MONMOUTH, Ore. - Freshman Henry Cheseto led Alaska Anchorage to its fifth consecutive Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men's Team Cross Country Championship Saturday at the Ash Creek Preserve on the campus of Western Oregon University.

Cheseto, who earned GNAC Athlete of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors with his victory, covered the 8,000-meter course in a time of 24:35.91, six seconds ahead of teammate Dominik Notz and 16 ahead of UAA's Dylan Anthony.

Anthony, who placed seventh in 2011, fifth in 2012 and third last year, earned his fourth consecutive all-conference award.  He is the seventh male athlete in meet history to accomplish that feat.

UAA, which has now won eight team titles in the 14-year history of the conference, finished with 18 team points, well ahead of second-place Western Washington which had 61 points to place among the top two teams for the 10th year in a row.

The Seawolves point total is the lowest in conference history, bettering their own conference record of 23 in the 2012 championship meet.

Cheseto joins his brother as a conference champion.  Marko Cheseto won three straight titles between 2008 and 2010.  The Seawolves have now had the last seven individual champions including Marko Cheseto (2008-10), Micah Chelimo (2011-12) and Isaac Kangogo (2013).

Notz moved up from 18th last year to earn his second all-conference award. Also earning his second all-conference award was UAA's Victor Samoei who placed seventh.  He finished second a year ago.

UAA earned seven places on the GNAC all-conference team.  Joining Cheseto, Notz, Anthony and Samoei in the Top 10 were Michel Ramirez (5th), Edwin Kangogo (8th) and Kevin Rooke (10th).   Ramirez' finish earned him GNAC Newcomer of the Year honors.

Completing the all-conference team were Montana State Billings, Robert Peterson (4th), Oliver Jorgensen of Simon Fraser (6th) and Isaac Griffith of Western Washington (9th).  Jorgensen was a repeater after finishing ninth a year ago.

The runners now have a three-week break prior to the NCAA West Regionals, Nov. 22 at Amend Park in Billings, Mont.  All athletes are eligible to compete in the regional meet, regardless of their finish at the conference meet.  The top six team finishers at Billings will qualify for the NCAA national meet, Dec. 6 at Louisville, Kent.

GNAC Men's Results

Team Scores- 1. Alaska Anchorage 18, 2. Western Washington 61, 3. Simon Fraser 87; 4. MSU Billings 156, 5. Central Washington 159, 6. Northwest Nazarene 173, 7. Alaska 188, 8. Western Oregon 199, 9. Saint Martin's 229, 10. Seattle Pacific 2335.  Athlete of the Year - Henry Cheseto, UAA.  Newcomer of the Year - Michel Ramirez, UAA.  Freshman of the Year - Henry Cheseto, UAA.

Individual (Top 10 All-Conference) - 1. Henry Cheseto, UAA, 24:35.91; 2. Dominik Notz, UAA, 24:41.87; 3. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 24:51.27; 4. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 24:59.61; 5. Michel Ramirez, UAA, 25:06.68; 6. Oliver Jorgensen, SFU,25:07.60; 7. Victor Samoei, UAA, 25:12.07; 8. Edwin Kangogo, UAA, 25:12.36; 9. Isaac Griffith, WWU, 25:23.66; 10. Kevin Rooke, UAA, 25:13.42.