GNAC Sports

Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011

Cross Country: Spence Repeats as NCAA Women's Champion

Neely Spence of Shippensburg (Penn.) won her second consecutive NCAA Division II national cross country title at the Plantes Ferry Sports Complex in Spokane, Wash. Nov. 19.

Spence, who won last year at Louisville, Kentucky, led wire-to-wire at Plantes Ferry in a time of 20:53.8, finishing 13.6 seconds ahead of Alicia Nelson of Adams State.

Lauren Kleppin of Western State (Colo.) placed third for the second year in a row in a time of 21:16.6.

Augustana, S.D., which came in ranked fifth in the latest USTFCCCA national poll, won its first-ever NCAA Division II women's cross country team title edging top-ranked Western State 75-79.

Defending champion Grand Valley finished third with 104 team points.

In winning the national title, Augustana didn't place anyone in the Top 10, but the Vikings placed four runners in the Top 20 led by Leah Hansen, who finished 12th (21:40.4) and Runa Falch, who finished 13th (21:42.4.).

Also in the Top 20 were Kristin Brondbo, who placed 15th (21:47.9) and Kyle Blakeslee, who placed 18th (21:53.3).

Western State dethroned three-time defending champion Adams State in the men's race posting a team score of 27 to win its first men's team title since 2005 when it completed a run during which it had won six titles in seven years. Adams State finished second with a score of 69 points.

Western State's Ryan Haebe won the men's race in a 10,000 meter time of 30:45.1 to lead the Mountaineers, who placed four runners among the Top 7.

Haebe finished three seconds ahead of his teammate Tyler Pennel who was clocked in a time of 30:48.1. Chico State's Isaac Chavez, who finished fifth last year, finished third in a time of 30:56.1.

Both races were run in temperatures in the low 20s and with light snow fall.

Women's Team Scores – 1. Augustana, SD, 75; 2. Western State 79; 3. Grand Valley 104; 4. Adams State 120; 5. Mary 131; 6. Alaska Anchorage 152; 7. Chico State 213; 8. Ferris State 220; 9. Shippensburg 256; 10. Queens, N.C. 372; 11. Midwestern State 373; 12. Western Washington 390; 13. Saginaw Valley 399; 14. Bloomsburg 406; 15. Pittsburg State 422; 16. Tampa 429; 17. Alaska Fairbanks 436; 18. Ashland 467; 19. Stonehill 488; 20. Lock Haven 508; 21. Minnesota Duluth 519; 22. Bentley 545; 23. West Florida 736; 24. Montevallo 756. Individuals (Top 10) – 1. Neely Spence, Shippensburg, 20:53.8; 2. Alicia Nelson, Adams State, 21:07.4; 3. Lauren Kleppin, Western State, 21:16.6; 4. Kate Griewisch, Lenoir-Rhyne, 21:26.8; 5. Kelly Lamb, Adams State, 21:28.0; 6. Dakota Wolf, Mary, 21:28.5; 7. Christina Muir, Ferris State, 21:28.5; 8. Brenae Edwards, Mansfield, 21:32.6; 9. Ruth Keino, UAA, 21:35.0; 10. Katie Spratford, Shippensburg, 21:35.3.

Men's Team Scores – 1. Western State (Colo.) 27, 2. Adams State 69, 3. Grand Valley State 100, 4. Chico State 110, 5. Colorado Mines 134, 6. Augustana 210, 7. Southern Indiana 267, 8. Alaska Anchorage 290, 9. Metro State 318, 10. Western Washington 324, 11. East Central (Okla). 325, 12. Edinboro 342, 13. Ashland 364, 14. Western Oregon 374, 15. Eastern New Mexico 388, 16. Lock Haven 393, 17. Shippensburg 413, 18. Queen's (NC) 432, 19. Colorado – Colorado Springs 464, UMass Lowell 476, 21. Stonehill 609, 22. Mount Olive 678, 23. Alabama – Huntsville 680, 24. Tampa 702. Individuals (Top 10) – 1. Ryan Haebe, Western State, 30:45.1; 2. Tyler Pennel, Western State, 30:48.1; 3. Isaac Chavez, Chico State, 30:56.1; 4. Matt Bond, Adams State, 31:00.8; 5. David Goodman, Western State, 31:05.1; 6. Tabor Stevens, Adams State, 31:06.4; 7. Gabriel Proctor, Western State, 31:11.7; 8. Barak Watson, Northwest Nazarene, 31:19.5; 9. Tyler Emmorey, Grand Valley State, 31:25.0; 10. Alex Monroe, Lock Haven, 31:30.0.

UAA's Keino, NNU's Watson In Top 10


Keino	Watson

Alaska Anchorage had a pair of Top 10 national team finishes and Western Washington, Western Oregon and Alaska Fairbanks all improved on their national rankings Saturday in the NCAA Division II national cross country championships at the Plantes Ferry Sports Complex in Spokane, Wash.

Neely Spence of Shippensburg (Penn.) won the women's title for the second year in a row, leading wire-to-wire in a 6,000-meter time of 20:53.8.

Augustana, S.D., which came in ranked fifth in the latest USTFCCCA national poll, won its first-ever women's title edging top-ranked Western State 75-79.

Western State dethroned three-time defending champion Adams State in the men's race posting a team score of 27 to win its first title since 2005 when it completed a run during which it had won six titles in seven years.

Western State's Ryan Haebe won the men's race in a 10,000 meter time of 30:45.1 to lead the Mountaineers.

Alaska Anchorage finished eighth in the men's team race and sixth in the women's race. The Seawolves came in ranked fifth and fourth, respectively.

Western Washington's men made the biggest leap of any team in the meet from its ranking finishing 10th after being ranked 22nd. The Viking women placed 12th after being ranked 14th.

Western Oregon's men improved six spots from its No. 20 national rank placing 14th, while Alaska Fairbanks women placed 17th after being ranked 19th.

Northwest Nazarene's Barak Watson, competing as an individual, had the best finish by a GNAC athlete placing eighth in the men's race in a time of 31:19.5.

Also earning a Top 10 finish was UAA's Ruth Keino, who ended up ninth in the women's 6K in a time of 21:35.0.

In addition to Watson and Keino, three other Alaska Anchorage athletes earned All-American honors with Top 40 finishes.

In the women's race, Miriam Kipn'geno and Ivy O'Guinn placed 32nd and 33rd, respectively. Micah Chelimo finished 15th in the men's race.

Women's Team Scores – 1. Augustana 75; 2. Western State 79; 3. Grand Valley 104; 4. Adams State 120; 5. Mary 131; 6. Alaska Anchorage 152; 7. Chico State 213; 8. Ferris State 220; 9. Shippensburg 256; 10. Queens, N.C. 372; 12. Western Washington 390; 17. Alaska Fairbanks 436. Individuals – 1. Neely Spence, Shippensburg, 20:53.8; 9. Ruth Keino, UAA, 21:35.0; 32. Miriam Kipn'geno, UAA, 22:11.3; 33. Ivy O'Guinn, UAA, 22:12.2; 41. Shoshana Keegan, UAA, 22:23.8; 62. Crystal Pitney, UAF, 22:58.9; 67. Susan Bick, UAA, 23:06.5; 70. Katelyn Steen, WWU, 23:09.0; 73. Lauren Breihof, WWU, 23:14.9; 75. Bryn Haebe, UAA, 23:16.6; 91. Raphael Sieber, UAF, 23:32.7; 92. Rachael Johnson, WWU, 23:33.8; 97. Theresia Schnurr, UAF, 23:36.8; 98. Susan Tanui, UAA, 23:37.1; 114. Mary Rogers, WWU, 23:52.7; 116. Haley O'Connor, WWU, 23:56.1; 126. Jana Benedix, UAF, 24:05.1; 135. Mikhaila Thornton, WWU, 24:14.1; 138. Heather Edic, UAF, 24:18.8; 145. Susan Brisky, WWU, 24:30.1; 150. Alyson McPhetres, UAF, 24:35.6; 170. Kryston McPhetres, UAF, 25:32.0.

Men's Team Scores – 1. Western State (Colo.) 27, 2. Adams State 69, 3. Grand Valley State 100, 4. Chico State 110, 5. Colorado Mines 134, 6. Augustana 210, 7. Southern Indiana 267, 8. Alaska Anchorage 290, 9. Metro State 318, 10. Western Washington 324, 14. Western Oregon 374.. Individuals – 1. Ryan Haebe, Western State, 30:45.1; 8. Barak Watson, Northwest Nazarene, 31:19.5; 15. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 31:38.4; 49. Connor Kasler, WOU, 32:20.2; 54. Dan Sprinkle, WOU, 32:29.0; 58. Dak Riek, WWU, 32:37.5; 63. Tyler Cannon, WWU, 32:41.6; 69. Nick Abraham, WWU, 32:50.5; 71. Alfred Kangogo, UAA, 32:50.9; 78. Jake Parisien, UAA, 33:04.0; 81. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 33:06.9; 83. Eric Brill, WWU, 33:08.3; 84. Kyle Van Santen, SMU, 33:08.5; 90. Isaac Kangogo, UAA, 33:20.9; 92. Kyle Larson, WOU, 33:22.1; 101. Tanner Boyd, WWU, 33:31.1; 102. Kyle Johnson, WWU, 33:34.4; 106. Lukas Finley, WOU, 33:37.3; 114. Yonatan Yilma, UAA, 33:45.3; 131. Ryan Chapman, WOU, 34:02.1; 136. Michael Adams, UAA, 34:08.0; 143. Drew Larson, WOU, 34:22.7; 148. Dylan Peterson, WWU, 34:30.4; 154. Brady Beagley, WOU, 34:45.5.