Complete women's results
Complete men's results
SEATTLE -- In her dreams, Amanda Alvarez would hit a personal-best mark in the triple jump.
In real life, she had hit a bit of rut.
Until Saturday afternoon, when she got out of that rut …
… with room to spare.
The Seattle Pacific freshman broke beyond the 39-foot barrier for the first time, going 39 feet, 8¾ inches to take second place in the Ken Foreman-Ken Shannon Invitational meet at Husky Stadium.
Alvarez' mark tied the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record and brings her less than two inches from the automatic qualifying standard of 39-10½ for the NCAA Division II championships, which are set for May 27-29 in Charlotte, N.C. Just as important at this point is that while she already was on the NCAA provisional list with her previous best of 38-11 in the season-opening UPS Outdoor Preview on March 6, she now has moved way up that list.
Alvarez now is tied for the eighth-best mark in all of D-2, pending the outcome of other meets around the country this weekend. She came into the meet ranked 17th -- very much on the bubble.
“I was really getting sick of staying with 38s,” said Alvarez (Vancouver, Wash./Columbia River HS). “My mom said, 'Last year, you would have been happy with 38s.' But being plateaued for so long, it can get really discouraging.”
As for those dreams?
“I just had one last night that I had PR'd,” Alvarez said. “I was so excited, and I told my boyfriend, “I PR'd, I PR'd!”
Now, it's no longer a dream. It's reality.
“It's just my first year (of college), and I'm still jumping well,” Alvarez said. “As long as I'm not out for a long time (she was sidelined for a while this spring with an injury), anything is possible.”
She wasn't the only Alvarez enjoying a career day in the triple jump. Twin sister Athena also set a personal best, going 36-3 to take eighth. Her previous best was 35-10 and already had her on the GNAC automatic list.
Amanda Alvarez also placed third in the long jump at 17-2 ¾, combining with freshman Trinna Miranda (Tigard, Ore) at 17-1¼ and sophomore Natalie Nobbs (Yakima, Wash./Riverside Christian HS) at 17-0 for a 3-4-5 finish.
STILL SEEKING NEW HEIGHTS
Falcon freshman Katy Gross (Everett, Wash./Cascade HS), who hadn't planned on turning out for any sports in college, is reaping the benefits of having changed her mind.
On Saturday, Gross tied for the top mark in the high jump at 5 feet, 4 inches, although she officially wound up second because Simon Fraser's Rachelle Barnett took fewer attempts to clear that height. Both of them missed all three tries at 5-6.
Gross has cleared 5-5½ this spring, and 5-6 would put her onto the NCAA provisional qualifying list.
“In high school, I was only at 5-0 or 5-2 and not very consistent,” Gross said. “But I didn't have anyone really coaching me. Here, it's nice to have Karl (Lerum, SPU's head coach) who focuses the attention on it. I just feel like even from here, I have a lot more to learn."
For Gross, it was a busy week. In the heptathlon on Monday and Tuesday at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Multi-Event Championships in Nampa, Idaho, she took fourth place, and her total score of 4,265 points was 330 more than her total from an earlier competition.
“This one, I had expectations and marks that I wanted to hit, and for the most part, I was really happy,” Gross said. “It's always nice to keep improving and not plateauing."
ANDERBERG WINS, OTHERS JOIN GNAC LIST
Senior Lisa Anderberg recorded the lone Seattle Pacific victory on Saturday. Anderberg (Edmonds, Wash./Kamiak HS) was first to the finish in the 400 meters with a personal-best time of 58.05 seconds.
Anderberg already was a GNAC automatic qualifier in the 400, although her emphasis for next week's conference meet at Western Oregon University in Monmouth likely will be the 800. Anderberg is less than a second away from an NCAA automatic time in that race. She has a 2:10.98 and needs a 2:10.00.
Junior Jacob Wahlenmaier (Everett, Wash./Cascade HS) joined the GNAC automatic qualifiers in the 1,500 meters. Wahlenmaier placed 17th overall in 4:00.46, beating the standard of 4:00.80. Senior Chad Meis ran eighth in 3:55.93, and freshman Andrew Van Ness (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) posted a personal-best 4:03.07 to finish 21st.
Senior Kate Harline put herself well within reach of the NCAA provisional standard in the women's 800. Harline (Orem, Utah) recorded a personal-best time of 2:15.43 to take fourth place on Saturday. She'll be in the 800 at GNACs, pursuing the NCAA mark of 2:14.50.
Junior Jennifer Pike (Vancouver, Wash./Skyview HS) easily had her season-best time in the 400 hurdles, taking third in 1:03.43. That sets her up for a run at the NCAA provisional time of 1:03.00 at the conference meet.
Freshman Kayla Wilkins (Vancouver, Wash./Evergreen HS) shattered her previous career-best time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by nearly 12 seconds. Wilkins finished second in 12:04.69, well below her old mark of 12:16.60. She already was a GNAC provisional qualifier.
Sophomore Brittany Aanstad (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS) threw the javelin a season-best 145-0. She remains in seventh nationally as an NCAA provisional qualifier, but well above the 138-7 that was the “bubble” mark heading into the weekend.
Sophomore Nathanael Sleight (Bellevue, Wash./Bellevue Christian HS) and freshman Nate Seely (Lynden, Wash./Lynden HS) moved onto the GNAC provisional qualifying lists in the 800 and 400, respectively. Seely also is a GNAC automatic and NCAA provisional qualifier in the 800.
SPU assistant coach Carly Dockendorf won the women's pole vault, clearing 13-7¼. Sophomore Melissa Peaslee (Fox Island, Wash./Gig Harbor HS) was one of three women tying at 12-4, and officially took fourth place.
NCAA Women's Track & Field
Ken Foreman-Ken Shannon Invitational
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Husky Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
Team scores -- Not kept.
100 -- 1, Jane Channell (Simon Fraser) 12.51. SPU placer -- 14, Karie Chamberlain 14.83.
200 -- 1, Jordan Carlson (UW) 25.11. SPU placers -- 9, Lisette Peterson 27.16; 15, Chamberlain 30.27.
400 -- 1, Lisa Anderberg (SPU) 58.05. Other SPU placers -- 12, Peterson 1:01.39; 13, Jocelyn Charette 1:01.57.
800 -- 1, Celsea Shapard (Unattached) 2:11.76. SPU placers -- 4, Kate Harline 2:15.43; 11, Kelsey Brown 2:21.51.
1500 -- 1, Courtney Olsen (W. Wash.) 4:35.23. No SPU competitors.
5000 -- 1, Maggie Woodward (Unattached) 17:48.15. SPU placers -- 15, Laura Moser 20:52.28; 21, Kassandra Boulton 22:20.23; 22, Margaret Hanscom 22:37.18.
100 hurdles -- 1, Adelle Johns (UBC) 15.36. No SPU competitors.
400 hurdles -- 1, Yvonne Mensah (Unattached) 59.50. SPU placers -- 3, Jennifer Pike 1:03.43; 6, Natalie Nobbs 1:05.64.
3000 steeplechase -- 1, Emily Palibroda (Simon Fraser) 11:43.07. SPU placers -- 2, Kayla Wilkins 12:04.69; 4, Krysta Carrick 12:31.19; 5, Mary Williams 12:38.46.
4x100 relay -- 1, Simon Fraser 48.54. No SPU team.
4x400 relay -- 1, Washington 3:59.07. No SPU team.
High jump -- 1, Rachelle Barnett (Simon Fraser) 5-4 1/4 (1.63m). SPU placers -- 2, Katy Gross 5-4 1/4 (1.63m, judge's decison) 7, Jacquie Mattson 5-0 1/4 (1.53m).
Pole vault -- 1, Carly Dockendorf (Unattached) 13-7 1/4 (4.15m). SPU placers -- 4, Melissa Peaslee 12-4 (3.76m); 8, Kjersti Gedde 10-0 1/2 (3.06m); Michaela Caldwell NH.
Long jump -- 1, Alana Alexander (Unattached) 17-8 (5.38m). SPU placers -- 3, Amanda Alvarez 17-2 3/4 (5.25m); 4, Trinna Miranda 17-1 1/4 (5.21m); 5, Nobbs 17-0 (5.18m).
Triple jump -- 1, Shaniae Lakes (UW) 39-10 1/2 (12.15m). SPU placers -- 2, Amanda Alvarez 39-8 3/4 (12.11m); 8, Athena Alvarez 36-3 (11.05m).
Shot put -- 1, Brittany Jones (W. Wash.) 39-1 1/4 (11.92m). No SPU competitors.
Discus -- 1, Korede Oyetuga (UW) 144-11 (44.18m). No SPU competitors.
Javelin -- 1, Liz Gleadle (UBC) 176-5 (53.77m). SPU placers -- 3, Brittany Aanstad 145-0 (44.19m); 7, Carly Andrews 121-10 (37.14m); 10, Brittany Tri 108-3 (32.99m).
NCAA Men's Track & Field
Ken Foreman-Ken Shannon Invitational
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Husky Stadium/Seattle, Wash.
Team scores -- Not kept.
100 -- 1, Anthony Wright (C. Wash.) 10.89. SPU placers -- 14, Micah Grounds 11.72; 16, Hilario Ramirez 12.08
200 -- 1, Wright (C. Wash.) 21.56. No SPU competitors.
400 -- 1, Nathan Vadeboncoeur (Winnipeg Opt.) 47.52. SPU placer -- 10, Nathan Seely 50.14.
800 -- 1, Ryan Styrk (UW) 1:51.43. SPU placer -- 17, Nathanael Sleight 1:57.90.
1500 -- 1, Luc Bruchet (UBC) 3:53.16. SPU placers -- 8, Chad Meis 3:55.93; 17, Jacob Wahlenmaier 4:00.46; 21, Andrew Van Ness 4:03.07; 41, AJ Baker 4:13.89; 46, Lyle Emory 4:38.68.
5000 -- 1, Aaron Lanzel (Unattached) 14:29.48. SPU placers -- 10, Daniel Friesen 15:43.79; 16, Daniel Hamilton 16:10.14.
110 hurdles -- 1, Anthony Hogan (C. Wash.) 15.43. No SPU competitors.
400 hurdles -- 1, Dan Sanders (UW) 54.35. SPU placer -- 4, Ryan Endresen 55.20.
3000 steeplechase -- 1, Justin Kent (Unattached) 9:17.14. No SPU competitors.
4x100 relay -- 1, Simon Fraser 42.13. No SPU team.
4x400 relay -- 1, Simon Fraser 3:15.50. No SPU team.
High jump -- 1, Paul Little 6-10 3/4 (2.10m). No SPU competitors.
Pole vault -- 1, Ryan Vu (UW) 17-7 (5.36m). No SPU competitors.
Long jump -- 1, Manny Melo (C. Wash.) 23-4 12 (7.12m). No SPU competitors.
Triple jump -- 1, Kyle Jenkins (Jumping Club) 51-11 (15.82m). No SPU competitors.
Shot put -- 1, Ben Elder (W. Wash.) 51-9 (15.77m). No SPU competitors.
Discus -- 1, Reedus Thurmond (Club NW) 181-8 (55.37m). SPU placer -- 10, Billy Martin 122-10 (37.45m).
Javelin -- 1, Kyle Nielsen (UW) 239-6 (73.00m). SPU placers -- 6, Jace Derwin 180-8 (55.07m); 9, Nate Wagner 172-4 (52.53m); 13, Nate Johnson 149-3 (45-50m).
Hammer -- Not contested.
