Saturday, October 24, 2015

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – It wasn’t the record performance they had last year, but it was just as dominant.

Alaska Anchorage continued their dominance in GNAC men’s cross country Saturday, facing little challenge as they claimed their sixth straight championship at the GNAC Cross Country Championships at Lake Padden Park.

The Seawolves put all five scoring runners in the race’s top-10 to take the title with a score of 21 points. The performance was just three points more than their conference meet record of 18 points, which UAA set last year in Monmouth, Ore.

Henry Cheseto claimed his second GNAC individual title in as many years as the sophomore crossed the line in the 8,000-meter race in a time of 24:22.70. Dominik Notz crossed in second place in a time of 24:27.30 while Edwin Kangogo finished third in 24:44.10.

Cheseto was quick to credit his teammates for helping push him to the title defense. “Things were not as favorable for me today,” Cheseto said of running much of the race alone. “We just kept the pace and it helped to be with my team. That’s what helped me because when I am running with people I have a sense of competition. I see a sense of unity in my group and a sense of teamwork.”

Early in the race, though, Cheseto and the Seawolves were part of a competitive pack. Robert Peterson of Montana State Billings set the pace over the first two miles with Simon Fraser’s Oliver Jorgensen and Western Oregon’s David Ribich keeping pace. That pack broke apart in the third mile, during the course’s lake loop, when Cheseto and Notz surged and built distance.

Ribich finished fourth in the race with a time of 24:59.60 while Jorgensen placed fifth in 25:03.60. Peterson faded in the final two miles and eventually finished 13th in a time of 25:39.20.

Simon Fraser showed that they will have the horses to compete for a nationals qualifier in two weeks as they placed second with 55 points. Marc-Antoine Rouleau also earned All-GNAC honors with his seventh place finish in 25:22.10. The Clan had four runners in the top-15 and all of a 60-second gap between their scoring five. Sean Miller earned Freshman of the Year honors as SFU’s No. 3 runner, placing 12th in 25:39.00.

Northwest Nazarene’s Isaac Mitchell finished eighth in a time of 25:25.20 while Western Washington’s Andrew Wise rounded out the All-GNAC honorees with his 10th place finish time of 25:30.80. Wise led the host Vikings to a third place team finish with 83 points.

Matt Winter of Montana State Billings earned the Newcomer of the Year award as he placed 29th in a time of 26:35.10. Winter, a senior and U.S. Army veteran, joined the Yellowjackets’ program this season after he entered the school in January. Prior to enrolling, Winter had served two tours with the Army in Afghanistan.

All 11 GNAC teams will join teams from the PacWest Conference and the California Collegiate Athletic Association in two weeks for the NCAA West Regional Championships. The meet will take place on Sat., Nov. 7, at the Ash Creek Preserve adjacent to the Western Oregon University campus in Monmouth, Ore.

2015 GNAC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Lake Padden Park, Bellingham, Wash.
Team Scores: Alaska Anchorage 21, Simon Fraser 54, Western Washington 83, Western Oregon 118, Montana State Billings 130, Central Washington 177, Northwest Nazarene 215, Alaska 224, Seattle Pacific 252, Saint Martin’s 298, Concordia 298.

Top 10 Finishers (All-GNAC Team): 1, Henry Cheseto, UAA, 24:22.70. 2, Dominik Notz, UAA, 24:27.30. 3, Edwin Kangogo, UAA, 24:44.10. 4, David Ribich, WOU, 24:59.60. 5, Oliver Jorgensen, SFU, 25:03.60. 6, Victor Samoei, UAA, 25:19.60. 7, Marc-Antoine Rouleau, SFU, 25:22.10. 8, Isaac Mitchell, NNU, 25:25.20. 9, Nathan Kipchumba, UAA, 25:29.30. 10, Andrew Wise, WWU, 25:36.10.

Athlete of the Year: Henry Cheseto, Alaska Anchorage
Freshman of the Year: Sean Miller, Simon Fraser
Newcomer of the Year: Matt Winter, Montana State Billings