2015 GNAC BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
GNAC Staff
DAVE HAGLUND
Commissioner
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dave Haglund is in
his fourth year as commissioner of the Great Northwest
Athletic Conference.
Haglund took over as the second commissioner in
GNAC history in January, 2012. As the league’s chief
administrative officer, he oversees all facets of conference
operations, including marketing, media relations,
scheduling, officiating, finances, and championships.
Prior to assuming the GNAC post, Haglund spent 4 1/2 years as commissioner
of the Cascade Collegiate Conference. From 1998-2007, Haglund served as
associate athletic director while a member of the senior management team at
the University of Maryland. Before joining the Maryland staff, Haglund was the
sports information director at Fresno State University.
BRIDGET JOHNSON TETTEH
Assistant Commissioner
About The GNAC
With members in five states and the province of Canada, and with a strong
presence in or near the largest city of each, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference
has established itself as one of the top NCAA Division II athletic conferences in the
nation during its 13 ½ year history.
Founded in 2001, GNAC teams have had a remarkable 81 NCAA Division II
Top 10 national team finishes in 15 of the 16 sports it sponsors.
GNAC basketball teams have produced 23 of the 76, including 11 by the men
and 12 by the women.
Three years ago Western Washington University defeated the University of
Montevallo (Ala.) 72-65 in the NCAA Division II national championship game as
millions of fans watched the game televised nationally on CBS.
Two years the Vikings, after defeating Seattle Pacific in the West Regionals finals,
reached the national semifinals before losing. WWU also reached the regional finals
in 2006. Former GNAC member Humboldt State reached the regional finals in
2002 and the national semifinals in 2004.
Alaska Fairbanks advanced to the regional finals in 2004 and 2005. Seattle
Pacific reached the national semifinals in 2006 before advancing to the regional finals
in 2012 and 2013. It was the No. 2 seed in last year’s regional. Alaska Anchorage
was a national semifinalist in 2008.
On the women’s side. Seattle Pacific has had six Top 10 finishes since 2003,
playing in the national championship game in 2002, reaching the national
quarterfinals in both 2005 and 2010 and advancing to the regional finals in 2003,
2006 and 2008.
Western Washington was a regional finalist in 2002 and reached the national
semifinals in 2013. Alaska Anchorage has reached the Elite 8 three times since 2008,
placing third in 2008 and 2009 and fifth in 2012. Two years Simon Fraser advanced
to the regional finals where they lost to Western Washington. MSU Billings was a
regional finialist last year.
GNAC teams have won three national team titles. In addition to the 2012
Western Washington men’s basketball team, former GNAC member Seattle
University won the 2004 NCAA Division II national men’s soccer title before moving
up to the Division I level. Seattle Pacific won the 2008 NCAA Division II national
women’s soccer championship.
Bridget Johnson Tetteh, a two-time NCAA AllAmerican in track and field at Western Oregon University
and former coach at the NCAA Division II and Division III
levels, is in her third year as assistant commissioner.
Johnson joined the GNAC staff in August 2012 after
spending the previous four years as associate head coach
for the Pacific (Ore.) University track and field and cross
country programs. From 2006-2008, she was on the coaching staff at Western
Oregon.
At the GNAC, Johnson’s primary areas of focus are NCAA compliance and
championships administration. She also serves as the conference office Senior
Woman Administrator.
Johnson competed in track and field at Western Oregon between 2003 and
2006. During her career, she won four GNAC titles (heptathlon in 2005 and 2006,
100 hurdles in 2006 and 4x400 relay in 2005) and twice earned NCAA Division II
All-American honors in the heptathlon (2005-06).
SUPPORT STAFF
Bob Guptill is in his 14th year as the information director for the Great Northwest
Athletic Conference and has been involved in collegiate sports information for
the past 36 years, including 20 years as the sports information director at Central
Washington University and one year with the PacWest Conference.
Nathan Webber joined the GNAC staff as a full-time media relations assistant
this fall. Webber is a 2014 graduate of Whitworth University with a degree in
journalism. He is involved in all aspects of the conference’s publicity efforts, and
serves as the main contact for men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball,
baseball and men’s and women’s golf.
Nick Schmidt, a 2007 graduate of Western Washington University, is in his third
year as an intern for Championships and Marketing for the GNAC. He oversees
all local marketing and promotion efforts surrounding the tournament, in-game
entertainment and logistics, as well as assisting in coordination of the tournament
schedule.
Stu Gorski is the Supervisor of Officials for both men’s and women’s basketball.
Prior to taking over as the supervisor, Gorski had a long and illustrious career as a
basketball official working numerous NCAA and NAIA post-season events.
ON THE COVER
Pictured on the cover (clockwise, from top left) are six of the outstanding student-athletes in the GNAC – Suzanna Ohlsen, Seattle Pacific University; Dom
Williams, Central Washington University; Katie Colard, Western Washington University; Kiki Robertson, University of Alaska Anchorage; Andy Avgi, Western
Oregon University, and Erik Kinney, Northwest Nazarene Unive