Completed Event: Track and Field at Texas Relays on March 26, 2025 ,
Track & Field
at Texas Relays
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Wednesday, May 9
Lawrence, Kan.
ALL DAY
Grand Canyon
at
Western Athletic Conference
Outdoor title chase begins
5/8/2018 10:00:00 AM | Track and Field
Lopes aim for 1st outdoor championship since 2016
After winning the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Championships for the third consecutive year on the men's and women's sides, the GCU track and field program looks to continue the winning trend this week by winning its second WAC Outdoor Championship since joining the WAC.
The Lopes will compete for a WAC Championship May 9-12 in Lawrence, Kan.
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"We are looking to replicate what both of our men's and women's teams achieved at the WAC Indoor Championships in February," head coach Tom Flood said. "On the men's side, I think this is possibly our most talented team, with the most depth we've assembled in the Division I era, and our women's team is just as talented as any team in our conference."
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After winning both men's and women's team indoor titles this season by double-digit margins, the Lopes look to use the added firepower and depth of a few athletes who did not compete during indoors to help secure outdoor titles.
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The last time Marcus Flannigan competed in a WAC Championship, he won indoor and outdoor titles in the long jump. He currently sits No. 1 in the WAC in the event. As the favorite, Flannigan will look to take home his sixth consecutive WAC indoor or outdoor title in the long jump.
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Jesse Newman is a javelin specialist who has broken the school record this season and led the WAC by 3 meters until last weekend and will need a solid performance to take the crown as this week's frontrunner.
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Dionee Marrero returns to the travel squad for the outdoor championships after not competing during the indoor season. The first leg of the men's 400-meter relay will also compete in the 100 and 200. Marrero is seeded sixth in each individual event.
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On the women's side, Andrea Olstead returns for GCU in this outdoor championship. The senior triple jumper and long jumper is seeded second in the triple jump with a mark that is just 32 centimeters behind the top seed.
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A freshman to watch is 400 and 800 runner Alexa Hokanson. Late this season, she ran down the school record in the 800 in back-to-back weekends. The all-time mark fell by three seconds at the feet of the freshman from Scottsdale.
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Senior leaders Scott Marshall, Tarasue Barnett, Ryan Girk, Isaac Allanarem, Jennifer Johnson (Rolph) and company will look to anchor their teams toward another WAC Championship.
"It is a very special group of talented student-athletes that I have enjoyed watching compete over the years," Flood said.
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Marshall broke the school's all-time mark in the pole vault with his 5.35-meter jump at the Steve Scott Invite last week and will look to win the WAC again.
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Barnett is ranked sixth nationally in the discus and will wim to be a top-eight finalist at the NCAA Championship in June. She will want to first take a WAC title home for the second time in three seasons after not throwing the discus last year.
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Girk is the top sprinter in the WAC in the 100 and 200 with times of 10.49 and 20.99 seconds, respectively, and is defending his WAC crowns in both events this week in Kansas.
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Allanarem snapped the school record in the 400 earlier this season with a 46.90 time at the Aztec Invite. The senior breezed to a WAC indoor title in February.
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Johnson has prepped her successors well this year, as two freshman vaulters are right on the senior's heels. Johnson posted the best WAC mark at 3.79 meters at the Aztec Invite but freshmen Alyson Schwartz and Madelyn Lundberg each jumped 3.90 meters or higher this year to give GCU the top three ranked athletes in the event entering the WAC Championship.
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"All we ever ask of our athletes as coaches is to give 100 percent in every event and leave it all out on the track," Flood said. "We feel that both team titles are most likely going to come down to the final event, the 4x400-meter relay."
Both men's and women's teams were picked by the coaches to win the team titles, with both teams receiving six first place votes.
2018 Pre-Championship Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coaches Poll
Rank                   Team (1st – Place Votes)               Points
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Grand Canyon (6)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 36
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Utah Valley (1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31
3                          Kansas City                 24
4                          UT Rio Grande Valley         23                                                  Â
5                          CSU Bakersfield                         15
6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Seattle UÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10
7                          Chicago State                8
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2018 Pre-Championship Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coaches Poll
Rank                   Team (1st – Place Votes)                Points
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Grand Canyon (6)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 48
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NM State (2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 43
3                          Utah Valley                  37
4                          Kansas City                 32
5                          UT Rio Grande Valley         25
6                          CSU Bakersfield                         18
7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Seattle UÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 14
8                          Chicago State                7
The 2018 WAC Championships begin with the heptathlon and decathlon on Wednesday and Thursday. The remainder of the events will take place Friday and Saturday.
Â
The Lopes will compete for a WAC Championship May 9-12 in Lawrence, Kan.
Â
"We are looking to replicate what both of our men's and women's teams achieved at the WAC Indoor Championships in February," head coach Tom Flood said. "On the men's side, I think this is possibly our most talented team, with the most depth we've assembled in the Division I era, and our women's team is just as talented as any team in our conference."
Â
After winning both men's and women's team indoor titles this season by double-digit margins, the Lopes look to use the added firepower and depth of a few athletes who did not compete during indoors to help secure outdoor titles.
Â
The last time Marcus Flannigan competed in a WAC Championship, he won indoor and outdoor titles in the long jump. He currently sits No. 1 in the WAC in the event. As the favorite, Flannigan will look to take home his sixth consecutive WAC indoor or outdoor title in the long jump.
Â
Jesse Newman is a javelin specialist who has broken the school record this season and led the WAC by 3 meters until last weekend and will need a solid performance to take the crown as this week's frontrunner.
Â
Dionee Marrero returns to the travel squad for the outdoor championships after not competing during the indoor season. The first leg of the men's 400-meter relay will also compete in the 100 and 200. Marrero is seeded sixth in each individual event.
Â
On the women's side, Andrea Olstead returns for GCU in this outdoor championship. The senior triple jumper and long jumper is seeded second in the triple jump with a mark that is just 32 centimeters behind the top seed.
Â
A freshman to watch is 400 and 800 runner Alexa Hokanson. Late this season, she ran down the school record in the 800 in back-to-back weekends. The all-time mark fell by three seconds at the feet of the freshman from Scottsdale.
Â
Senior leaders Scott Marshall, Tarasue Barnett, Ryan Girk, Isaac Allanarem, Jennifer Johnson (Rolph) and company will look to anchor their teams toward another WAC Championship.
"It is a very special group of talented student-athletes that I have enjoyed watching compete over the years," Flood said.
Â
Marshall broke the school's all-time mark in the pole vault with his 5.35-meter jump at the Steve Scott Invite last week and will look to win the WAC again.
Â
Barnett is ranked sixth nationally in the discus and will wim to be a top-eight finalist at the NCAA Championship in June. She will want to first take a WAC title home for the second time in three seasons after not throwing the discus last year.
Â
Girk is the top sprinter in the WAC in the 100 and 200 with times of 10.49 and 20.99 seconds, respectively, and is defending his WAC crowns in both events this week in Kansas.
Â
Allanarem snapped the school record in the 400 earlier this season with a 46.90 time at the Aztec Invite. The senior breezed to a WAC indoor title in February.
Â
Johnson has prepped her successors well this year, as two freshman vaulters are right on the senior's heels. Johnson posted the best WAC mark at 3.79 meters at the Aztec Invite but freshmen Alyson Schwartz and Madelyn Lundberg each jumped 3.90 meters or higher this year to give GCU the top three ranked athletes in the event entering the WAC Championship.
Â
"All we ever ask of our athletes as coaches is to give 100 percent in every event and leave it all out on the track," Flood said. "We feel that both team titles are most likely going to come down to the final event, the 4x400-meter relay."
Both men's and women's teams were picked by the coaches to win the team titles, with both teams receiving six first place votes.
2018 Pre-Championship Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coaches Poll
Rank                   Team (1st – Place Votes)               Points
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Grand Canyon (6)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 36
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Utah Valley (1)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 31
3                          Kansas City                 24
4                          UT Rio Grande Valley         23                                                  Â
5                          CSU Bakersfield                         15
6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Seattle UÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10
7                          Chicago State                8
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2018 Pre-Championship Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coaches Poll
Rank                   Team (1st – Place Votes)                Points
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Grand Canyon (6)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 48
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NM State (2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 43
3                          Utah Valley                  37
4                          Kansas City                 32
5                          UT Rio Grande Valley         25
6                          CSU Bakersfield                         18
7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Seattle UÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 14
8                          Chicago State                7
The 2018 WAC Championships begin with the heptathlon and decathlon on Wednesday and Thursday. The remainder of the events will take place Friday and Saturday.
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