Five Warriors won GSAC Championship crowns as Westmont Men’s and Women’s Track each finished third at the GSAC Track and Field Championships held on Friday and Saturday in Azusa.
The finish is the highest for the men since 2006 and for the women since 1999. The teams have not both finished in third place or better since 1995 when both teams were second.
The men finished with 137.50 points and were second to Fresno Pacific who tallied 154.50 points. Azusa Pacific won the men’s competition with 221 points.
Biola finished fourth in the men’s team totals with 1-5 points while Point Loma was fifth with 95. Concordia collected 68 points to place sixth while The Master’s was seventh with 55. Vanguard finished with eight points.
In the women’s team scoring, Westmont tallied 125 points. Azusa Pacific won on the women’s side as well, with a total of 223.33 points. Fresno Pacific was second with 163.66 points.
Biola placed fourth with 127 points and Point Loma Nazarene was fifth with 93. Vanguard claimed sixth place with 67 points and Concordia was seventh with 42. The Master’s accumulated nine points.
Kristin Hempy earned all-GSAC honors by finishing second in the heptathlon with a school record 4,228 points. Hempy posted a mark of 5.02 meters (16-5.75) to finish in the long jump then threw the javelin for 38.58 meters (126-7) for a first place finish. Hempy’s second placed finish in the 800 meters was in a time of 2:48.64.
Ben McCollum finished fifth in the decathlon with 5,292 points. McCollum finished fifth in the 110 meter hurdles, earning 594 points in a time of 17.29. He then finished sixth in the discus with a throw of 24.08 meters (79-0). In the pole vault, McCollum placed fifth with a height of 3.00 meters (9-10).McCollum threw the javelin 35.76 meters (117-04), placing sixth in the ninth decathlon event. In the 1500 meters, McCollum finished second in a time of 4:52.81.
Kate Stuart captured the women’s 1500 meter GSAC Championship, winning in a time of 4:34.56. The mark meets the automatic qualifying standard for the NAIA Outdoor Nationals Championships which will be held May 24-26 in Marion, Indiana. Heidi Nicholls finished in eighth place in a time of 4:52.64, adding a point to the Warriors team score.
In the 800 meter, Stuart won first place with a time of 2:13.15 establishing a new school record. Theresa Nealon took second in the event, posting a time of 2:15.08 which is the third fastest time in Westmont history.
Matt Shiney made it a Westmont sweep of the 800 meters by winning the men’s event in a time of 1:55.18.
Amanda Chevalier also captured a GSAC Championship, winning the 100 meter dash in a time of 12.15. Chevalier beat her school record time from yesterday by .05 seconds and recorded a second provisional qualification time to nationals.
Elysia Hodges claimed a GSAC Championship in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 1:01.62, while Stormans took fifth place in a time of 1:03.94. Both times beat the automatic qualification mark for the national championships.
In the 200 meter finals, Chevailer claimed second place with a time of 25.17 to claim another All-GSAC honor. Hodges finished sixth with a time of 26.02.
In the men’s 1500 meter finals, Evan Bradford claimed an All-GSAC honor with a third place finish in a time of 3:57.92.
The women’s 4 x 100 meter relay team of Laurel Stormans, Elysia Hodges, Hannah Jacobson and Chevalier earned All-GSAC recognition with a second place in a time of 48.83.
The women’s 4 x 400 meter relay team of Stormans, Nealon, Stuart and Hodges also placed second, posting a time of 3:54.34 to earn an automatic qualification to the national championship.
The men’s 4 x 100 meter relay team consisting of Jonathon Koop, Adam Thompkins, Shane Rowan and Quincy Braxton placed third to gain All-GSAC honors. The team completed the race in a time of 42.97.
In the men’s 4 x 400 meter relay, Adam Thompkins, Shiney, Christian Hatchett and Braxton claimed second place in a time of 3:20.45.
Stormans finished fifth in the women’s 100 meter hurdles, crossing the finish line in a time of 15.46. In the men’s 110 meter hurdles, Thompkins finished seventh in a time of 15.74.
Thompkins placed third in the men’s 200 meters with a time of 22.08. Rowan placed fifth in the event with a time of 22.58. Tompkins had a fifth place finish in men’s 100 meters, earning four points for the Warriors with a time of 11.23.
Rowan captured All-GSAC honors in the men’s triple jump with a mark of 14.53 meters (47-8) – good enough for third place. The mark exceeded the national championship automatic qualifying standard.
In the men’s discus, Bryan Sandefur picked up five team points with a fourth place finish. Sandefur’s best throw of 36.90 came on his final attempt.
Taylor Frantom had an eighth place finish in the women’s high jump, equaling her season best of 1.50 meters (4-11).
Westmont took second and fourth place in the men’s 400 meters. Braxton picked up an All-GSAC award with second place finish in a time of 49.12. Hatchett’s time of 50.14 was good enough for a fourth place finish.
Renee Gingeresky placed seventh in the women’s shot put, posting a mark of 10.35 meters (33-11.5).
Danica Rosendale picked up three points with a sixth place finish in the women’s 5,000 meter finals, recording a time of 19:02.84. Matt Day had a sixth place finish in the men’s 5,000 meter finals with a time of 16:08.23
David Christianson finished tied for eighth in the men’s high jump with a height of 1.85 meters (6-0.75).
Scott MacDonald grabbed All-GSAC honors with second place finish in the shot put with a mark of 15.64 meters (51-5.75). MacDonald qualified for the national championship in the process, beating the automatic standard by 0.1 meters.
