BURNABY, B.C. -- Simon Fraser made more history and produced another batch of excellent results Saturday as the 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships wrapped up in Allendale, Michigan.

The SFU men scored eight points to tie for 29th in the team standings, its best finish at the Div. II outdoor national meet since joining the NCAA. The women's squad tied for 28th with nine points. SFU was the highest-placing Great Northwest Athletic Conference team in both the men's and women's standings. 

Alison Andrews-Paul wrapped up her historic season with a second-place result in the women's 800 meters. In a slow and tactical race, the NCAA Div. II record holder crossed the finish line in two minutes 6.47 seconds, earning eight team points and First-Team All-America honours.  

Andrews-Paul closed the meet by putting her name in the record books again. This time she teamed with Erika Binder, Marie-Éloïse Leclair and Emily Lindsay to place eighth in the 4x400-meter relay, earning First-Team All-American recognition with a school and GNAC record time of 3:41.17. The time eclipsed the previous record of 3:41.80 run by Western Oregon in 2018. The SFU record before today was posted in 2011, when the team of Helen Crofts, Jessica Smith, Brianna Kane and Michaela Kane put together a time of 3:42.05.



Andrews-Paul finishes the 2022 season with an NCAA Div. II indoor 800 title, and a combined five All-America awards (indoor and outdoor 800, indoor and outdoor 4x400 relay, and indoor distance medley relay). She ran the fastest 800 time in NCAA Div. II history – 2:01.43 – in April. Also in April, Andrews-Paul was honoured as SFU's Lorne Davies Female Athlete of the Year – Individual Sport. 

Charlie Dannatt put in a First-Team All-America performance in the men's 1,500 meters, moving up from seventh in the middle of a close pack over the final 400 meters to finish third in a time of 3:47.24.

Aaron Ahl was near the front of the pack in the 1,500 with 400 meters to go but was involved in a collision and fell. He recovered to finish 10th in a time of 3:51.51 to gain Second Team All-America recognition. A little over an hour later, it appeared as if Ahl had earned a sixth-place finish in the men's 800 meters but was disqualified after the race was completed.

Dannatt – the 2022 GNAC outdoor champion in the 1,500 – concludes the season as an All-American in three events (indoor mile, indoor distance medley relay and outdoor 1,500).

Ahl is the 2022 GNAC outdoor title holder in the 800 and set the SFU school record of 3:39.97 in the 1,500 in April. He also had three All-America performances this season: indoor 3,000, indoor distance medley relay, and outdoor 1,500.

The day began with an impressive result in the men's javelin throw. In his NCAA championships debut, Jarrett Chong placed seventh to earn First-Team All-America distinction. His best throw of 64.85 meters came on his second attempt after opening with one that sailed 58.83 m. His third throw was recorded at 63.45 m. After a pair of fouls, Chong's last attempt went 63.81 m.
 

Chong earned two points in the team standings for SFU. The other six came from Dannatt's result in the 1,500.

"It's been a great weekend although there certainly were some unpredictable disappointments," said SFU head coach Brit Townsend. "Especially Aaron (Ahl), who came into the meet ranked No. 1 in the 1,500 and then gets tripped and falls on the last lap. To top it off, he gets into the final of the 800 and gets disqualified for stepping on the line in the first 100 meters. Very tough championship for him. Charlie's (Dannatt) performance in the 1,500 was fantastic, finishing third and beating his ranking, and he competed well in the 800 as well, narrowly missing the final. Alison (Andrews-Paul) just got caught at the end so she's of course disappointed as she was hoping for another championship title but she should be very proud of the season she's had. Finishing second is nothing to be upset about.

"Jarrett (Chong) competed really well in the javelin earning an All-American trophy as a freshman. It's been a long, long time since we've had a javelin thrower compete that well on the men's side. Finishing off the day was super exciting. The women's 4x400 team, which has been incredible all year, did not disappoint us. They earned an All-American trophy and broke the school and GNAC record."
 
SFU RESULTS AT THE NCAA DIV. II OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Aaron Ahl
Men's 800 meters: disqualified (Saturday, May 28)
Men's 800 meters: fourth in Heat 3, eighth overall in preliminaries – 1:48.75 (Friday, May 27)
Men's 1,500 meters: 10th place – 3:51.51 – Second-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28)
Men's 1,500 meters: second in Heat 2, second overall in preliminaries – 3:42.79 (Thursday, May 26)

Alison Andrews-Paul
Women's 800 meters: second place – 2:06.47 – First-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28)
Women's 800 meters: first in Heat 2 – 2:07.24 (Friday, May 27)
Women's 4x400-meter relay: eighth place – 3:41.17 – First-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28) – SFU and GNAC record
Women's 4x400-meter relay: third in Heat 2 – 3:44.85 (Friday, May 27)

Erika Binder
Women's 4x400-meter relay: eighth place – 3:41.17 – First-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28) – SFU and GNAC record
Women's 4x400-meter relay: third in Heat 2 – 3:44.85 (Friday, May 27)

Jarrett Chong
Men's javelin: seventh place – 64.85 meters – First-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28)

Charlie Dannatt
Men's 800 meters: sixth in Heat 1, 18th overall in preliminaries – 1:51.11 (Friday, May 27)
Men's 1,500 meters: third place – 3:47.24 – First-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28)
Men's 1,500 meters: first in Heat 2, first overall in preliminaries – 3:42.78 (Thursday, May 26)

Marie-Éloïse Leclair
Women's 100 meters: fourth in Heat 2, 14th overall in preliminaries – 11.74 seconds
Women's 200 meters: fifth in Heat 3, 13th overall in preliminaries – 23.97 seconds
Women's 4x400-meter relay: eighth place – 3:41.17 – First-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28) – SFU and GNAC record
Women's 4x400-meter relay: third in Heat 2 – 3:44.85 (Friday, May 27)

Emily Lindsay
Women's 400 meters: fifth in Heat 2, 13th overall in preliminaries – 55.12 seconds (Thursday, May 26)
Women's 4x400-meter relay: eighth place – 3:41.17 – First-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28) – SFU and GNAC record
Women's 4x400-meter relay: third in Heat 2 – 3:44.85 (Friday, May 27)

Megan Roxby
Women's 1,500 meters: sixth in Heat 2, 15th overall in preliminaries – 4:29.86 (Thursday, May 26)

Olivia Willett
Women's 3,000-meter steeplechase: 10th in Heat 2, 19th overall in preliminaries – 10:52.90 (Thursday, May 26)

Women's 4x400-meter relay (Erika Binder, Alison Andrews-Paul, Marie-Éloïse Leclair, Emily Lindsay)
Eighth place – 3:41.17 – First-Team All-America (Saturday, May 28) – SFU and GNAC record
Third in Heat 2 – 3:44.85 (Friday, May 27)

"It's an incredible level of competition and to have nine athletes qualify and take home All-American trophies in the 4x400, 800, 1,500 and the javelin is fantastic," said Townsend. "The young ones learned a lot and the seniors were great role models even if they did not get the results they had hoped for."

The end of NCAA championships marks the conclusion of the outdoor university season for SFU track and field. In addition to the highlights mentioned above, the women's team placed third at the GNAC outdoor meet earlier in May while the men were fourth. Leclair was named the Female Track Athlete of the Meet. 

Andrews-Paul won the GNAC Female Track Athlete of the Week honour four times during the outdoor season. Ahl was the Male Track Athlete of the Week three times, and Dannatt once. Chong was the conference's Male Field Athlete of the Week once.

Andrews-Paul won the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Collegiate Athlete of the Week – NCAA Div. II Women on April 19.

Twelve SFU performances (seven women and five men) from this outdoor season made the GNAC's all-time top-10 list. 

For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.

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