Wednesday, September 25, 2019

FALCONS SOAR TO RARE SWEEP: To see Seattle Pacific at the top of the scoring table is not a rare occurrence for the women’s squad, but it has not happened often that often for a men’s program that continues to grow and improved.

As it happened, however, both Falcons’ teams opened the season with a pair of team victories on Saturday at the PLU Invitational in Tacoma, Washington. The women cruised with a winning score of 24 points while the men won with a score of 40 points.

It is the first time in 21 years that the Falcons accomplished a sweep of the team titles at a multi-team meet. The last time was in 1998 when the Falcons beat Northwest (Wash.) and then-Division III Seattle in the Seattle Cup meet.

“One of our goals going in was to get two wins,” distance coach Chris Reed told SPUFalcons.com. “There was a lot to learn, but that’s what first meets are for. It’s nice when you can go to a meet and have good results, and still come away knowing that there are a lot of ways to improve. It was a good springboard for us.”

For the second straight season, sophomore Kaylee Mitchell opened her season with a win. Mitchell covered the 6,000 meters in a time of 21:04.4 for a 28-second cushion over teammate Kate Lilly. Mitchell opened her college career with a win last year, taking the CWU Invitational. For her efforts in Tacoma, Mitchell was named the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week.

On the men’s side, sophomore Colby Otero hung with the leaders for much of the race before crossing the line third in a time of 25:47.30. He led three SPU men’s runners to place in the top-10.

WINNER’S CIRCLE: The following GNAC athletes have picked up cross country victories during the 2019 season...

MEN
Wesley Kirui, UAA (Blue & Gold Run Fest, Aug. 31, 21:59.68, 7,000m).

WOMEN
Nikki Aiken, MSUB (SD Mines Hardrocker Classic, Sept. 7, 21:25.40, 5,000m)
Emmah Chelimo, UAA (Blue & Gold Run Fest, Aug. 31, 18:33.12, 5,000m)
Kaylee Mitchell, SPU (PLU Invitational, Sept. 21, 21:04.4, 6,000m)

NATIONAL RANKINGS: There was quite a bit of movement among GNAC teams in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll. The men’s poll saw only Alaska Anchorage remain in the rankings at No. 12 despite not running a meet. Both Simon Fraser and Western Washington dropped out after being ranked 11th and 17th, respectively.

In the women’s poll, Alaska Anchorage retained its No. 7 position, Seattle pacific remained at No. 8 and Western Washington stayed at No. 15. Simon Fraser dropped from the top-25 after being ranked 17th last week, but did collect one vote.

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE: For the first time, the GNAC Championships will head east of the Rocky Mountains to Billings, Montana. The conference meet will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Amend Park and is hosted by Montana State Billings. The course is familiar to GNAC teams, though, having hosted the NCAA West Regional Championships in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Western Oregon’s Ash Creek Preserve, which hosted last year’s GNAC Championships, will be the site of the NCAA West Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 9.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN
Justin Crosswhite, Western Oregon
Senior • Hood River, Ore.

Running on his home course, Crosswhite was the top GNAC placer at Friday’s Sundowner Invitational. Crosswhite placed third as he covered the 8,000-meter course in a time of 24:57.1 and sat 21 seconds behind the winner. He led the Wolves to a fifth-place team finish.

Also Nominated: Trevor Allen (Central Washington), Carlos Vargas (Simon Fraser), Alec Ritter (Western Washington).

WOMEN
Kaylee Mitchell, Seattle Pacific
Sophomore • Salem, Ore.

Mitchell was the individual champion on Saturday at the PLU Invitational, covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 21:04.4. She finished with a 28-second cushion ahead of teammate Kate Lilly, who placed second. It was the second career win for Mitchell, who led the Falcons to the team victory with a score of 24 points. It is the second year in a row that Mitchell has won in her season-opening meet.

Also Nominated: Molly Mattson (Central Washington), Olivia Willett (Simon Fraser), Grace Knapp (Western Oregon), Jane Barr (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska made the trip to Monmouth, Oregon for the second time in three weeks with the Nanooks’ men placing ninth and the women placing 10th at the Sundowner Invitational.

• Senior Alexandra Bergholtz was the top UAF finisher in either race, placing 12th in the women’s 6,000-meter race in a time of 23:20.0. She was the No. 5 GNAC finisher and the No. 9 Division II finisher.

• Sophomore Lukash Platil was the top Nanooks’ finisher in the men’s 8,000-meter race, placing 21st in a time of 25:32.9. He was seventh place among GNAC finishers.

• Sophomore Jacob Walsh was the No. 2 runner among the men, placing 44th in 26:17.5. Sophomore Noelle Resignolo was No. 2 for the UAF women, placing 66th in 25:23.1.

• The Nanooks will sit out this week and return to competition on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Oregon.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage has not competed since the Blue & Gold Run Fest on Aug. 31. The Seawolves return to action at the Capitol Cross Classic in Sacramento, California, on Saturday.

• Senior Emmah Chelimo won her fifth race in a UAA uniform as she covered the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:33.12. The victory earned Chelimo selection as the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Sept. 3.

• Junior Nancy Jeptoo was right with Chelimo, placing second in a time of 18:33.89. Senior Yvonne Jeschke placed third in a time of 19:36.

• Junior Wesley Kirui was the winner in the men’s 7,000-meter race, finishing in a time of 21:59.68. It was the fourth individual win in a UAA singlet for Kirui, who was named the GNAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Sept. 3.

• Junior Felix Kemboi placed second for the Seawolves in a time of 22:11.15 while Nickson Koech placed third in a time of 22:57.16.

• The Alaska Anchorage women continue lead three GNAC teams in the USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll No. 7. The UAA men moved up two spots this week to No. 12.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington placed sixth in both the men’s and women’s team competitions at the Sundowner Invitational on Friday.

• The CWU men finished with 149 points, just five points behind Western Oregon while the women scored 155 points and sat 20 points behind the host Wolves.

• Junior Trevor Allen had a great race, placing ninth on the men’s 8,000-meter course with a time of 25:06. He was No. 3 among GNAC finishers. Junior Henry Milodragovich was the No. 2, placing 30th in 26:06.8.

• For the women, sophomore Molly Mattson was the top cat as she placed 15th with a time of 23:26.0 over 6,000 meters. She was sixth place among GNAC finishers. Junior Lily Tyrrell was five places behind as she finished 20th in 23:34.9.

• Central Washington will compete for the third consecutive weekend, taking part in the Ken Garland Invitational in Lacey, Washington on Saturday.

CONCORDIA
• Competing as Ash Creek for the second consecutive race, Concordia placed 10th in men’s race and 11th in the women’s competition at the Sundowner Invitational.

• Freshman Josh Scheetz was the top finisher for the Cavaliers in either race, placing 48th in the men’s 8,000-meter race in a time of 26:26.8. Senior Noah Murry was the No. 2 finisher, placing 75th in 27:22.4.

• Senior Gabby Hobson finished 54th in the women’s 6,000-meter race with a time of 24:49.8. Freshman Cheyenne Abbett was the No. 2 runner, placing 72nd in 25:35.9.

• Concordia is off until Saturday, Oct. 5, when they compete in the Willamette Invitational in Salem, Oregon.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings did not compete last weekend. The Yellowjackets will head east for their next competition, the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday in the Twin Cities.

• Racing at the same park that will host next month’s GNAC Championships, Montana State Billings finished sixth in the men’s competition and eighth in the women’s at the Frontier Preview Meet in Billings on Sept. 13.

• Senior Nikki Aiken was the top finisher in either race for the Yellowjackets. She finished 13th in the women’s 5,000-meter race in a time of 20:30.90.

• Sophomore Logan Straus was the top MSUB finisher in the men’s race. He placed 26th in the 8,000-meter run with a time of 29:00.30. Freshman Bryant Edgerton placed 30th as he covered the course in 29:18.60.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not compete last weekend. The Nighthawks return to the course on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Ken Garland Invitational in Lacey, Washington.

• Northwest Nazarene notched a pair of second-place team finishes at the EOU Invitational on Friday in La Grande, Oregon on Sept. 13.

• The NNU women finished with 36 points, eight points behind College of Idaho. There was a 1 minute, 11 second gap between the No. 1 and No. 5 runners.

• Senior Bethany Danner led the Nighthawks’ women individually, placing fourth as she covered the 5,000-meter course in 18:57.10. Junior Annalisa Hamilton was sixth in a time of 19:18.70.

• The Northwest Nazarene men placed second with a score of 41 points and saw two athletes notch top-10 finishes.

• Senior Godfrey Kemboi placed second in the 8,000-meter race in a time of 26:02.40. Sophomore Tyler Shea placed fourth in a time of 26:09.60.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s did not compete last weekend. The Saints will host their only home meet of the season, the Ken Garland Invitational, on Saturday.

• In its season-opening competition, the Saint Martin’s men placed fourth and the women placed sixth at the CWU Apple Ridge Invitational on Sept. 14.

• Sophomore Andrew Oslin was the top placer for the Saints in either race, taking 17th in the men’s 6,000-meter race in a time of 19:44.33. Freshman Nick Sarysz also had a top-20 finish, placing 20th in a time of 20:00.7.

• Freshman Elaina Hansen led the SMU women, placing 30th in the 4,000-meter race in a time of 16:22.0. Freshman Bethany Forward was the No. 2 runner, placing 39th in 17:13.2.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific opened its season in strong fashion, winning both the men’s and women’s team titles at the PLU Invitational in Tacoma, Washington.

• The SPU women placed all five scoring runners in the top-10 to win with a score of 24 points. The men placed three in the top-10 and five in the top-15 en route to a winning score of 40 points.

• Sophomore Kaylee Mitchell was named the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after she won the 6,000-meter race in a time of 21:04.40. She was 28 seconds ahead of senior teammate Kate Lilly, who was second in 21:32. The win is the second in as many years for Mitchell in her opening meet of the season.

• Rounding out the top-10 for the SPU women were junior Dania Holmberg (5th, 22:04.80), freshman Kelsey Washenberger (9th, 23:04.60) and senior Katherine Walter (10th, 23:08).

• The men saw sophomore Colby Otero finish third, covering the 8,000-meter course in a time of 25:47.3. Junior Colin Boutin placed fifth in 26:11.4 while freshman Jared Putney was seventh in 26:15.7.

• Rounding out the scoring five was junior Elius Graff (12th, 26:36.3) and freshman Sheamus Mahoney (13th, 26:39.5).

• The SPU women retained its No. 8 ranking in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll.

• The Falcons are right back on the course this weekend, traveling to Sacramento, California for the Capital Cross Challenge on the same course that will host the NCAA Division II Championships.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser ran strong races at the Sundowner Invitational on Friday with both the Clan men and women placing third.

• The SFU women finished with 71 points, placing four runners in the top-20. The SFU men scored 78 points and also had four runners place in the top-20.

• Junior Olivia Willett led the Clan with a sixth-place finish, covering the 6,000-meter course in 22:55.3. She was the No. 2 GNAC finisher in the meet.

• Junior Mairin Shields-Brown placed ninth in a time of 23:02.6 while sophomore Megan Roxby was 10th in a time of 23:14.5. Freshman Grace Chalk rounded out the four SFU runners in the top-20, placing 19th in 23:34.

• Senior Carlos Vargas was the lone top-10 finisher for the Simon Fraser men, placing seventh as he covered the 8,000-meter course in 25:03.7. Like Willett, Vargas was the No. 2 GNAC placer.

• Junior Aaron Ahl just missed the top-10, placing 11th in 25:07.6. Senior Jordan Wilson was 19th in 25:29.7 and junior Chris Sobczak placed 20th in 25:32.2.

• Both SFU teams dropped out of the USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Polls. The Clan women had been ranked 11th while the men dropped from No. 17.

• Simon Fraser will be in Sacramento, California on Saturday to take part in the Capital Cross Challenge.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon placed fifth in both the men’s and women’s team races in the program’s second home meet of the season, the Sundowner Invitational.

• Senior Justin Crosswhite was named the GNAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after he placed third in the 8,000-meter race. Crosswhite’s season debut yielded a time of 24:57.1.

• Senior Hunter Mosman added a 25th-place finish in 25:39.8 while senior Sawyer Heckard placed 31st in a time of 25:54.7.

• For the women, senior Grace Knapp led the way for the Wolves as she placed fifth and covered the 6,000-meter course in a time of 22:51.3. She was the top-placing GNAC runner in the race.

• Senior Cassie McKinney followed as the No. 2 runner, placing 21st in 23:36.1. Sophomore Kaylin Cantu placed 24th as she crossed in a time of 23:43.2.

• The Wolves will take a couple of weeks off from competition. They return on Saturday, Oct. 12, sending a split squad to both the Western Washington Classic and the Warner Pacific XC Classic.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Taking a chance to race close to home, Western Washington won the women’s team title and the men placed third against club competition in the Emerald City Classic in Seattle.

• The women placed four of its competing runners in the top-10 to finish with a score of 24 points. The Vikings were 10 points better than second-place Club Northwest. The men were third with a total of 78 points.

• Junior Jane Barr had a second consecutive top-three finish to lead the women, placing second with a time of 23:27 over 6,000 meters. Sophomore Tovah Swartz-Ireland was not far behind as she placed third in 23:35.

• Senior Tracy Melville placed fifth in a time of 23:36, senior Talia Dreicer was seventh in 23:43 and sophomore Rebecca Lehman rounded out the scoring five, placing 11th in 24:09.

• Freshman Alec Ritter paced the WWU men, placing 11th in a time of 27:42 over 8,000 meters. Senior Bret Greene had the Vikings’ other top-20 finish, placing 19th in 28:12.

• The Western Washington women retained their No. 15 position in the USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll. The men dropped out after being ranked No. 17 in last week’s rankings.

• The Vikings will go split squad this weekend, sending select athletes to the Roy Griak Invitational in the Twin Cities and the remaining team to the Ken Garland Invitational in Lacey, Washington.