Friday, December 5, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. -  A  record seven teams will represent the GNAC in the 2014 NCAA Division II National Cross Country Championships Saturday at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky.

Competing in the men’s race which begins at 11 a.m. (8 a.m. Pacific) will be Alaska Anchorage, Western Washington and Simon Fraser.

The women’s race, which will start  at 12:15 p.m. (9:15 a.m. Pacific) will feature SFU, UAA, WWU and Central Washington. Both races will be streamed live at ncaa.com.

All four GNAC women’s teams are nationally ranked in the Top 25.

Simon Fraser, which won the West Regional title Nov. 22 at Billings, Mont., is ranked sixth. 

The Clan, which placed seventh last year in its first NCAA national meet after a long history in the NAIA which included five consecutive national titles (2003-07), had a low score of 103 points, nine fewer than Chico State, in the regional

SFU’s point total was the highest in the past two decades for the winning team.  The previous high was by UC Davis which had a total of 86 in 2002.

Alaska Anchorage earned a No. 11 national ranking in the pre-national poll, while Central Washington and Western Washington came in 22nd and 23rd in the poll.

The Seawolves, who finished third in the regional meet, are making their seventh consecutive national appearance.  They finished fourth last year.

Central Washington finished fifth in the regional earning its first national meet appearance since it won its only NCAA regional title – in any sport - in 2000.

The Wildcats placed three runners in the Top 14, including a 14th by Megan Rogers.  Rogers finished eighth among GNAC athletes at the regional after placing 14th in the conference meet.

Western Washington, which placed sixth in the regional meet, is making its sixth national appearance in the past seven years. The Vikings are led by GNAC and West Regional champion Katelyn Steen.

Alaska Anchorage’s men, which is ranked sixth in the USTFCCCA national poll, finished second at Billings with 53 points qualifying for the national meet for the seventh year in a row and the 11th time since 2001.  UAA is led by freshman Henry Cheseto, the GNAC and West Regional individual champion.

Western Washington brings a No. 18 rank into the national meet after finishing fourth in the regional.  Simon Fraser, which finished sixth in the regional, is unranked.

In addition to the seven qualifying teams, Robert Peterson of Montana State Billings qualified for the national meet as an individual  placing 13th in the regional meet.

The seven teams betters the GNAC previous record of six qualifying teams in 2010, 2011 and 2013.  Since 2008, the GNAC has qualified 39 teams for the national meet (an average of 5.6).  In the seven previous seasons, it qualified just 12 (1.7 per season).