Completed Event: Track and Field at NAU Tune Up on February 20, 2026 ,
Track & Field
at NAU Tune Up
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, March 22
Tucson, Ariz.
Grand Canyon
at
Willie Williams Classic
Photo by: Sebastian Molinar
GCU ready for return of Okyere, Oloyede
3/21/2024 12:38:00 PM | Track and Field
Lopes set for Willie Williams Classic
The Grand Canyon track and field team is returning to Tucson to compete in Arizona's Willie Williams Classic Friday and Saturday.
GCU is coming off a strong week at the Arizona Spring Break Fiesta which was the outdoor opener for the Lopes.
The Lopes trio of Ben Moffett, Taryn Burkett, and Germain Lemaitre each earned WAC honors based on their performances during the outdoor debuts. The three each rank top-15 nationally as of now.
GCU senior Dawnielle Lewis also had an impressive opener with her 100 meter time of 11.84 seconds ranking fifth in the WAC and 200 time of 24.25 ranking first. Lewis was also a member of the 4x100 relay which went 45.82 and currently holds the conference's top time.
Freshman Sophia Saldutto threw a school record in the women's javelin with a mark of 44.20 meters.
The Lopes will look forward to having the long awaited return of thrower Jorden Okyere and Israel Oloyede.
Okyere, a graduate student, last competed for the Lopes during the 2023 indoor season where he helped the Lopes secure the seventh straight WAC indoor title. The Phoenix native won the shot put with a mark of 60 feet, 6 inches, which was 2 feet longer than the runner-up's top throw. In addition Okyere won the weight throw on with a toss of 66 feet, 4 1/2 inches.
Oloyede has not competed for GCU since the WAC indoor championships during the 2022 season. The graduate student won the weight throw with a mark of 75 feet, 1 ¼ inches.
The duo will hope to contribute a boost from the throws side going forward.
Last year at the Willie Williams Classic, the Lopes dazzled with more than five top-ten times and marks all-time.
The invitational begins on Friday with the collegiate events starting at 1:00 p.m. Distance events will take place on Friday night. The competition will begin Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
Live results can be found here.
GCU is coming off a strong week at the Arizona Spring Break Fiesta which was the outdoor opener for the Lopes.
The Lopes trio of Ben Moffett, Taryn Burkett, and Germain Lemaitre each earned WAC honors based on their performances during the outdoor debuts. The three each rank top-15 nationally as of now.
GCU senior Dawnielle Lewis also had an impressive opener with her 100 meter time of 11.84 seconds ranking fifth in the WAC and 200 time of 24.25 ranking first. Lewis was also a member of the 4x100 relay which went 45.82 and currently holds the conference's top time.
Freshman Sophia Saldutto threw a school record in the women's javelin with a mark of 44.20 meters.
The Lopes will look forward to having the long awaited return of thrower Jorden Okyere and Israel Oloyede.
Okyere, a graduate student, last competed for the Lopes during the 2023 indoor season where he helped the Lopes secure the seventh straight WAC indoor title. The Phoenix native won the shot put with a mark of 60 feet, 6 inches, which was 2 feet longer than the runner-up's top throw. In addition Okyere won the weight throw on with a toss of 66 feet, 4 1/2 inches.
Oloyede has not competed for GCU since the WAC indoor championships during the 2022 season. The graduate student won the weight throw with a mark of 75 feet, 1 ¼ inches.
The duo will hope to contribute a boost from the throws side going forward.
Last year at the Willie Williams Classic, the Lopes dazzled with more than five top-ten times and marks all-time.
The invitational begins on Friday with the collegiate events starting at 1:00 p.m. Distance events will take place on Friday night. The competition will begin Saturday at 10:00 a.m.
Live results can be found here.
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