Wednesday, October 21, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. - Alaska Anchorage saw their GNAC championship streak end at six last year as Simon Fraser edged the Seawolves out in the closest team race in conference meet history.

That race that saw Simon Fraser, Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington divided by three points (62-63-64) proved the start of a banner championship for the GNAC. Those three teams, plus Central Washington, went on to top-six finishes at the West Region championships to give the conference an unprecedented four teams at the NCAA Division II Championships.

Things have certainly changed from this time a year ago, but Alaska Anchorage remains as the team to beat at the 2015 GNAC Cross Country Championships at Bellingham’s Lake Padden Park. The Seawolves, ranked No. 7 in the USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll, return five runners from last year’s team, but have raced through 2015 with a decidedly different look.

Senior Beatrice Decker, the Seawolves top returning finisher from last year’s meet (sixth), has raced just once this season. The leading presence for the team is junior Joyce Chelimo, who had finished second all three of UAA’s races. A redshirt last year, Chelimo will be a title contender. As Joyce Kipchumba, Chelimo finished fourth at the 2013 GNAC Championships and 13th at the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Caroline Kurgat, 11th in last year’s championship, won both of the team’s Hawaii races and placed third at the Western Washington Invitational.

Western Washington stands ready to compete on their home course. The Vikings, ranked No. 12 in the USTFCCA Poll, have performed well against tough fields, winning September’s Sundodger Invitational and placing fourth at their own WWU Invitational. They were beat by only one GNAC squad: Alaska Anchorage.

Western Washington’s strength has not been individual standouts, but in running well as a group. The scoring five had a gap of just 1:02 at Sundodger and a mere 59 seconds at the WWU Invitational. Senior Taylor Guenther, who finished 10th in last year’s GNAC meet, has three top-10 finishes and placed fifth at Sundodger with a season-best 21:34.29. Junior Brittany Grant also has three top-10 finishes and was seventh at Sundodger.

Seattle Pacific, who figured out of the equation last year, is the league’s most improved team. The Falcons finished fifth last year, but have finished no worse than fourth as a team in their four meets this season, winning both races at the Moda Health Alaska Invitational, placing third at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational and fourth at Sundodger. The Falcons enter the meet ranked 18th in the USTFCCCA Poll.

Senior Anna Patti will contend for the individual title after placing seventh in this meet as a junior. Patti won her first three meets of the season, including the Sundodger in a blistering 21:11.82 for 6,000 meters, and placed second at Willamette with a 5,000-meter time of 17:35.3. Junior Sarah Macdonald was second to Patti at both Alaska Invitational races and placed 12th at Willamette.

Simon Fraser’s Rebecca Bassett and Central Washington’s Dani Eggleston placed second and third, respectively, in last year’s meet. Bassett has three top-10 finishes to her credit this season, winning the season-opening Ash Creek Invitational and placing third at Sundodger with a season best 21:21.26. Eggleston placed 19th at Sundodger and placed 21st at the WWU Invitational.

Other runners to watch include Concordia’s Megan Fristoe, who has three top-15 finishes this season and placed 11th at the Willamette Invitational, and Northwest Nazarene freshman Sierra Manzer, who placed 11th at the San Francisco Invitational.

Following the GNAC Championships, the league’s team will compete in two weeks at the NCAA West Regional Championships on Sat., Nov. 7. The top five teams in the west region meet will advance to the NCAA Division II Championships.