Saturday, October 22, 2016

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – It was a different man in front of the pack, but it was the same result for Alaska Anchorage as the Seawolves won their seventh straight GNAC Men’s Cross Country Championships, held Saturday at Lake Padden Park.

Led by individual champion Edwin Kangogo, the Seawolves finished with a score of 31 points, 29 points ahead of second place Simon Fraser, to claim its seventh straight title and the 11th for the program in the 16-year history of the conference. The Clan finished with 86 points while meet host Western Washington placed third with 105 points.

Kangogo, who finished third behind two Alaska Anchorage teammates last year, won his first individual title and his second race of the season as he covered the 8,000-meter course in 24:54.80 to claim Athlete of the Year honors. Kangogo ran two-abreast most of the race with teammate Michel Ramirez, who finished second in 24:56.50.

Alaska Anchorage placed all five scoring runners in the top-15. Henry Cheseto, the two-time defending champion, placed fourth in 25:19.20 to earn his third All-GNAC award. Victor Samoei placed 11th in 25:46.50 while Michael Mendenhall finished 13th in 25:48.90.

After hanging with the top-two for more than half of the race, Western Washington’s Isaac Derline placed third in a time of 25:07.80. Western Oregon’s David Ribich placed fifth in 25:23.40, Simon Fraser’s Braeden Charlton finished sixth 25:31.00 and Northwest Nazarene’s Isaac Mitchell placed seventh in 25:33.50.

Simon Fraser, Western Oregon and Western Washington all had two finishers in the top-10. The Vikings’ Matthew Lutz placed eighth in 25:36.60 and Simon Fraser’s Sean Miller was ninth in 25:36.60. Western Oregon sophomore Dustin Nading finished 10th in 25:40.70, collecting Newcomer of the Year honors.

The Freshman of the Year award went to Northwest Nazarene’s Godfrey Kemboi, who placed 20th in a time of 26:06.70.

These 11 teams will meet again in two weeks as they compete in the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships on Sat., Nov. 5, at Amend Park in Billings, Mont.

2016 GNAC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
at Lake Padden Park, Bellingham, Wash.
Team Scores: Alaska Anchorage 31, Simon Fraser 60, Western Washington 86, Western Oregon 105, Montana State Billings 157, Northwest Nazarene 178, Central Washington 184, Alaska 211, Concordia 226, Saint Martin’s 285, Seattle Pacific 300.

Top 10 Finishers (All-GNAC): 1, Edwin Kangogo, UAA, 24:54.80. 2, Michel Ramirez, UAA, 24:56.50. 3, Isaac Derline, WWU, 25:07.80. 4, Henry Cheseto, UAA, 25:19.20. 5, David Ribich, WOU, 25:23.40. 6, Braeden Charlton, SFU, 25:31.00. 7, Isaac Mitchell, NNU, 25:33.50. 8, Matthew Lutz, WWU, 25:36.20. 9, Sean Miller, SFU, 25:36.60. 10, Dustin Nading, WOU, 25:40.70.

Athlete of the Year: Henry Kangogo, Alaska Anchorage
Freshman of the Year: Godfrey Kemboi, Northwest Nazarene (20th, 26:06.70)
Newcomer of the Year: Dustin Nading, Western Oregon