Saturday, November 3, 2018

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Seawolves are back.

A year after being aced out by Western Oregon to break a string of seven consecutive titles, Alaska Anchorage started a new string on the Wolves’ home course as the Seawolves emerged in a close team race at the 2018 GNAC Men’s Cross Country Championships at the Ash Creek Preserve.

Thanks to a one-two finish by sophomores Wesley Kirui and Felix Kemboi, along with placing four runners in the race’s top 11 places, allowed the Seawolves to emerge on top with a score of 46 points. Simon Fraser made it a close team competition, finishing second with 54 points behind third and fourth place finishes by seniors Rowan Doherty and Sean Miller.

Western Washington placed both junior Jadon Olson and sophomore Eric Hamel in the top-10 to place third with 60 points. Western Oregon, the defending champion, used top-10 finishes by seniors Tyler Jones and Dustin Nading to finish fourth with 104 points.

Both the individual and team titles were in question throughout the 8,000-meter race as a tight lead pack of 10 to 15 runners kept together for much of the first 6,000 meters. A lead group of seven runners broke from the rest of the pack along the last tour of the course’s Taruccio Berms.

Even at that point, no clear favorite pulled away from the pack. It was until Kirui, a transfer from Division I Hampton in the offseason, and Kemboi surged over the final 200 meters to run clear of Doherty and Miller, with Kirui leaning at the line to earn the individual title in a time of 24:38. Kemboi was second in 24:38.6. Senior Jorge Sanchez gave Alaska Anchorage three top-10 finishers as he placed seventh in 24:54.98 while sophomore Nickson Koech was 11th in 25:14.2.

Doherty was just two second back, finishing third in 24:40.5, while Miller was fourth in 23:43.5. They were followed by Jones, who placed fifth in 24:54.5. and Nading, who picked up the sixth place finish in a time of 24:54.5.

Northwest Nazarene junior Godfrey Kemboi placed eighth in 25:00.4 to earn his first All-GNAC award. Olson placed ninth for the Vikings in 25:04.3 while Hamel placed 10th in 25:13.4.

With his victory, Kirui was named both the GNAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Central Washington’s Turlan Morlan was named the Freshman of the Year after placing 23rd in a time of 25:51.0.

All 11 GNAC teams will now move on to regional competition. The NCAA West Regional Championships, hosted by Montana State Billings, will take place on Sat., Nov. 17, at Billings’ Amend Park.

GNAC CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS – MEN’S RESULTS
Team Scores: Alaska Anchorage 46, Simon Fraser 54, Western Washington 60, Western Oregon 104, Central Washington 142, Northwest Nazarene 169, Seattle Pacific 183, Montana State Billings 217, Alaska 261, Concordia 280, Saint Martin’s 300.

Top 10 Finishers (All-GNAC): 1, Wesley Kirui, UAA, 24:38.0. 2, Felix Kemboi, UAA, 24:38.6. 3, Rowan Doherty, SFU, 24:40.5. 4, Sean Miller, SFU, 24:43.4. 5, Tyler Jones, WOU, 24:53.0. 6, Dustin Nading, WOU, 24:54.5. 7, Jorge Sanchez, UAA, 24:54.9. 8, Godfrey Kemboi, NNU, 25:00.4. 9, Jadon Olson, WWU, 25:04.3. 10, Eric Hamel, WWU, 25:13.4.

Athlete of the Year: Wesley Kirui, Alaska Anchorage
Newcomer of the Year: Wesley Kirui, Alaska Anchorage
Freshman of the Year: Turlan Morlan, Central Washington