer Bec Bennett cruised to the gold medal at the GNAC Championships in record-breaking fashion, posting the best time in conference history at 53.11 seconds. That was enough to elevate her to No. 10 on the NCAA performance list, as she has hopes of becoming the second WWU woman since the GNAC was founded to garner All-America accolades in the event (Ellie Siler, 2009, 5th). Overall four women in GNAC history have earned All-America in the 400 meters, with the most recent being Seattle Pacific’s Vanessa Aniteye in 2022. Peace Nwaelehia of West Texas A&M has the top time in Division II this year at 52.22 seconds.
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Joshua Caleb – Alaska Anchorage
May 22 – 6:25 p.m. – Men’s 100 Meters (Prelims)
Top-8 qualify for 100m finals: May 24 – 5:50 p.m.
May 23 – 5:45 p.m. – Men’s 200 Meters (Prelims)
Top-8 qualify for 200m finals: May 24 – 6:55 p.m.
 
100 Meters: Seed: 10.11 | PR: 10.11 | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 3 Most Recent: 2015 (Alex Donigian, WWU, 3rd).
200 Meters: Seed: 20.50 | PR: 20.50 | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 0
 
GNAC record holder Joshua Caleb qualified for both the 100 meters and 200 meters for the first time in his career. The Seawolf sophomore, who was voted as the 2023-24 GNAC Male Athlete of the Year, enters the meet with the third-fastest 100 time in Division II at 10.11 seconds and the fifth-fastest 200 time at 20.50 seconds. The national leaders in the respective events are Solomon Odonkor of Angelo State at 10.08 seconds and Dapriest Hogans of Pittsburg State at 20.13 seconds. Caleb will look to become the fourth man in GNAC history to claim All-American honors in the 100 meters and the first since Western Washington’s Alex Donigian did it in back-to-back seasons (2014-15). The GNAC has never had an outdoor All-American in the 200 meters; Caleb achieved that feat at the NCAA Indoor Championships where he placed sixth in the 200 meters. It is the second straight season the sprint star has qualified for the outdoor championships, after finishing 12th in the preliminary round of the 400 meters at last year’s event.
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E’lexis Hollis – Central Washington
Emma Cannan – Simon Fraser (200m only)
May 22 – 6:10 p.m. – Women’s 100 Meters (Prelims)
Top-8 qualify for 100m finals: May 24 – 5:40 p.m.
May 23 – 5:30 p.m. – Women’s 200 Meters (Prelims)
Top-8 qualify for 200m finals: May 24 – 6:45 p.m.
 
Hollis 100m Seed: 11.27 seconds | PR: 11.27 seconds

Hollis 200m Seed: 23.41 seconds | PR: 23.41 seconds
Cannan 200m Seed: 23.38 seconds| PR: 23.38 seconds
100m – GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 3 Most Recent: 2024 (Marie-Eloise Leclair, SFU, 7th)  
200m – GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 2 Most Recent: 2024 (Marie-Eloise Leclair, SFU, 2nd)
 
Two of the top sprinters in conference history are set to compete, with CWU’s E’lexis Hollis running the 100 meters and 200 meters and SFU’s Emma Cannan joining in the 200 meters. Hollis is second in GNAC history in the 100 meters at 11.27 seconds and third in the 200 meters at 23.41 seconds. Cannan meanwhile ranks second in conference history in the 200 meters at 23.38 seconds. Hollis won both races at last week’s GNAC Championships, as she heads to the outdoor national meet for the third year in a row. After earning All-America honors in each of the last two NCAA Indoor Championships in the 60 meters, she will look for her first-ever outdoor 100 meters All-America accolade and to become the first-ever Wildcat to finish in the top-eight. Hollis’s 100-meter entry time ranks fourth nationally, with Alexis Brown of Lenoir-Rhyne leading the nation at 11.08 seconds. Both Hollis and Cannan have legitimate shots of joining Marie-Eloise Leclair of SFU as the only other outdoor All-American in the 200 meters, with Cannan’s entry time slotting her 13th and Hollis’s close behind in 16th on the national list. Brown also has the top 200 mark nationally at 22.67 seconds. Cannan, who is coming off All-American honors with a fourth-place finish in the 200 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships, will be competing in her first-ever outdoor national meet.
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Johan Correa – Central Washington
May 23 – 5:15 p.m. – Men’s 800 Meters (Prelims)  
Seed: 1:48.61 minutes | PR: 1:48.61 minutes | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 5 Most Recent: 2024 (Correa, CWU, 4th)
 
Johan Correa ran the third-fastest 800 meters time in conference history earlier this spring, clocking in at 1:48.61 minutes to qualify for the national meet for the second straight season. His PR time was the 11th-fastest in Division II thus far in 2025, with the national leader Reece Sharman-Newell of host CSU Pueblo clocking in at 1:46.50. Correa will be after his third track & field All-America honor, after taking fourth in the 800 meters at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and finishing fourth at last year’s outdoor championships. He became the fifth man in GNAC history to claim outdoor All-American honors last spring, and he’ll have a chance to become the first in the conference to earn multiple All-American awards if he can finish in the top eight this week.
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Ila Davis – Western Washington
Maya Ewing – Seattle Pacific
May 22 – 6:40 p.m. – Women’s Steeplechase (Prelims)
Top-12 qualify for finals: May 23 – 6:15 p.m.
 
Davis Seed: 10:20.91 | PR: 10:11.97
Ewing Seed: 10:27.61 | PR: 10:27.61
GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 13 Most Recent: 2024 (Davis, WWU, 8th)

 
WWU’s Ila Davis became just the second woman in GNAC outdoor history – in any event – to win four consecutive conference gold medals as she claimed the steeplechase crown last week in Bellingham. She picked up an eighth-place finish at the national meet a season ago, joining Katelyn Steen (2014-15) as the second WWU woman since the league was founded to earn All-America recognition. Her seed time this year has her at No. 10 on the national list, although her all-time personal best of 10:11.97 (run last year) would be the third-fastest time in Division II this season. Joining Davis will be Seattle Pacific junior Maya Ewing after a breakout season in the event. Ewing’s personal-best time of 10:27.61 minutes stands as the eighth-fastest in conference history, as she’ll gear up for her first-ever NCAA national track & field meet. Suzie Strickler (2008) is the only Falcon since the GNAC was formed to earn All-America in the steeplechase. Adams State’s Ava O’Connor is the national leader in the event, with a season-best time of 9:46.22 minutes.
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Maurice Woodring – Western Washington
May 22 – 7:55 p.m. – Men’s 400-Meter Hurdles (Prelims)
Top-8 qualify for finals: May 24 – 6:35 p.m.
 
Seed: 51.03 seconds | PR: 51.03 seconds | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 4 Most Recent: 2018 (Vladislav Tsygankov, SFU, 3rd)
 
It has been a record-breaking season for WWU’s Maurice Woodring, who ran the fastest 400-meter hurdles time in conference history at 51.03 seconds at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 17. The sophomore cruised to his second gold medal in the event at the GNAC Championships, while also helping the Vikings’ 4x400 meter relay unit win gold. Woodring enters his first-ever NCAA Championships ranked No. 7 on the national performance list, as he looks to become the fifth All-American in conference history – and first from WWU – in the event. The GNAC has never had a national champion in the 400-meter hurdles. Alessio Sommacal of Cal Poly Pomona is the national leader this spring with a time of 50.61 seconds.
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Annika Esvelt – Seattle Pacific
May 22 – 8:10 p.m. – Women’s 10,000 Meters
May 24 – 8:05 p.m. – Women’s 5,000 Meters
 
10,000m Seed: 33:34.30 minutes | PR: 33:34.30 minutes | GNAC National Champions: 3 (Sarah Porter, WWU, 2011; Caroline Kurgat, UAA, 2018 & 2019) | GNAC All-Americans: 12 Most Recent: 2024 (Esvelt, SPU, 2nd)
5,000m Seed: 15:56.94 minutes | PR: 15:56.94 minutes | GNAC National Champions: 2 (Caroline Kurgat, UAA, 2018 & 2019) | GNAC All-Americans: 17 Most Recent: 2024 (Esvelt, SPU, 7th)
 
Set to put the finishing touches on one of the finest cross country and track & field careers the conference has ever seen, the reigning GNAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year will once again toe the line in both the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters. Annika Esvelt was the national runner-up in the 10,000 meters a season ago, and will look to join WWU’s Sarah Porter (2009-11) as the only woman in GNAC history to earn three All-America honors in the event. Esvelt was also an All-American in the 5,000 meters last year, finishing in seventh place at the national championships. Porter, UAA’s Caroline Kurgat (2016, 18-19) and UAA’s Ruth Keino (2012-13) are the three women in GNAC history to earn multiple All-America awards in the 5,000 meters. Esvelt recorded PRs in both events this year, topping Kurgat’s GNAC Championships meet record in the 5,000 meters with a time of 15:56.94 minutes which was third-fastest overall in conference history. She also ran a season-best time of 33:34.30 minutes in the 10,000 meters – the fourth-fastest in conference history. Esvelt enters the championship meet ranked fifth nationally in the 5,000 meters and third nationally in the 10,000 meters. Grand Valley State’s Klaudia O’Malley leads the country in the 5,000 at 15:42.43 minutes, while Adams State’s Brianna Robles is the leader in the 10,000 meters at 32:50.18 minutes.
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Katie Potts – Western Washington
May 23 – 2 p.m. – Women’s Discus Throw
 
Seed: 48.15m/158-0 feet | PR: 48.15m/158-0 feet | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 1 Most Recent: 2018 (Melissa Ausman, Concordia, 3rd)
 
Katie Potts took home the GNAC gold medal in the discus throw last week, and hit a PR of 158-0 feet (48.15 meters) on April 25 at the Vikings’ home meet. That toss was good enough for fifth all-time in conference history, and it earned her a spot in the national meet standing as the No. 21 mark in Division II this year. A sixth-year senior whose career began during the COVID-impacted 2019-20 campaign, Potts will be competing in her first-ever national championship event. Former GNAC member Concordia’s Melissa Ausman is the lone All-American in the discus, placing third in 2018. The national leader this season is Erika Beistle of Grand Valley State, who threw 218-7 (66.63 meters).
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Emy Ntekpere – Central Washington
May 23 – 4:45 p.m. – Women’s High Jump
May 24 – 5:30 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump
 
High Jump Seed: 1.79m/5-10.5 feet | PR: 1.79m/5-10.5 feet | GNAC National Champions: 1 (Teona Perkins, SPU, 2007) | GNAC All-Americans: 6 Most Recent: 2016 (Tayler Fettig, CWU, 2nd)
Triple Jump Seed: 13.26m/43-6 feet | PR: 13.26m/43-6 feet | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 3 Most Recent: 2019 (Chrisalyn Johnson, UAA, 7th)
 
Emy Ntekpere made history during the indoor campaign, becoming the second woman in GNAC history to win a national title in the triple jump. She parlayed that into breaking the conference outdoor record in the event this spring, clearing 43-6 feet (13.26 meters) on March 27. That mark has stood at No. 1 on the national performance list for the last six weeks, as she enters the NCAA Championships as the favorite to win the crown. The Wildcat sophomore is fresh off becoming the first woman in GNAC history to win four individual event gold medals at the conference outdoor meet, including sweeping the high jump, long jump and triple jump titles. The GNAC has not had an outdoor triple jump All-American since UAA’s Chrisalyn Johnson placed seventh in 2019, and no woman has ever won a national title in the outdoor triple jump. Ntekpere also broke the conference record in the high jump this year, clearing 5-10.5 feet (1.79 meters). That figure slots her at No. 2 on the national performance list, behind only Rachel Wilson of Pittsburg State who cleared 6-0.75 feet (1.85 meters) this spring. Teona Perkins of Seattle Pacific (2007) is the only woman in GNAC history to win an outdoor national title in the high jump, while the last GNAC All-American in the event was Central Washington’s Tayler Fettig who was the runner-up in 2016.
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Lauryn McGough – Central Washington
May 24 – 11 a.m. – Women’s Pole Vault
 
Seed: 4.05m/13-3.5 feet | PR: 4.05m/13-3.5 feet | GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 9 Most Recent: 2019 (Scout Cai, SPU, 8th)
 
Sophomore standout Lauryn McGough broke the GNAC outdoor record in the pole vault this spring, clearing 13-3.5 feet (4.05 meters) to climb to No. 11 on the national performance list. She became the first woman in GNAC history to win both the pole vault and javelin titles at the GNAC Outdoor Championships, adding to her gold medal collection last week. It will be her third overall NCAA Championship event, after finishing 11th in the pole vault at last year’s outdoor championships and 16th in the pole vault at this year’s indoor championships. No woman in GNAC history has finished higher than fifth in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, as McGough will look to become the 10th All-American and second Wildcat after Kati Davis in 2011 to garner All-American in the event. Brynn King of Roberts Wesleyan holds the top pole vault mark in Division II this spring, clearing 15-7 feet (4.75 meters).
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Jessica Polkinghorn – Western Washington
Destany Herbert – Northwest Nazarene
May 24 – 1:15 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put
 
Polkinghorn Seed: 15.45m/50-8.25 feet | PR: 15.45m/50-8.25 feet
Herbert Seed: 15.25m/50-0.5 feet | PR: 15.25m/50-0.5 feet
GNAC National Champions: 0 | GNAC All-Americans: 4 Most Recent: 2018 (Melissa Ausman, Concordia, 6th & Christina MacDonald, Concordia, 7th)

 
WWU freshman phenom Jessica Polkinghorn made a name for herself by launching the second-farthest shot put in conference history at 50-8.25 feet (15.45 meters) earlier this spring. That throw nudged her name up to No. 9 on the NCAA national performance list, earning her first-ever spot in an NCAA Championship event. Senior Destany Herbert meanwhile also had a standout spring, posting the fifth-best shot put in conference history at 50-0.5 feet (15.25 meters) and finishing as the gold medalist in the event at the GNAC Championships. She enters the NCAA championships sitting at No. 11 on the national performance list. A sixth-year senior like Potts, having competed for her team since the 2019-20 campaign, Herbert will get to cap her collegiate career with her first-ever NCAA Championships berth. The GNAC hasn’t had an All-American in the shot put since a pair of Concordia throwers each finished in the top-eight at the 2018 event. Both Polkinghorn and Herbert will seek to become the first All-Americans from their respective schools. Hannah Richardson of Azusa Pacific is the national leader entering the meet with a mark of 54-9.5 feet (16.70 meters).
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Jarrett Chong – Simon Fraser
Laurenz Waldbauer – Northwest Nazarene
Jakob Braunstein – Western Washington
May 24 – 2:45 p.m. – Men’s Javelin
 
Chong Seed: 72.60m/238-2 feet | PR: 72.60m/238-2 feet
Waldbauer Seed: 69.96m/229-6 feet | PR: 72.38m/237-6 feet
Braunstein Seed: 67.58m/221-9 feet | PR: 67.58m/221-9 feet
GNAC National Champions: 2 (Chris Randolph, SPU, 2005; Cody Parker, UAA, 2013) | GNAC All-Americans: 20 Most Recent: 2022 (Chong, SFU, 7th)
 
Jarrett Chong earned the performance of the meet award at last week’s GNAC Championships, after unleashing the second-farthest javelin throw in conference history at 238-2 feet (72.60 meters). The mighty heave earned Chong his second straight GNAC gold medal, and moved him up to No. 2 on the national performance list. The SFU senior settled for a 15th-place finish at last year’s national meet, after earning All-America with a seventh-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The GNAC silver medalist in the javelin, Laurenz Waldbauer had a season-best throw of 229-6 feet (69.96 meters) at last week’s conference meet. His best-ever throw of 237-6 feet (72.38 meters), which ranks third in GNAC history, came during the 2022 outdoor campaign. He will be competing in his third NCAA Championships event, after finishing 13th in the javelin in both 2022 and 2024. Waldbauer will look to become the second javelin All-American in GNAC history, with 2009 national runner-up Josh Heidegger being the other. Jakob Braunstein, like Chong, was also at his best at last week’s conference meet as he cleared a PR of 221-9 feet (67.58 meters) to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships for the first time. The 10th-best javelin throw in conference history nudged Braunstein up to No. 13 on the national performance list, as he’ll look to become the sixth man in WWU history to claim All-American recognition in the event. Caleb Calvin of Pittsburg State is the NCAA leader in the javelin this season at 258-3 feet (78.71 meters).
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Gerohm Rihari – Northwest Nazarene
May 24 – 4:45 p.m. – Men’s High Jump
 
Seed: 2.10m/6-10.75 feet | PR: 2.10m/6-10.75 feet GNAC National Champions: 1 (Mikel Smith, SMU, 2016) | GNAC All-Americans: 5 Most Recent: 2017 (Mikel Smith, SMU, 6th & Tevin Gladden, UAA, 7th)
 
Gerohm Rihari picked up his second high jump gold medal and first in outdoor competition at last week’s conference meet in Bellingham. The senior veteran earned his first-ever national championships berth by virtue of hitting a personal-best height of 6-10.75 feet (2.10 meters) on April 12 at NNU’s home meet. That mark slots him 18th on the national performance list, with Grand Valley State’s Jaivon Harrison being the favorite at 7-5 feet (2.26 meters). It also stands as the fifth-best high jump in GNAC outdoor history. Rihari will have a chance to become the first Nighthawk in GNAC history to claim All-American honors in the event.
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