Lopes sailing into Tailwind Invite

Thursday, April 5

Tucson, Ariz.

ALL DAY

Grand Canyon

Jim Click Multi

Photo by: Loren Orr

4/5/2018 1:35:00 PM | Track and Field

Schedule of Events Heat Sheets

GCU seeking favorable tailwinds at Don Kirby Tailwind Invite

By: Fletcher Like

The Lopes continue their trek towards the WAC Outdoor Championships and the NCAA West Regional Championships with a journey back to New Mexico for the Don Kirby Tailwind Invite. The trip to Albuquerque is the fourth consecutive year in which GCU has traveled to the Don Kirby Tailwind Invite.

"We are taking a small contingent of sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers and throwers this weekend to Albuquerque to try and take advantage of their nice spring weather and favorable tailwinds," head coach Tom Flood said.

Katelyn Lee will get her first opportunity to throw in a GCU singlet. After finishing the basketball season under Nicole Powell, the junior will return to the throwers circle for the first time since high school.

Scott Marshall will get another chance to jump over 5.00 meters in the pole vault for the first time this outdoor season. The redshirt senior finished tied for 13^th in the nation at the NCAA Indoor National Championships but no-heighted at the Texas Relays last weekend.

The Lopes will send a men's and women's 4x100 meter relay team to New Mexico. Dionee Marrero, Ryan Girk, Marcus Flannigan and Guillermo Alcala Rendon will run for the men, while Briana Myers, Dora Filipovic, Naudia Dawson and Tope Williams will run for the women.

Two Lopes hold the top two times in the conference in the 100 meter hurdles, with Myers and Sarah Root in the first and second spot, respectively. Anthony Phelps and William Winfield IV hold the second and third spot in the 110 meter hurdles, respectively, and will look to run fast times in Albuquerque.

Isaac Allanarem and Alexa Hokanson will be the only Lopes in the 400 meter event this week. Allanarem holds the school record in the event after his sub-47 second mark at the Aztec Invite two weeks ago.

Five Lopes are currently competing at the Jim Click Multi's. Karl Zuber, Adam Turner are competing in the decathlon while Kelsey Schultz, Sydney Madrid and the 2018 WAC pentathlon champion, Ashley Krawczuk are competing in the heptathlon.

"We are in the middle of our outdoor training session and will look for everyone to continue to build on and improve on their early season times and marks," Flood said.