Hannah Greene | Sports Editor
Over the last weekend, Feb. 21 and 22, the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams got on the bus to head to Boise, Idaho, for the GNAC Indoor Championships — a preview of what to expect for the NCAA Division II Championships.
The Wolves proved to be the powerhouse among the other competitors in this meet, finishing in the top-three in multiple races and events. Derek Holdsworth, a transfer senior, blew the competition out of the water in the Men’s 800-meter run and claimed the GNAC title, placing first in the final with a time of 1:54.20 — and not far behind was Max Carmona, a transfer sophomore from Ventura College, placing second with a time of 1:55.25. The Wolves were able to finish four runners in the top-five, with sophomore Adam Alnazer in fourth and junior Trey Reed in fifth — not leaving any space for the other opponents.
Along with Holdsworth, Boise saw Dominique Loggins, a first-year on the track team, steal the Men’s 60-meter run title with a time of 6.86 — this only being Loggins’ second indoor meet. If Loggins is able to bring his time down to a 6.72 he will qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships.
First-year and standout, Maya Hopwood, had a plate full with the Women’s 60-meter and 200-meter dash — placing second in the 60 with a time of 7.64 and seventh in the 200 with a time of 25.25, just .01 seconds away from the next runner.
Kalulusno Ngaida, a junior jumper, jumped a new season best in the triple jump with a mark of 38-7.5 and came in second. Ngaida has proved to be a dominant jumper among the Wolves claiming sixth place in the high jump with a mark of 5-3.75.
Last week’s star, senior Justin Crosswhite, just barely missed the top-three in the mile, taking fourth with a time of 4:16.73. Along with this, Jillian Greene, a first-year, ran a new season best in the mile with a time of 5:10.69 — and moved herself into ninth on the all-time WOU record book.
The GNAC Championships made for a sweet, high-scoring trip — with the Men’s team placing sixth overall and the Women’s team placing seventh overall.
Next up, the Wolves head to Seattle, Washington, to run their best time in the SPU Last Chance Qualifier. There will also be two meets closer to home on March 6 at Linfield College in McMinnville and at Willamette University on March 7.
Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu
Photos Courtesy of Rick Edelman
