College notebook: SPU’s Decker returns to NCAA-II nationals
Mountain View grad will run 800
The Columbian
Published: May 14, 2015, 5:00pm
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Seattle Pacific's Lynelle Decker (184), a graduate of Mountain View High School, will compete in the women's 800 meters at the NCAA Division II outdoor track and field championships next week in Michigan. (Chris Oertell/CJ Images NW)
For the third time in her career, Seattle Pacific University’s Lynelle Decker will be off and running at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The Mountain View High School graduate was confirmed as a participant in the 800 meters on Tuesday by the NCAA, her third trip to outdoor nationals in as many collegiate seasons. It will mark Decker’s eighth appearance at nationals in nine collegiate seasons of cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.
Decker won the 1,500 meters and was second in the 800 at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships last weekend in Monmouth, Ore. She also helped the Falcons’ 4×400 relay finish in second place.
Outdoor nationals are set for Thursday through Saturday, May 21-23, at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.
Decker is the No. 7 seed for the 800 with the time of 2 minutes, 8.13 seconds that she ran on April 17 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. Last year, also in Allendale, she placed 14th in the 800 in 2:10.82 seconds. As a freshman, she was 20th in the 1,500 at Pueblo, Colo.
Decker also could have run in the 1,500 meters at this year’s meet, as the 4:29.60 she posted in winning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title last Saturday in Monmouth, Ore., would have made her the No. 10 seed. But she elected to focus solely on the 800, in which she has a legitimate chance at a top-eight finish and All-America status.
GNAC champion Lindsey Butterworth of Simon Fraser University is the favorite, with an entry time of 2:04.11.
The 800 preliminaries are scheduled for 3 p.m. Pacific time on May 22, with finals at 12:45 p.m. on May 23.
Decker garnered All-Region honors from the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the 800. The top five in each individual events are named All-Region.
Track and field: Local athletes place at GNAC championships
In other results from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships last weekend in Monmouth, Ore., involving Clark County athletes:
• Saint Martin’s University junior Shannon Porter (Hockinson High School) was fourth in the 5,000 meters with a time of 17 minutes, 12.25 seconds. She was also named USTFCCCA All-Region in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, and will compete in both races at NCAA-II nationals. She is ranked eighth in NCAA-II in the 5,000 and ninth in the 10,000.
• Northwest Nazarene University sophomore Taylor Van Valey (Hockinson) placed third in the shot put with a personal record of 44 feet, 7½ inches. She was also named USTFCCCA All-Region.
• Western Washington University junior Taylor Guenther (Prairie) was eighth in the 5,000 (17:43.60).
Softball: Linfield, Oregon Tech advance in playoffs
• Linfield College claimed a berth in the NCAA Division III Super Regionals by winning a regional tournament last weekend, earning a return to Iowa.
The Wildcats, who won the Northwest Conference tournament for an automatic bid to regionals, lost their opening game Friday to St. Thomas in Decorah, Iowa, before reeling off four consecutive wins.
Linfield (35-13) will play a Super Regional at Central College of Pella, Iowa, on Friday and Saturday. The winner of the best-of-three series advances to the national tournament, May 21-26 in Salem, Va.
Linfield’s roster includes senior outfielders Erin Carson (Camas High School) and Grace Middelstadt (Prairie High School), senior catcher McKenna Spieth (Union High School) and sophomore designated hitter Erin Tauscher (Camas).
• Oregon Tech overcame a three-run deficit Wednesday to beat Saint Xavier, 5-4, to win an NAIA Opening Round tournament on its home field and advance to the NAIA Softball World Series, May 22-28 in Sioux City, Iowa. Owls starting pitcher Jessi Duncan, a Prairie High School graduate, got a no-decision in four-plus innings of work.
Track and field: Cavaliers earn All-CCC
Concordia University freshman James Phillips and sophomore Amber Corbett achieved All-Cascade Collegiate Conference status at the CCC championships Friday and Saturday in Ashland, Ore.
Phillips, a Prairie High School graduate, placed third in the long jump with a personal record mark of 23-3½ and was part of the Cavaliers’ runner-up 4×100 relay (41.81 seconds).
Camas High School graduate Corbett placed third in the javelin with a mark of 122-3.
