Saturday, May 14, 2016

MONMOUTH, Ore. – Alaska Anchorage used an all-hands-on-deck approach to put an end to Western Washington’s five-year title Saturday, capturing the men’s title at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Western Oregon University’s McArthur Field.

The Seawolves finished with two individual champions on the day and four for the meet and used a ton of top-four placers to finish with 163.5 points and earn their first GNAC outdoor track title. The victory also completed an Alaska Anchorage sweep of the men’s team cross country, indoor track and outdoor track championships. The Vikings, who took a two-point lead into the second day, finished second with 128 points. Western Oregon finished third with a score of 118 points.

Alaska Anchorage’s Cody Thomas shared the meet’s Most Outstanding Performer award with Concordia’s Josh Koch. Thomas was the meet’s top point-scorer, winning the decathlon last week and placing second in the high jump, third in the long jump, fifth in the 200 meters, sixth in the 110-meter hurdles and eighth in the 100 meters. Koch won the shot put on Friday and added a second place finish in the hammer on Saturday.

Cody Parker won the javelin for the Seawolves by 10 feet over Western Washington’s John Haskin with his mark of 214 feet, 3.75 inches. Michel Ramirez, meanwhile, paced Edwin Kangogo and Henry Cheseto in a 1-2-3 UAA finish in the 5,000 meters with his winning time of 14:56.03.

Western Washington placed an impressive four athletes on top of the podium on Saturday. Alex Donigian succeeded in his double defense of the 100 meters and 200 meters, pulling away from the field in both events. Donigian won the 100 meters by nearly four-tenths of a second with his winning time of 10.66 seconds. His mark in the 200 meters was nearly a half second, running into the wind to win in 21.82 seconds.

Travis Milbrandt defended his title in the 110-meter hurdles with his winning time of 14.38 seconds while Mark Seely earned his first GNAC championship in the triple jump with a mark of 48 feet, 0.75 inches.

Western Oregon placed three champions on the podium. David Ribich successfully defended his championship in the 1,500 meters, holding off a spirited challenge in the final 100 meters by Simon Fraser’s Cameron Proceviat to win in 3:54.18. Badane Sultessa also defended his title in the 800 meters, pulling away over the final 100 meters to clock a time of 1:54.39. Kaleb Dobson won the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.97 seconds. The Wolves also won the 4x100 meter relaty in a time of 42.02 seconds.

Simon Fraser’s Daniel Kelloway was the final of eight repeat winners in the meet, defending his 400-meter title with a time of 48.02 seconds. Kelloway also ran the anchor leg on the Clan’s winning 4x400 meter relay team, which clocked a time of 3:15.61.

Concordia’s Tyler Lamott won his first GNAC outdoor title in the hammer with a throw of 191 feet, 8.75 inches. Cole Hoberg of Northwest Nazarene won the high jump with his clearance of 6 feet, 7 inches.