GCU enjoys big day in Flagstaff

Friday, January 17

Flagstaff, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Lumberjack Team Challenge

1/18/2020 9:59:00 AM | Track and Field

Lopes post 3 first-place finishes at Lumberjack Team Challenge

By: Makenna Pellerin

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Grand Canyon track and field team continued its early success with three first-place finishes at the Lumberjack Team Challenge on Friday at Northern Arizona.

GCU sophomore Trey Johnson had big marks this meet, taking home first place in the long jump at 7.73 meters, which is only 3 centimeters short of his school record. His mark now leads the WAC, is sixth in the nation and is an automatic qualifying mark for the USA Indoor National meet. He also leads the WAC in 60-meter hurdles with a mark of 7.97 seconds, which is third fastest in GCU history and also is an automatic qualifying mark for the USA Indoor National meet.

"I also thought that David Kolar has a nice sprint double (6.83 seconds for 60 meters and 21.74 seconds for 200 meters), as well as Aleksandris Eglitis again clearing 5 meters in an epic pole vault competition," Lopes head coach Tom Flood said.

Eglitis won first place in that competition. Teammate Madelyn Lundberg, a junior pole vaulter, also took first place for the women. She jumped 3.91 meters for the win, and senior Megan Fry placed second with a jump of 3.81. With those marks for the women, GCU now holds the top three marks in WAC for women's pole vault with Lundberg, Alyson Schwartz and Fry.

In the 800-meter competition, junior Alexa Hokanson placed second with a mark of 2:18.27 (altitude-adjusted 2:16.75). This is the best mark in the WAC this season.

"We will get back on the track on Monday to get even better, and we will be excited to head to a meet on Friday in Albuquerque at their wonderful indoor facility," Flood said.

The Lopes travel to Albuquerque, N.M., for the MLK Jr. Collegiate Invitational on Jan. 24-25.