KAHUKU, Hawaii – Alaska Anchorage qualified both of its teams for the NCAA National Cross Country championships Saturday earning a pair of second-place finishes in the NCAA Division II West Regionals.
Also earning trips to Joplin, Mo., for the national meet in two weeks (Nov. 17) were Western Washington’s men’s team and Seattle Pacific’s women’s squad.
Chico State won both team titles. The Wildcats edged UAA’s men 38-46. Western Washington finished third with 82 points. Also qualifying for nationals were San Francisco State and Humboldt State with fourth and fifth-place finishes.
Chico nipped the UAA women by five points (51-56). Seattle Pacific finished fifth with 157 points earning the final team berth. Also qualifying for nationals were Humboldt State and Cal State Stanislaus with third and fourth-place team finishes.
UAA’s Micah Chelimo and Susan Tanui won the individual titles. Chelimo covered the men’s 10,000 meter course in a time of 31:58, winning the individual title for the second year in a row.
Tanui won the women’s 6,000-meter race in a time of 21:19. UAA’s Miriam Kipn’geno finished fourth in a time of 21:39.
A total of 21 GNAC athletes, including 13 out of a possible 14 from Alaska Anchorage won all-region honors with Top 25 finishes.
Men – Chico State 38, Alaska Anchorage 46, Western Washington 82, San Francisco State 130, Humboldt State 140 (8. Western Oregon 232, 9. MSU Billings 260, 11. Seattle Pacific 323, 12. Northwest Nazarene 324, 13. Simon Fraser 359, 16. Alaska Fairbanks 434, 18. Central Washington 491). All-Region (10,000 Meters) – 1. Micah Chelimo, UAA, 31:58; 5. Dak Riek, WWU, 32:10; 10. Alfred Kangogo, UAA, 32:33; 12. Jacob Parisien, UAA, 32:48; 13. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 32:51; 14. Isaac Kangogo, UAA, 32:52; 15. Tyler Cannon, WWU, 32:55; 16. Chip Jackson, WWU, 32:56; 19. Kevin Rooke, UAA, 33:03; 22. Jesse Baggenstos, NNU, 33:13; 24. Dylan Peterson, WWU, 33:14; 25. Dominik Notz, UAA, 33:19.
Women – Chico State 51, Alaska Anchorage 56, Humboldt State 120, Cal State Stanislaus 154, Seattle Pacific 157 (6. Simon Fraser 179, 7. Western Washington 274, 10. Central Washington 335, 14. Northwest Nazarene 390, 18. MSU Billings 435, 20. Alaska Fairbanks 463, 22. Western Oregon 533). All-Region (6,000 Meters) – 1. Susan Tanui, UAA, 21:19; 4. Miriam Kipng’eno. UAA, 21:39; 11. Katie Thralls, SPU, 22:08; 13. Ivy O’Guinn, UAA, 22:11; 17. Sarah Freistone, UAA, 22:18; 19. Peggy Noel, SFU, 22:26; 21. Kansas MacKenzie, SFU, 22:32; 24. Susan Bick, UAA, 22:41; 25. Jaymi Bethea,, UAA, 22:43.
