SEATTLE (Apr. 8) -- Nathanael Castle and Rachel Ross, middle-distance runners from Seattle Pacific University, were each named Great Northwest Athletic Conference male and female track & field athletes of the week, respectively.

Castle (Sr., Gooding, Id.) won the 1500-meter run at the Vernacchia Team Classic last week in Bellingham with the No. 9 time in NCAA Division II this spring: 3 minutes, 53.78 seconds. It surpassed the provisional qualifying standard and was both a personal-best and the No. 4 time in school history.

Ross (Sr., Kennewick, Wa.) picked up her third GNAC award of the season by winning both the 800 and 1500 at the Vernacchia. Her winning time of 4:33.81 in the latter is No. 2 in the NCAA.

The Falcons resume action Friday at the Pelluer Invitational in Cheney.