Tuesday, November 3, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – Excelling both on the course and in the classroom, a total of 81 athletes have earned selection to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s 2015 Cross Country Academic All-Conference Teams.

A total of 24 athletes were named to the Men’s Cross Country Academic All-Conference Team, respresenting 10 of the conference’s 11 member schools. Simon Fraser senior Lorenzo Smith led the honor roll as he compiled a 4.03 cumulative grade point average on Canada’s 4.33-point scale as a biomedical physiology major.

Smith is one of five three-time honorees. He is joined by Simon Fraser teammate Cameron Proceviat, Alaska’s Michael Fehrenbach, Seattle Pacific’s Adam Avischious and Western Washington’s Will Jones. Michael Mendenhall of Alaska Anchorage, Jasper Heckman of Saint Martin’s and Riley Anheluk and Josh Hanna of Western Oregon were repeat selections.

Three men’s athletes also compiled 4.00 GPAs in the American system: Alaska’s Fehrenbach and Lyon Kopsack and Northwest Nazarene’s Isaac Mitchell. Alaska Anchorage’s Edwin Kangogo was the top-placing all-academic selection at the GNAC Championships. The sophomore placed third with a time of 24:44.10.

A total of 57 athletes representing 10 of 11 member schools were named to the Women’s Cross Country All-Academic Team. Concordia’s Jessica Jansen led the squad as the only female with a 4.00 GPA as a nursing major.

Seattle Pacific’s Anna Patti was the top all-academic placer at the GNAC Championships, finishing fourth with a time of 21:42.50. Patti also leads a list of eight three-time honorees. She is joined by Alaska Anchorage's Jessica Pahkala, Central Washington’s Erin Chinchar and Dani Eggleston, Montana State Blllings’ Jinise Trueblood and Western Washington’s Taylor Graham, Taylor Guenther and Maddy Jalbert. A total of 16 women were are two-time honorees.

Both Alaska and Western Washington finished with 11 honorees to the combined men’s and women’s teams. Seattle Pacific finished with 10 honorees.

2015 GNAC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

2015 GNAC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

* - denotes two-time selection     ** - denotes three-time selection