Thursday, October 15, 2015

SEAWOLVES SURGE: Despite not having competed for a month, Alaska Anchorage showed no signs of slowing down at the Western Washington Invitational. The Seawolves won the men’s competition with a score of 37 points, well outdistancing second place Windsor (72 points). Sophomore Henry Cheseto won his third race of the season, covering the 10,000-meter course in 31:00. Four of the Seawolves’ top runners finished in the top-10.

The UAA women finished second at the WWU Invitational with 84 points, finishing behind Trinity Western in the team competition. Joyce Chelimo notched her third second place finish of the season with a time of 21:19. Caroline Kurgat also had her third top-three finish of the season, placing third with a time of 21:22.

A BREAK OF SORTS: The majority of the GNAC’s cross country teams will take the upcoming weekend off to rest prior to the GNAC Championships. Montana State Billings will host a dual meet with Rocky Mountain College on Thursday. Northwest Nazarene will compete at the Lewis & Clark Invitational on Saturday in Estacada, Ore., while Central Washington and Simon Fraser will run at the Emerald City Open in Seattle.

IN THE RANKINGS: Alaska Anchorage maintained its leading spots in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Top-25 polls. The UAA men retained their No. 5 ranking while the women held strong at No. 7. In the men’s poll, Simon Fraser retained their No. 12 ranking while Western Washington dropped three spots to No. 21.

Western Washington also slipped two spots in the women’s poll to No. 12. Seattle Pacific dropped one spot to No. 18.

CHAMPIONSHIPS: Western Washington will host the 2015 GNAC Cross Country Championships on Sat., Oct. 24, at Bellingham’s East Lake Padden Park. Western Oregon will host the NCAA Divison II West Regional Championships on Sat., Nov. 7, on their own Ash Creek Preserve course on campus in Monmouth. All GNAC teams automatically qualify for the regional meet. The top four men’s teams and the top five women’s team in the regional meet qualifiy for the NCAA Division II Championships, which take place on Sat., Nov. 21, in Joplin, Mo.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC RUNNERS OF THE WEEK
MEN
Isaac Mitchell, Northwest Nazarene
Sophomore • Sandy, Ore.

Mitchell placed seventh amidst a field loaded with the West Region’s top runners at Friday’s San Francisco State Invitational. His time of 25:06.2 over 8,000 meters was just six seconds short of the race’s top five and averaged out to 5:03 per mile. Also Nominated: Henry Cheseto (Alaska Anchorage), Josh Hunt (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN
Joyce Chelimo, Alaska Anchorage
Sophomore • Kapenguria, Kenya

Running in her first race in nearly a month, Chelimo finished second at the Western Washington Invitational. She was the top GNAC finisher in the meet, covering the 6,000-meter course in 21:19. It was her third top-three finish of the season. Also Nominated: Larissa Kolasinski (Saint Martin’s), Sierra Manser (Northwest Nazarene).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska returned from a three-week hiatus by competing at the Western Washington Invitational. The Nanooks’ men placed 12th in the meet while the women placed 13th.

• Junior Kali Striker led all Alaska placers in the meet. She finished 71st in the women’s 6,000-meter race in 23:56. Dorothy O’Donnell, who was the Nanooks’ top finisher in their first three meets, placed 76th in 24:02.

• Sophomore Lyon Kopsack led Alaska in the men’s 10,000-meter race, placing 80th with a time of 34:26. Jan Cech finished 90th in 34:40 while Alex Eckert placed 98th in 35:02.

• The Alaska men opened the season by winning the shorter 5,000-meter race at the Alaska Invitational to open the season, led by a second place finish by Eckert (16:11.7). The Nanook women placed second in both the 6,000-meter race and the 5,000-meter race at their Alaska Invitational. O’Donnell was the top finisher for Alaska in both races with a pair of third place finishes (23:36.7 for 6,000 meters, 19:10.7 for 5,000 meters).

• Alaska will compete at Lake Padden Park for two consecutive meets. The Nanooks will next race at the GNAC Championships on Sat., Oct. 24. Alaska placed seventh in the men’s race last year while the women placed eighth.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage showed that they will again be the team to beat at the GNAC Championships with their team placing at the Western Washington Invitational. The Seawolves won the men’s competition out of 14 teams, tallying 37 points. The UAA women placed second out of 13 teams with 84 points, finishing behind Trinity Western.

• Henry Cheseto won his third race in as many tries this season, covering the 10,000-meter course in 31:00. Dominik Notz was eight second behind in third place at 31:08. The Seawolves’ top-four finishers crossed the finish line within 34 seconds of each other.

• Joyce Chelimo was the Seawolves’ leading runner in the women’s 6,000-meter race, finishing second with a time of 22:19. Chelimo has placed second in all three meets she has run this season. Caroline Kurgat finished third in a time of 21:22. The Western Washington Invitational was the Seawolves’ first 6,000-meter race of the season.

• The UAA men and women both maintained their spots in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Coaches polls. The men remain at No. 5 and No. 2 in the west region, while the women are ranked No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in the west region.

• The Alaska Anchorage men started the season with perfect scores in both of their Hawaii meets, the Big Wave Invitational on Sept. 5 and the Hawaii Pacific Invitational on Sept. 12.

• Cheseto is the defending GNAC and West Region champion. He won the 2014 GNAC Championships as a freshman in 24:35.91. The Seawolves won their fifth consecutive conference title in 2014 with a score of 18 points, the lowest ever at a GNAC Championship.

• Beatrice Decker, the top returning UAA women’s finisher from 2014, ran her first meet of the season at the Western Washington Invitational. Decker placed seventh last year. Chelimo, who redshirted in 2014, placed fourth at the 2013 GNAC Championships with a time of 20:35.05 (as Joyce Kipchumba).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington got a feel of what it will take to move up in the conference standings at the Western Washington Invitational. The CWU women placed eighth and were the No. 4 GNAC team in the meet. The Wildcats’ men placed 11th.

• Senior Dani Eggleston led the Central Washington women, placing 21st with a time of 22:28. Eggleston has placed in the top-35 in all four meets she has competed in. Senior Erin Chinchar placed 24th in 22:36.

• Sophomore Alex Martinez led the Wildcats’ men, placing 66th in a time of 34:01 on the 10,000-meter course. Freshman Jonathan Lafferty was nine seconds behind, placing 70th in 34:10.

• Central Washington’s women were ranked during the first three weeks of the season. The Wildcats opened the season ranked No. 22 nationally and fifth in the west region, but dropped off after the Sept. 22 rankings.

• Central Washington is one of of four GNAC teams that will compete in the weekend before the GNAC Championships. The Wildcats will join Simon Fraser at the Emerald City Classic on Saturday in Seattle.

• Central Washington’s men finished fifth at the 2014 GNAC Championships with 159 points. Harry Engel is the team’s top returning placer, finishing 53rd in 27:00.28. The CWU women placed fourth with 85 points and went to compete at the NCAA Division II Championships. Eggleston placed third at last year’s championship in 20:42.10.

CONCORDIA
• Concordia is in the midst of a two-weekend break from competition leading up to the GNAC Championships.

• Concordia put together a pair of solid team performances at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Oct. 3. Concordia was the top placing GNAC team in the Men’s Cardinal Race, finishing seventh with 204 points. The Cavaliers were the No. 2 team from the GNAC in the Women’s Cardinal Race, placing ninth with 230 points.

• Junior Jared Seckel was named the GNAC Men’s Runner of the Week for Sept. 28 - Oct. 4 for his 13th place finish at the Willamette Invitational in a time of 25:32.9. Junior transfer Megan Fristoe was named GNAC Women’s Runner of the Week the same week. She placed 11th, covering the 5,000-meter course in 18:21.1.

• The Concordia men placed third at last year’s NAIA Cascade Collegiate Championships with a score of 112 points and went on to placed 20th at the NAIA National Championships. The Cavaliers’ women placed fifth at the CCC meet with 145 points.

• Concordia is in the second year of a three-year transition process to NCAA Division II membership. This is their first year competing in full Division II and GNAC schedules. While the Cavaliers are eligible to win the GNAC championship, they are not eligible for regional & national competition.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• One of two competing GNAC teams not running in Bellingham, both the Yellowjackets’ men and women placed second at their own MSU Billings Yellowjacket Invitational. The MSU Billings’ men scored 40 points while the women scored 37 points.

• Senior Robert Peterson notched his fifth top-five finish of the season, placing second in a season best time of 25:13.4. His time was 51 second better than his finish time at the Sept. 26 Roy Griak Invitational.

• Senior Matt Winter followed in fifth place in a season best time of 25:55.18. Sophomore Jorey Egeland placed eighth in 26:18.46.

• Senior Brielle Davis was Montana State Billings’ top women’s finisher for the second consecutive meet. She placed second at the Yellowjacket Invitational. Her time of 24:46.93 essentually matched her time from the Roy Griak Invitational.

• Junior Rio Frame placed fourth after a month away from competition, clocking a time of 25:06.59. Senior Taylor Condon placed fifth in a seaosn best time of 25:13.44.

• Montana State Billings will finish their regular season on Thursday afternoon, hosting their own Battlin’ Bear Dual against crosstown rival Rocky Mountain College.

• The Yellowjackets placed fourth in the men’s competition at last year’s GNAC Championship with 156 points. Peterson placed fourth in a time of 24:59.61 and went on to place 100th at the NCAA Division II Championships. The MSUB women placed sixth last year with 140 points. Frame is the team’s top returning finisher, placing 22nd in time of 21:47.98.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene returned to competition after two weekends off, traveling south to compete at the San Francisco State Invitational. The Crusaders’ women placed an impressive fifth out of 19 teams, while the men placed 12th out of 20 teams.

• Freshman Sierra Manser notched her second top-15 finish of the season, placing 11th in the women’s 6,000-meter race with a season-best time of 22:14.4. Senior Hailey Gordon placed 37th in a time of 22:52.6.

• Sophomore Isaac Mitchell finished seventh in the men’s 8,000-meter race in a time of 25:06.2.

• Northwest Nazarene is one of four GNAC teams competing on the weekend before the GNAC Championships. The Crusaders will come to the Willamette Valley to compete at the Lewis & Clark Invitational on Saturday.

• The Sundodger was the only time that Northwest Nazarene competed against other GNAC squads this season prior to the GNAC Championships.

• The NNU men placed sixth at last year’s GNAC Championships, finishing with 173 points. Mitchell was the Crusaders’ top finisher in 17th place with a time of 25:30.88. The NNU women placed ninth with a score of 241 points. Anyjsa Manser is the Crusaders’ top returning placer. She was 42nd last year in 22:33.62.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s returned to competition after a one-week break. The Saints’ women placed 12th at the Western Washington Invitational while the men placed 14th.

• Freshman Larissa Kolasinski showed the potential to be among the top-10 finishers at the GNAC Championships. She placed 28th on the Lake Padden course in a time of 22:48. She was the No. 9 GNAC runner to cross the finish line.

• Senior Karen Horvath was not far behind Kolasinski, placing 41st in a time of 23:19.

• Sophomore Josh Hunt was the Saints’ top men’s finisher, placing 120th in a time of 35:39. Senior Nathan Morgan finished 127th in 35:49 while sophomore Austin Miller placed 131st in 36:12.

• Saint Martin’s finished ninth in the men’s competition at last year’s GNAC Championships with 229 points. Morgan was the team’s top placer in 44th place in 26:27.45. The Saints’ women placed 10th with 298 points. Junior Megan Teigen is the team’s top returning placer, finishing 43rd in 22:35.39.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific is off until the GNAC Championships on Sat., Oct. 24.

• In their last competition, the Falcons’ women placed an impressive third out of 18 teams in the Women’s Cardinal Race at the Oct. 3 Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational, beat out only by Division I squads from Portland State and Univ. of Portland. The SPU men placed 10th in the Men’s Cardinal Race.

• Senior Anna Patti just missed winning her fourth race of the season, placing second with a time of 17:35.3. Patti was charging fast at Portland State’s Amanda Boman, who won with a time of 17:30.9. Patti won her first three races of the season at the Moda Health Alaska Invitational and the Sundodger Invitational.

• Senior Adam Avischious was the top men’s runner for Seattle Pacific, finishing in 36th place in a season-best of 26:18.9. He cut 24 seconds off his time at the Sundodger Invitational two weeks earlier.

• The Seattle Pacific women dropped one spot in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll to No. 18. The Falcons reached their highest ranking of No. 17 last weekend. The team remained at No. 5 in the West Region Rankings for the fourth consecutive week.

• Seattle Pacific finished fifth in the women’s competition at the 2014 GNAC Championships with a score of 130 points. Patti led the way with a seventh place finish in a time of 25:07.60. The men finished 10th with 235 points. Avischious led the Falcons in 42nd place in a time of 26:25.05.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser showed well in both the men’s and women’s races at the Western Washington Invitational. The Clan men placed fifth with a score of 109 points and were the No. 2 GNAC team behind Alaska Anchorage. The SFU women placed seventh with a score of 184 points and were No. 3 GNAC team.

• True to form, Oliver Jorgensen led the SFU men with his third top-10 finish of the season. Jorgensen placed ninth, covering the 10,000-meter course in a time of 31:47.

• Simon Fraser placed four of their scoring runners in the top-30 of the race. Marc-Antoine Rouleau placed 16th in 32:07. Cameron Proceviat finished 23rd in 32:19 and Braeden Charlton was 29th in 32:34.

• Junior Rebecca Bassett earned her third top-10 finish of the season, placing seventh at the WWU Invitational in 21:52. She was the third GNAC athlete to cross the finish line.

• The Simon Fraser men maintained their No. 12 ranking in the USTFCCA Division II Coaches Top-25. The Clan is ranked No. 4 in the West Region Rankings for the fourth consecutive week.

• At the 2014 GNAC Championships, Simon Fraser’s women won their first conference title, finishing with 62 points in a competition that saw the top-three placing teams separated by three points. The Clan went on to win the West Region Championships and placed seventh at the NCAA Championships. Bassett placed second in a time of 20:32.08.

• The Simon Fraser men placed third in last year’s conference meet with a total of 67 points. Jorgensen led the way with a sixth place time of 25:07.60.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon placed 11th in both the men’s and women’s races at the Western Washington Invitational. The men finished with a total of 306 points while the women compiled 286 points.

• Sophomore David Ribich led the WOU men with his 13th place finish. He covered the 10,000-meter course in a time of 32:02. Ribich has finished in the top-20 in all three of his races this season.

• Senior Zach Holloway added a 22nd place finish with a time of 32:18. He has finished in the top-30 in all three of his races this season.

• Junior Nicole Maurmann paced the Western Oregon women with a 38th place finish in the 6,000-meter place, clocking a time of 23:12.

• The Western Washington Invitational was WOU’s last full meet before the GNAC Championships. Those runners not competing at the conference meet will run at the Beaver Classic on Oct. 23 in Corvallis.

• Western Oregon will be the host of the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships, which will take place on Sat., Nov. 7.

• The WOU men placed seventh at the GNAC Championships with a score of 185 points. Ribich was the leading runner for WOU as a freshman, placing 26th in 25:56.47. Western Oregon’s women placed seventh with 185 points. Rachel Crawford was the Wolves’ top placer in 26th place in 21:55.36.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington came home to Lake Padden and performed well at their own Western Washington Invitational. The Vikings’ women placed fourth out of 13 teams with 133 points while the men placed sixth with 160 points.

• Sophomore Andrew Wise led the way for the WWU men, placing 14th with a time of 32:03 over the 10,000-meter course. Sophomore Sean Eustis added a 31st place finish in a time of 32:39.

• Senior Taylor Guenther led the way for the Western Washington women, placing 23rd in 22:32 for 6,000 meters. Junior Brittany Grant was 26th with a time of 22:44.

• The Western Washington women dropped two spots in the USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll to No. 12 and dropped to No. 4 in the West Region Rankings. The Vikings’ men dropped three spots to No. 21 in the national poll and lost one spot in the regional poll to No. 6.

• The Vikings’ men became the second GNAC team this season to compile a perfect score this season, scoring 15 points to win the SMU Open on Sept. 26 (Alaska Anchorage has scored a perfect 15 twice this season). The Vikings’ women placed second, one point off a perfect score with 16 points.

• Western Washington will host the GNAC Championships on Sat., Oct. 24, at Bellingham’s Lake Padden Park. It is the second time that WWU has hosted the GNAC meet. The first was in 2005.

• Western Washington’s men placed second at the 2014 GNAC Championships, compiling a score of 61 points. Eustis was the Vikings’ top placer, finishing 12th in 25:17.99. The WWU women placed third in the close team battle with 64 points. Guenther was the top finisher, placing 10th in 21:02.66.