Monday, November 23, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Alaska Anchorage men’s cross country team tied their best performance ever with a third place team finish in the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. With the finish, the Seawolves earned the GNAC’s Red Lion Team of the Week.

Henry Cheseto led Alaska Anchorage with a third place individual performance in Joplin, Mo., on the campus of Missouri Southern State University. The 2015 GNAC and West Region Champion nabbed his second All-American trophy in as many years as a sophomore. Dominic Notz placed eighth and Edwin Kangogo placed 30th to both join Cheseto as All-Americans. Michael Mendenhall and Victory Samoei rounded out the top five for the Seawolves, placing 68th and 74th, respectively.

The Seawolves finished with 138 points and were well ahead of fourth place by 63. They ended 11 points behind second place Adams State and 38 behind first place Colorado Mines.

Cheseto finished the 10,000 meter course in 29:35.6, just nine seconds behind the champion. The Seawolves had one of the top cross country seasons in the GNAC of all-time, placing first overall at both the GNAC and West Region Championships. Cheseto and Notz placed first and second, respectively, in each of those races.

The Seawolves men finished in sixth last season and have become perenial contenders in the national championships, while dominating the GNAC and the West Region. While the team loses two-time All-American Notz, they return a majority of their runners with multiple years left for many. Expect the Seawolves to be right back in the thick of things next season.