Wednesday, September 19, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. - Led by Alaska Anchorage, four Great Northwest Athletic Conference cross country teams are ranked in the Top 10 in the first regular-season NCAA Division II national poll of the 2012 season.  The poll is conducted by the USTFCCCA.

The Seawolves are ranked eighth in the men's poll and fifth in the women's poll.  Also in the Top 10 are Western Washington's men and Simon Fraser's women.  The Viking men are 10th and the Clan women are ninth.

Four more GNAC teams are among the Top 35 in the rankings.  On the men's side Western Oregon is 18th and Seattle Pacific is 29th.  On the women's side, Western Washington is 15th and Seattle Pacific is 18th.

GNAC teams will compete at three venues this Saturday as Alaska Fairbanks, Seattle Pacific and Western Washington will join the host Saints at the Saint Martin's Invitational.  Central Washington will compete among with Montana State Billings at the Erik Anderson Invitational in Spokane.

Simon Fraser and Western Oregon will head to California for the Sonoma State Invitational. 

KASLER TOP FINISHER IN INVITATIONAL DIVISION:  Connor Kasler of Western Oregon was the top male finisher among non-Division I or unattached athletes in the University of Washington Invitational division finishing 18th  in a time of 24:54.39 last weekend.  . .He led the Wolves to a fourth place team finish in back of Washington, Fresno State and Idaho and ahead of Simon Fraser, Eastern Washington and Portland State. Kasler’s time was  two-tenths of a second faster than Chip Jackson of Western Washington who won the UW Open Division in a time of 24:54.55 and was selected the GNAC Red Lion Male Athlete-of-the-Week. . .Western Oregon’s average time (for its top five finishers) of 25:34.61 was about 10 seconds quicker than Seattle Pacific’s average time of 25:44.67. . .The Falcons finished second in the open division with a team score of 108, well back British Columbia which had a winning team score of 48.

STEEN POSTS BEST TIME IN OPEN DIVISION: Katelyn Steen of Western Washington had the best GNAC time in the women’s open division at Lincoln Park, finishing third in a time of 22:08.67. . .Simon Fraser’s first five finishers in the invitational division had an average time of 22:28.64 lead the Clan to a fifth-place team finish with a team score of 109.  The Clan was led by Lindsay Butterworth who finished 12th a time of 21:45.18, the best by any GNAC woman in either division.  She was selected the Red Lion Female Athlete of the Week.  In the open division, Seattle Pacific finished third with a team score of 88 and an average time of 22:53.76.

CHOQUETTE, MICKELSEN LEAD MSUB: While seven GNAC teams competed at Seattle and the two Alaska schools took the week off, Montana State Billings headed west on I-90 to compete in the Montana State Open.  Clint Choquette and Whitney Mickelsen paced the ‘Jackets at Bozeman finishing 21st and 23rd, respectively in times of 26:13 (5 miles) and 18:19 (3 miles).

UW Sundodger (Sept. 15, 2012): Men’s Invitational Team Scores – Washington 22, Fresno State 61,   Idaho 73, Western Oregon 93, Simon Fraser 148, Eastern Washington 173, Portland State 182.   Individuals (8,000 Meters) – 1. Joey Bywater, UW, 23:48.27; 18. Connor Kasler, WOU, 24:54.39; 27. David Smith, WOU, 25:26.96; 32. Brady Beagley, WOU, 25:39.97; 37. Zach Holloway, WOU, 25:51.17; 40. Drew Larson, WOU, 26:00.55. Men’s Open Team Scores – British Columbia 48, Seattle Pacific 108, Everett CC 128, Seattle 155, Western Washington 166 (9. Northwest Nazarene 264, 13. Central Washington 375, 16. Saint Martin’s 410, 19. Western Oregon 463). Individuals (8,000 Meters) – 1. Chip Jackson, WWU, 24:54.55; 2. Jesse Baggenstos, NNU, 24:57.20; 10. A.J. Baker, SPU, 25:22.25; 19. Jordan Wolfe, SPU, 25:33;33; 23. Tavish Taylor, SPU, 25:37.38

UW Sundodger (Sept. 15, 2012): Women’s Invitational Team Scores – Washington 45, Fresno State 56, Idaho 76, British Columbia 81, Simon Fraser 109, Portland State 139, Eastern Washington 204.  Individuals (6,000 Meters) – 1. Christine Babcock, unat., 20:27.25; 12. Lindsay Butterworth, SFU, 21:45.18; 25. Kirsten Allen, SFU, 22:33.14; 26. Sarah Sawatzky, SFU, 22:34.50; 30. Kansas MacKenzie, SFU, 22:44.81; 31. Peggy Noel, SFU, 22:45.57. Women’s Open Team Scores – Lewis & Clark 62, Everett 67, Seattle Pacific 88, Linfield 133, Whitman 176 (6. Western Washington 203, 7. Western Oregon 214, 8. Central Washington 219, 10. Northwest Nazarene 253, 18. Saint Martin’s 506).  Individuals (6,000 Meters) – 1. Emily Thomas, L&C, 21:49.61; 3. Katelyn Steen, WWU, 22:08.67; 6. Katie Morris, SPU, 22:26.32; 7. Katie Thralls, SPU, 22:29.70; 10. Robyn Zeidler, SPU, 22:40.54; 14. Kelsey Kraft, CWU, 22:46.61.

Montana State Invitational (Sept. 15 at Bozeman): Men’s Team Score -  Weber State 48, Wyoming 49, Montana State 50, Utah State 74, Montana 124, MSU Billings 184, Carroll 188, South Dakota Mines 250, Northern Colorado 251.  Individuals (5 Miles) – 1. John Coyle, Weber State, 24:43; 21. Clint Choquette, MSUB, 26:13; 38. Daniel Lombardi, MSUB, 26:51; 46. Robert Peterson, MSUB, 27:09; 49. Chase Robinson, MSUB, 27:10; 53. Taylor Canfield, MSUB, 27:19. Women’s Team Scores – Montana State 61, Utah 62, Utah State 75, Wyoming 75, Carroll 126, Northern Colorado 162, Rocky Mountain 191, Montana 212, MSU Billings 215, South Dakota Mines 292.   Individuals (3 Miles) – 1. Holly Page, Wyoming, 17:17; 23, Whitney Mickelsen, MSUB, 18:19; 48. Renae Hepfner, MSUB, 19:09; 53. Mary Owen, MSUB, 19:17; 61. Melanie Bock, MSUB, 19:30; 62. Jinise Osborne, MSUB, 19:31.

GNAC Players-of-the-Week