Thursday, September 18, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - Seattle Pacific, which was  ranked 13th in the USTFCCCA women’s pre-season Division II cross country national poll, makes its 2014 season debut Saturday, competing in the University of Washington Sundodger Invitational at Lincoln Park.

The Falcons will be joined by four other GNAC teams in the meet including Simon Fraser, Central Washington, Western Oregon and the Alaska Nanooks.  In addition to the teams, one individual - 2013 GNAC runnerup Katelyn Steen - will represent Western Washington in the meet.

Simon Fraser’s women come into the meet with a 16th place pre-season national ranking.  The first regular-season national ranking will be Sept. 24.

GNAC teams will also compete at two other venues Saturday as Saint Martin’s and Northwest Nazarene will head to Spokane for the Erik Anderson Invitational. 

Meanwhile, Montana State Billings, which will host the NCAA Division II West Regional Nov. 22 at Amend Park, will head to Bozeman, Mont., to compete in the Montana State Invitational.

Two of the GNAC’s top teams – Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington (except for Steen) – will take the week off.

The Seawolf men, who were ranked eighth in the USTFCCCA pre-season poll, have already posted three perfect team scores this season, winning the Hawaii Hilo Invitational Aug. 30, the Hawaii Big Wave Invitational Sept. 6 and a home dual with Willamette on Sept. 11.

Freshman Henry Cheseto finished first in all three races.

Cheseto, whose brother Marko posted 11 victories for UAA between 2008 and 2010 which is the second most in GNAC history,  is one of six GNAC athletes to already win races this fall.

MSUB’s Robert Peterson won the Carroll Invitational Sept. 5 at Helena, Mont.

UAA’s Bryn Haebe and Beatrice Decker finished first in the women’s division Aug. 30 at Hilo and Sept. 6 at the  Hawaii Big Wave Invitational, respectively.

Last week, Rebecca Bassett of Simon Fraser finished first in the WOU Ash Creek Invitational and Dani Eggleston of Central Washington won the CWU Cross Invitational at Ellensburg.

Team Winners: In addition to the three victories by Alaska Anchorage’s men, the Seawolf women also have two wins this fall (Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii Big Wave).

MSU Billings got a 1-2-3 finish from Peterson, Michael Luhr and Jamon Rodriguez, in winning the Carroll Invitational Sept. 5. 

Last week, Simon Fraser won the men’s team title at Western Oregon and Central Washington  swept the men’s and women’s titles in its own invitational.

The Wildcat men edged Western Washington 34-37, which ran without three returning athletes who finished in the Top 10 at last year’s conference meet -  Tabor Reedy (7th), Nathan Richards (8th) and Jonathan Quimby (10th).

CWU outpointed the Viking women 19-35 as Eggleston and Connie Morgan finished 1-2 for the Wildcats.  Taylor Guenther finished third for the Vikings, who didn’t run Katelyn Steen.

2014 GNAC MEET SUMMARIES

Hawaii Hilo Invitational (Aug. 30 at Hilo): Men – Alaska Anchorage 15, BYU-Hawaii 67, Hawaii Pacific 80, Messiah 86, Chaminade 132.  Individuals (5,000 Meters) – 1. Henry Cheseto, UAA, 15:36; 2. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 15:41; 3. Victor Samoei, UAA, 15:46; 4. Michel Ramirez, UAA, 15:47; 5. Dominik Notz, UAA, 15:48.  Women – Alaska Anchorage 29, Hawaii Pacific 48, BYU-Hawaii 58, Messiah 114, Hawaii Hilo 121, Chaminade 179.  Individuals (5,000 Meters) – 1. Bryn Haebe, UAA, 19:12; 2. Beatrice Decker, UAA, 19:16; 4. Tamara Perez, UAA, 19:23.

Carroll Invitational (Sept. 5 at Helena, MT): Men – 1. MSU Billings 26, Carroll 51, Spokane CC 51, Great Falls 105, Rocky Mountain 146.  Individuals (6,000 Meters) – 1. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 18:52.07; 2. Michael Luhr, MSUB, 19:04.39; 3. Jamon Rodriguez, MSUB, 19:29.52.  Women – Carroll 29, MSU Billings 33, Spokane CC 77, Rocky Mountain 104.  Individuals (4,000 Meters) – 1. Leah Esposito, Carroll, 14:42.05; 2. Nocoma Frame, 14:47.36; 3. Renae Hepfner, MSUB, 14:48.19.

Hawaii Big Wave Invitational (Sept. 6 at Manoa, HI): Men – Alaska Anchorage 15, BYU-Hawaii 50, Chaminade 73.  Individuals (5,000 Meters) – 1. Henry Cheseto, UAA, 15:48.90; 2. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 15:50.10; 3. Dominik Notz, UAA, 15:50.30; 4. Nathan Kipchumba, UAA, 15:53.20; 5. Victor Samoei, UAA, 16:09.60. Women  - Alaska Anchorage 21, BYU-Hawaii 46, Hawaii Hilo 88, Hawaii 95, Chaminade 148. Individuals (5,000 Meters) – 1. Beatrice Decker, UAA, 19:18.40; 4. Jessica Pahkala, UAA, 19:43.90; 5. Bryn Haebe, UAA, 19:46.10.

UAF Invitational (Sept. 6 at Fairbanks): Men – Cal State Stanislaus 18, Alaska 50, Hawaii Pacific 52.  Individual (8,000 Meters) – 1. Alex Villaescusa, CSUS, 26:03.1; 7. Isaac Lammers, UAF, 26:52.3; 8, Takagi Seiji, UAF, 27:01.8; 9. Rankin Keegan, UAF, 27:03.4.  Women – Hawaii Pacific 26, Cal State Stanislaus 31, Alaska 76.  Individuals (6,000 Meters) – 1. Fiona McKenna, HPU, 22:50; 10. Nichole Bathe, UAF, 24:16.6.

Alaska Anchorage/Willamette Dual (Sept. 11 at Anchorage): Men – Alaska Anchorage 15, Willamette 50.  Individual (4,200 Meters) – 1. Henry Cheseto, UAA, 12:39; 2. Dominik Notz, UAA,  12:41; 3. Victor Samoei, UAA, 12:44; 4. Dylan Anthony, UAA, 12:56; 5. Nathan Kipchumba, UAA, 13:01.  Women – Willamette 25, Alaska Anchorage 31.  Individuals (4,200 Meters) – 1. Taylor Ostrander, WU, 15:28; 3. Beatrice Decker, UAA, 15:48; 4. Jessica Pahkala, UAA, 15:53.

Western Oregon Ash Creek Invitational (Sept. 12 at Monmouth): Men – Simon Fraser 21, Northwest Christian 49, Western Oregon 88, Lane CC 116, Linfield 117, Warner Pacific 158, Olympic 213.  Individuals (5,900 Meters) – 1. Brady Beagley, unat., 17:55.3; 3. Oliver Jorgensen, SFU, 18:03.5; 5. Travis Vugteveen, SFU, 18:20.6. Women – Northwest Christian 27, Simon Fraser 35, Concordia 92, Western Oregon 127, Lane CC 136, Linfield 138, Olympic 222, Warner Pacific 226.  Individuals (4,200 Meters) – 1. Rebecca Bassett, SFU, 14:27.9.

NNU Roger Curran Invitational (Sept. 13 at Nampa): Men – College of Idaho 22, Northwest Nazarene 41, Westminster (Utah) 74.  Individuals (6,000 Meters) – 1. Max Hampton, College of Idaho, 19:25.76; 2. Chase Cunningham, NNU, 19:30.98; 4. Isaac Mitchell, NNU, 19:38.07.  Women – College of Idaho 22, Northwest Nazarene 53, Westminster (Utah) 55.  Individuals (4,000 Meters) – 1. Lila Klopfenstein, C. of Idaho, 14:40.75; 3. Susanna Fleming, NNU, 15:16.28; 9. Jadyn Gourley, NNU, 15:49.39.

Central Washington Invitational (Sept. 13 at Yakima): Men – Central Washington 34, Western Washington 37, Trinity 102, Treasure Valley 111, Highline CC 137.  Individuals (6,000 Meters) – 1. Isaac Derline, unat, 19:36; 2. Max Romey, WWU, 19:37; 3. Matt Lutz, WWU, 19:56; 4. Rudy Spencer, CWU, 20:06.  Women – Central Washington 19, Western Washington 35, Pacific 103, Treasure Valley 116, Trinity 119.  Individuals (4,000 Meters) – 1. Dani Eggleston, CWU, 14:55; 2. Connie Morgan, CWU, 14:58; 3. Taylor Guenther, WWU, 15:03; 4. Megan Rogers, CWU, 15:08; 5. Erin Chinchar, CWU, 15:14.