Saturday, October 22, 2016

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Alaska Anchorage placed all five of its scoring runners in the top-15, led by junior Caroline Kurgat, to win its second straight title at the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Championships, held Saturday at Lake Padden Park.

The Seawolves finished with a score of 45 points to repeat as conference champion and earn their seventh title in the last eight years. Simon Fraser was a close second with a score of 56 points while Seattle Pacific finished third with 92 points.

While it was a collective pack comprised of the conference’s best runners in front for most of the race, in the end it was Kurgat who pulled ahead late. A 2016 All-American and the runner-up at last year’s GNAC meet, the junior covered the 6,000-meter course in a time of 21:17.10. Kurgat pulled away late from Saint Martin’s Shannon Porter, who placed second in a time of 21:23.70. Running in her first cross country season for the Saints, Porter was honored as the league’s Newcomer of the Year.

Joyce Chelimo, the defending GNAC champion, placed fifth in a time of 21:50.20 and teammate Tamara Perez finished 10th in 22:23.20 to round out the Seawolves’ all-conference performers. Zennah Jepchumba placed 14th in 22:35.20 while Kaitlyn Maker rounded out the UAA scoring five in 15th place with a time of 22:36.50.

Simon Fraser’s Rebecca Bassett finished third for the second consecutive year as she finished in a time of 21:37.40. Seattle Pacific’s Mary Charleson was fourth in 21:40.60. Her Falcons’ teammate, Sarah Macdonald, finished sixth in 22:00.20.

Both Simon Fraser and Saint Martin’s placed two runners in the top-10. The Clan’s Julia Howley placed seventh in 22:09.00 while the Saint’s Yadira Lopez placed eighth in 22:11.10. Northwest Nazarene’s Anysja Manzer rounded out the all-conference performers, placing ninth in a time of 22:20.90.

Alaska Anchorage’s Jordyn Block earned the conference’s Freshman of the Year award, placing 21st in a time of 22:55.00.

All 11 teams will meet one more time this season at the NCAA Division II West Region Championships, which take place on Sat., Nov. 5, at Amend Park in Billings, Mont.

2016 GNAC WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Lake Padden Park, Bellingham, Wash.
Team Scores: Alaska Anchorage 45, Simon Fraser 56, Seattle Pacific 92, Western Washington 114, Saint Martin’s 139, Central Washington 188, Northwest Nazarene 189, Alaska 194, Western Oregon 197, Concordia 276, Montana State Billings 324.

Top 10 Finishers (All-GNAC): 1, Caroline Kurgat, UAA, 21:17.10. 2, Shannon Porter, SMU, 21:23.70. 3, Rebecca Bassett, SFU, 21:37.40. 4, Mary Charleson, SPU, 21:40.60. 5, Joyce Chelimo, UAA, 21:50.20. 6, Sarah Macdonald, SPU, 22:00.20. 7, Julia Howley, SFU, 22:09.00. 8, Yadira Lopez, SMU, 22:11.10. 9, Anysja Manzer, NNU, 22:20.90. 10, Tamara Perez, UAA, 22:23.20.

Athlete of the Year: Caroline Kurgat, Alaska Anchorage
Freshman of the Year: Jordyn Block, Alaska Anchorage (21st, 22:55.00)
Newcomer of the Year: Shannon Porter, Saint Martin’s