Indoor Track: Prentice selected as GNAC male Athlete-of-the-Year, Riak tied for GNAC male Freshman-of-the-Year

March 23, 2006

Lacey, WA --- Saint Martin’s sensation Andy Prentice (Sr., Spokane, WA - Lakeside) continues to accumulate accolades as he has been selected the 2006 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Male Indoor Track-and-Field Athlete-of-the-Year announced today.

Prentice won the 800 meters (1:54.70) and mile (4:17.25) at this winter’s GNAC Indoor championships in Nampa earning Outstanding Performer honors and also finished third in the 800 meters at the NCAA Division II national meet in a time of 1:52.66, missing a national title by .51 seconds.

The Saints’ John Riak (Lacey, WA – North Thurston) tied in the voting for the GNAC Male Freshman-of-the-Year award. Riak set a GNAC record in the 5,000 during the season (14:56.60) before finishing second in the conference meet in a time of 15:15.81.

Seattle Pacific’s Teona Perkins was selected the 2006 GNAC Female Indoor Track-and-Field Athlete-of-the-Year. Perkins finished sixth in the high jump in the national meet with a leap of 5-7 ¾ after winning conference titles in the high jump (5-6 ½) and finishing second in the 400 meters (58.03). She also competed in the 800 at the national meet, finishing 14th in a time of 2:16.36. Perkins, a transfer from Spokane Falls, was also selected the GNAC Female Newcomer-of-the-Year.

Also winning special awards were Matt Rogstad and Robert Edwards of Central Washington and Ashley Puga of Northwest Nazarene.

Rogstad tied with Riak in the voting for the GNAC Male Freshman-of-the-Year award and Puga was selected as the GNAC Female Freshman-of-the-Year. Edwards, who won the 60 hurdle title at the conference meet in a GNAC record time of 8.36, was voted the GNAC Male Newcomer-of-the-Year.

Rogstad finished second in both the 60 meters (7.16) and 200 meters (22.91) and also ran on CWU’s second place 4x400 meter relay team at the conference meet.

Puga won the women’s 800 meter title in the conference meet in a time of 2:16.55 and also ran on NNU’s distance medley team that placed third in the conference meet in a time of 12:31.85.