Saturday, March 15, 2014

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Micah Chelimo and Kevin Batt had another photo finish Saturday.  This one went to Chelimo.

The University of Alaska Anchorage senior nipped the Adams State, Colo., athlete by .01 seconds to win the men's 3,000-meter title Saturday at the NCAA Division II National Indoor Track and Field meet at the JDL Fast Track.

Chelimo crossed the finish line in a time of 8:15.52.  Batt, who edged Chelimo by .03 seconds in the 5,000 meters Friday, was clocked in a time of 8:15.53.

The win was Chelimo's second career victory in the national indoor meet and his fourth career indoor All-American award.  He won the 5,000 and finished fourth in the steeplechase last year.  He also has two national titles and four All-American finishes outdoor.

On Saturday, Chelimo took the lead seven minutes into the race and was neck-to-neck with Batt down the final straight away for the second day in a row.  This time Chelimo broke the tape.

Chelimo earned 18 points in the meet earning UAA a ninth-place team finish.  That is the best in GNAC indoor history.  The previous bests were 14th place finishes by Western Washington in 2010 and by UAA last year.

The Seawolf women got two All-American finishes Saturday as pentathlete Karolin Anders placed fourth with a score of 3,775 points and Joyce Kipchumba finished sixth in the 3K in a time of 9:48.80.  Kipchumba also was sixth on Friday in the 5K.

In all, UAA finished the meet with nine All-American awards - two each by Chelimo and Kipchumba, one by Anders and four by its distance medley relay team (Susan Bick, Haleigh Lloyd, Jessica Pahkala and Ivy O'Guinn).

McKayla Fricker of Seattle Pacific and Tayler Fettig also claimed All-American honors Saturday; Fricker for the third year in a row.

Fricker finished second in the 800 in a time of 2:09.25, .75 seconds better than her preliminary time on Friday.  In 2012 she placed fifth at Mankato, Minn.  She was fourth last year at Birmingham, Ala.

Fricker made a big move in the final two laps, realing in everyone except top seed and favorite Shawnee Carnett of Concord, W. Va.,  Carnett posted a time of 2:08.76.

Fricker and Carnett were both running near the back of the pack through the first half of the four-lap race on the 200-meter flat surface.

Both started making a move midway through the third lap, and by the start of the bell lap, Carnett had surged in front, with Fricker running third. Carnett opened up a gap, but Fricker, having taken over second place, kept closing. Carnett had just enough left at the finish line to fend off Fricker's final kick.

Fricker's time was her best ever at NCAAs as she earned All-American status for the fifth time - three for the indoor 800, one for the indoor 4x400 relay, and one for the outdoor 4x400 relay.  Fricker's effort was worth eight team points earning the Falcons a 26th team finish.

Fettig high jumped 5-8 to finish sixth and earn three team points for Central Washington as the Wildcats ended up in 46th place.  She was one of four athletes to clear 5-8 - four jumped higher - and earned the sixth spot based on the second fewest misses among the four.

NCAA INDOORS (March 13-14 at Winston-Salem, NC)

WOMEN: Final Team Scores - 13. Alaska Anchorage 16, 26. Seattle Pacific 8, 46. Central Washington 3.  Friday: Long Jump – 9. Tanya Bjornsson, WWU, 5.66 – 18-7.  800 Prelim – 2. McKayla Fricker, SPU, 2:10.00; 9. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 2:10.98; 11. Lynelle Decker, SPU, 2:11.87; 17. Natalie Evans, NNU, 2:15.95. 5000 – 6.  Joyce Kipchumba, UAA, 17:14.18.   Pole Vault – 11. Alison Silva, NNU, 3.70 - 12-1 ½; 15. Cheyanna Pinley, WWU, 3.55 - 11-7 ¾.   Distance Medley Relay – 4. Alaska Anchorage (Susan Bick, Haleigh Lloyd, Jessica Pahkala, Ivy O’Guinn) 11:47.97. Saturday: 800 - 2. McKayla Fricker, SPU, 2:09.25. 3000 - 6.  Joyce Kipchumba, UAA, 9:48.80. High Jump - 6. Tayler Fettig, CWU, 1.73 - 5-8; 17. Karolin Anders, UAA, 1.60 - 5-3.   Pentathlon – 4. Karolin Anders, UAA, 3775 (60 Hurdles – 9.24; High Jump – 1.70 – 5-7; Shot Put – 11.93 – 39-1 ¾; Long Jump – 5.35 – 17-6 3/4; 800 – 2:25.76). 

MEN: Final Team Scores - 9. Alaska Anchorage 18.  Friday:  Mile - 13. Chip Jackson, WWU, 4:16.56. 60 – 14.  Alex Donigian, WWU, 6.86. 5000 – 2. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 14:06.27. Saturday: 3000 - 1. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 8:15.52.  Shot Put - 17. Frank Catelli, WWU, 15.96 - 52-4 1/2.