The Falcons Online -- Seattle Pacific University Athletics

Falcons Shatter 4 GNAC Track Records at USC
March 24, 2007

LOS ANGELES (Mar. 24) Seattle Pacific University's NyEma Sims, Teona Perkins and Jessica Pixler combined to break a total of four Great Northwest Athletic Conference track and field records Saturday at the Trojan Invitational.

Headlining the meet at Loker Stadium was the USC men's 4 x 400 relay, which ran the fastest time in the world (3:05.88) this year.

Pixler (Fr., Sammamish, Wa./Eastlake) was the Falcons' sole winner, comfortably beating a field comprised nearly entirely of runners from Division I programs in the 1500 meters. Pixler's time of 4 minutes, 23.29 seconds was her second GNAC record in as many weeks. It broke the old mark by nearly five seconds and also rates No. 4 in SPU records. Nicole Blalock of Long Beach State was runner-up in 4:29.65.

Pixler had set the 3000 record in her outdoor debut last week.

Sims (Fr., Portland, Or./Jefferson) bolted to a pair of new GNAC standards in the sprints. She took fourth place in the 100 in a personal-record 12.00 seconds, which ranks No. 3 all-time for the Falcons. Her 24.71 in the 200 is No. 4 at SPU. Sims made the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying list in both events.

The GNAC records had been 12.13 and 25.07, respectively.

Perkins (Sr., Kennewick, Wa.) notched the other league record, with a best clearance of 5 feet, 9 inches in the high jump. It was good for sixth place, a provisional qualifying place and tied for No. 5 on the school list. Former Falcon Danielle Ayers-Stamper held the old mark at 5-8¾.

Altogether, Seattle Pacific added five new national qualifying marks. Karin Rohde (Jr., Bellingham, Wa./Mt. Baker) made it in the 3000, improving her PR by more than 21 seconds to 10:09.64. She was seventh.

Other highlights for the Falcons included a win by Monica Anderson (Jr., Bremerton, Wa.) in the B section of the pole vault (11-5¾). And a fifth-place javelin throw of 145-4 by Brittany Bekins (So., Everett, Wa./Cascade).

For the men, Brian Cronrath (Jr., Battle Ground) got the top placement, running the in the 1500 with a PR of 3:56.07. Chad Meis (Fr., Renton, Wa./Seattle Christian) was fifth in the 3000 (8:52.97) and Eddie Strickler (Sr., Richland, Wa.) was eighth in the 800 (1:54.26).

The Trojans' Candice Davis turned in this world's third-fastest 100m high hurdles (13.07) and Noah Bryant tied the third-best mark in the world this year in the shot put (65-8¼). Southern Cal's Duane Solomon turned in the fastest 800m time in the NCAA this season (1:47.96).

Next week the Falcons are idle. They compete Apr. 7 at the Vernacchia Team Classic in Bellingham.