GNAC Cross Country

Pixler, Cheseto Successfully Defend; Seawolves, Vikings Win Team Titles


Cheseto	Pixler

Jessica Pixler of Seattle Pacific won an unprecedented fourth straight individual title and Alaska Anchorage claimed its first-ever women's team title in the ninth annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference cross country championships Saturday morning on the Apple Ridge Run course near Yakima, Wash.

In the men's race Marko Cheseto of Alaska Anchorage became the first male runner to win back-to-back GNAC individual titles, covering the 8,000 meter course in a time of 24:50.

Western Washington, however, dethroned the defending champion Seawolves, winning its third team title in four years and its fourth overall with a score of 33. The Seawolves finished second with 70 points.

WWU's team score was the lowest since Northwest Nazarene posted a record low score of 32 in winning the inaugural meet in 2001 in Anchorage.

Pixler, the two-time defending NCAA Division II national champion, covered the 6,000 meter women's layout in a time of 21:03, an improvement of nine seconds over the mark she posted on the same course a year ago.

Pixler's time was the second fastest in meet history, trailing only a time of 20:53 she ran in 2007 at Nampa.

Sarah Porter of Western Washington finished second in 21:13 earning her third straight Top 10 finish.

Alaska Anchorage placed five runners in the top seven led by Miriam Kipngeno in third in a time of 22:02 to win the team title with 25 points, the second lowest team score in GNAC history.

Seattle Pacific, which scored a GNAC record low 24 points in winning the 2007 title, finished second with 48 points. Western Washington was third with 64 points.

Kipngeno earned GNAC Female Freshman-of-the-Year honors and led a pack of five UAA runners who were separated by just 16 seconds. Among the five was Laura Carr, who placed seventh in a time of 22:18 to join Pixler as a four-time all-conference performer. Jane Larson of Seattle Pacific also earned her fourth all-conference award with an eighth-place finish.

The Top 10 finishers earn all-conference honors. Pixler and Carr joined UAA's Stacy Edwards (2001-03, 05) and Mandy Kaempf (2003-06) as the only female runners in meet history to earn that honor four times.

Michelle Phillips of Northwest Nazarene placed 16th in a time of 23:22 to win GNAC Female Newcomer of the Year honors.

In the men's race, Cheseto finished 15 seconds ahead of Bennett Grimes of Western Washington to win his second individual title. Grimes, however, led a quartet of Viking runners who placed in the Top 10 as WWU reclaimed the team championship it first won in 2003 and then again in 2006 and 2007.

In addition to Grimes, WWU got a third-place finish from Jordan Welling, a sixth from Anthony Tomsich and a ninth from Blake Medhaug. It was the third consecutive Top 10 finishes for Grimes, Welling and Medhaug.

Also earning all-conference honors with Top 10 finishes were Alfred Kangogo (4th) and Micah Chelimo (5th), both of Alaska Anchorage; Chris Reed of Western Oregon (7th); Kyle Van Santen of Saint Martin's (8th) and Barak Watson of Northwest Nazarene (10th).

Chelimo won GNAC Male Freshman of the Year honors and Manuel Santos of Central Washington, who finished 14th in a time of 26:01, was the GNAC Newcomer of the Year award winner.

Joining Pixler, Porter, Kipngeno, Carr and Larson on the women's all-conference teams were Shoshana Keegan (4th), Ruth Keino (5th) and Hallidie Wilt (6th), all of Alaska Anchorage; Lauren Breihof of Western Washington (9th) and Jaclyn Puga of Northwest Nazarene (10th).

Women's Team Scores - Alaska Anchorage 25, Seattle Pacific 48, Western Washington 64, Northwest Nazarene 114, Western Oregon 146, Montana State Billings 167, Alaska Fairbanks 196, Central Washington 205, Saint Martin's 255. All-Conference (6,000 Meters) - 1. Jessica Pixler, SPU, 21:03; 2. Sarah Porter, WWU, 21:13; 3. Miriam Kipngeno, UAA, 22:02; 4. Shoshana Keegan, UAA, 22:06; 5. Ruth Keino, UAA, 22:12; 6. Hallidie Wilt, UAA, 22:16; 7. Laura Carr, UAA, 22:18; 8. Jane Larson, SPU, 22:20; 9. Lauren Breihof, WWU, 22:37; 10. Jaclyn Puga, NNU, 22:48.

Men's Team Scores - Western Washington 33, Alaska Anchorage 70, Western Oregon 74, Northwest Nazarene 99, Seattle Pacific 138, Central Washington 167, Saint Martin's 190, Alaska Fairbanks 219, Montana State Billings 257. All-Conference (8,000 Meters) - 1. Marko Cheseto, UAA, 24:50; 2. Bennett Grimes, WWU, 25:05; 3. Jordan Welling, WWU, 25:08; 4. Alfred Kangogo, UAA, 25:12; 5. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 25:13; 6. Anthony Tomsich, WWU, 25:14; 7. Chris Reed, WOU, 25:26; 8. Kyle Van Santen, SMU, 25:28; 9. Blake Medhaug, WWU, 25:32; 10. Barak Watson, NNU, 25:35.