Wednesday, October 5, 2022

SAINTS ALIVE: Saint Martin’s has a young roster but that did not stop those runners from putting together a pair of confidence-building performances at Saturday’s John Payne Curtis Invitational.

The SMU women won the small meet with a score of 25 points, beating Western Washington by five points as the Vikings ran with a limited roster of freshmen and sophomores. The Saints took the top three spots, led by freshman Alauna Carstens with a winning time of 18:43.3 over 5,000 meters. The effort earned Carstens selection as the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week.

The top three sweep included sophomore Sara Sabra, who placed second in 18:54.4, and freshman Alisha Saucedo, who was third in 19:40.9.

The Saints men placed second of three teams with 36 points behind another young Western Washington roster, which won with 19 points. Sophomore Kainalu Pagente led the way, placing fifth with a time of 26:27.4 over 8,000 meters.

Sophomore Sean Sands led the Vikings in the men’s victory with a time of 25:54.5. Western Washington placed all five of its scoring runners in the top 10.

SMITH SURGES: The best individual men’s run of the week belonged to Western Oregon senior Bailey Smith, who placed third at Friday’s Mike Johnson Classic. Smith placed third with a time of 24:43.6 over 8,000 meters, earning GNAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors. He was the top Division II finisher in the field and led the Wolves to a third-place team finish.

ESVELT RETURNS: Seattle Pacific sophomore Annika Esvelt made her debut at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational and showed that she has not lost any speed. Despite not racing through the first month of the season, Esvelt placed ninth as she covered the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:21.4. She was the No. 2 non-Division I placer in the meet and led the Falcons to a seventh-place finish.

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN
Bailey Smith, Western Oregon
Senior • Cody, Wyo.

Smith was the top GNAC finisher at Friday’s Mike Johnson Classic, placing third with a time of 24:43.6 over 8,000 meters. Smith averaged 4:58 per mile and was just six seconds behind winner Juan Rosales of San Diego Mesa College. Smith led Western Oregon to a third-place team finish.

Also Nominated: Sean Sands (Western Washington).

WOMEN
Alauna Carstens, Saint Martin’s
Freshman • Shelton, Wash.

Carstens was the winner of the women’s race at the John Payne Curtis Invitational, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:43.3. Averaging 6 minutes, 1 second per mile, Carstens finished 11 seconds ahead of second-place teammate Sara Sabra and led the Saints to the team victory with a score of 25 points.

Also Nominated: Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific), Ali Clifton (Western Oregon), Sidra Miller (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Alaska returns to the course on Friday, taking part in the  Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open in Billings, Montana.

• Alaska has not raced in over a month, last running at the Seawolf Throwdown in Anchorage on Sept. 3. The Nanooks captured the women’s race with a score of 23 points, nine points ahead of Alaska Anchorage. The Nanooks had the top three finishers in the race.

• Sophomore Kendall Kramer won her second race in as many weeks, covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 22:17. She averaged 5 minutes, 59 seconds per mile. Sophomore Rosie Fordham was second for the second straight week with a time of 22:19.

• Sophomore Naomi Bailey rounded out the UAF top three in her first race of the season, placing third in a time of 22:23.

• The Alaska men lost to Alaska Anchorage, finishing with a total of 23 points. Sophomore Koen Ross was the Nanooks’ top finisher, placing sixth in a time of 28:26 over 8,000 meters.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage will not race again until Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Division II Pre-Nationals meet in University Place, Washington.

• Racing for the first time in three weeks, Alaska Anchorage ran to a pair of sixth-place finishes at the WWU Bill Roe Classic in Ferndale, Washington on Sept. 24.

• Sophomore Coleman Nash took second place in the men’s race, covering the 8,000-meter course in 24:25.8. He was the top collegiate runner in the race and finished 11 seconds ahead of Western Washington’s Kevin McDermott.

• The Alaska Anchorage men finished with a score of 144 points. Junior Michael Zapherson was the Seawolves’ No. 2 finisher, placing 26th in a time of 25:48.1.

• The Seawolves’ women finished with a score of 162 points. Freshman Elle Stevens was the top UAA finisher, placing 21st in a time of 23:04.5 over 6,000 meters. Senior Alfin Nyamasyo was 27th in a time of 23:21.2.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington posted a fourth-place men’s finish and a fifth-place women’s finish at the Whitman Invitational on Saturday in Walla Walla, Washington.

• The Wildcats’ men scored a total of 80 points for its fourth-place finish. Sophomore Ty Savely was the lead finisher for CWU in ninth place, covering the 8,000-meter course in a time of 27:13.8. Sophomore Shawn Clough finished 12th in a time of 27:22.4.

• The CWU women finished with a score of 111 points. Freshman Beatrice Le Gore led the charge, placing 14th in a time of of 25:17.6 over 6,000 meters. Junior Zoie Mastin added a 15th-place finish in 25:19.6.

• Central Washington finishes up three straight weekends of racing on Saturday, taking part in the L-C State Invitational in Lewiston, Idaho.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings turned in a pair of second-place team finishes against a small field of athletes at the Montana Open on Friday in Missoula.

• The MSUB men scored a total of 45 points behind a perfect 15-point score by the Division I Grizzlies. Junior Bryant Edgerton was the first Yellowjacket across the finish line, placing ninth in a time of 25:51.8 over 8,000 meters. Freshman Wyatt May was 11th in 26:09.

• The women scored 44 points, also placing behind a perfect score for the host team. Freshman Kaylee Dalling was the top MSUB finisher, placing eighth in a time of 19:22.3. Freshman Casey Berendsen finished in 11th place in a time of 19:46.4.

• Montana State Billings concludes a string of three straight meets in the Treasure State, hosting the Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bears Open on Friday.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not race last week. The Nighthawks return to the course on Friday, competing in the Steve T. Reeder Memorial Invite in Logan, Utah.

• Northwest Nazarene posted a pair of fifth-place team finishes at the Idaho State Open on Sept. 23 in Pocatello.

• The NNU women finished with a score of 159 points. Freshman Morgan Erler led the way, placing 19th in a time of 24:09.2 over 6,000 meters. Sophomore Olivia Klein was the Nighthawks’ No. 2 finisher, placing 38th in 25:33.4.

• The NNU men finished with a score of 174 points as the Nighthawks fielded their first complete team of the season. Freshman Brody Kemble was the top finisher, placing 27th in a time of 19:54.8 over 6,000 meters. Sophomore Quincy Ellis was the No. 2 runner, placing 49th in a time of 21:14.3.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s picked up the women’s team title and took second in the men’s race against a small field of athletes at the John Payne Curtis Invitational on Saturday in University Place, Washington.

• Freshman Alauna Carstens was named the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after she captured the individual title, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:43.3. She was 11 seconds ahead of sophomore teammate Sara Sabra, who ran 18:54.4.

• The SMU women scored a total of 25 points to finish five points ahead of Western Washington. Sophomore Alisha Saucedo completed the top-three sweep for the Saints with her third-place time of 19:40.9.

• The Saint Martin’s men scored 36 points, finishing 17 points behind Western Washington. Sophomore Kainalu Pagente led the way with his fifth-place in a time of 26:27.4.

• Sophomore Michael Harwell added a sixth-place finish in a time of 26:29.6 while senior Jack Farrell was ninth in 27:07.1.

• Saint Martin’s will take the trip south to the Bay Area this week, taking part in the SF State Invitational on Friday at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific made its annual trip to Salem, Oregon on Saturday, placing sixth in the women’s race and ninth in the men’s race at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational.

• The Falcons women scored 185 points and were the No. 2 non-Division I team in the field. Running in her first race of the season, sophomore Annika Esvelt delivered a solid performance as she finished ninth in a time of 18:21.4 over 5,000 meters.

• A sprinter by trade, senior Vanessa Aniteye was the Falcons’ No. 2 runner, placing 33rd in a time of 19:07.8.

• The SPU men scored 254 points to place 19 points behind Division I Portland State. Junior Brennan LeBlanc was the Falcons’ top finisher, placing 28th in a time of 25:22.9 over 8,000 meters.

• Seattle Pacific will not race again until Saturday, Oct. 22, when the Falcons host the Division II Pre-Nationals meet at the Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Washington. The course will serve as site of the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser did not race last week. The Red Leafs will be in action on Friday at the SF State Invitational in San Francisco.

• Simon Fraser posted a pair of second-place team finishes at the WWU Bill Roe Classic on Sept. 24 in Ferndale, Washington.

• The Red Leafs men were a close second to Western Washington, scoring 50 points to finish seven points behind the Vikings. Three SFU runners placed in the top 10 with a gap of just 25 seconds between the No. 1 and No. 5 runners.

• Sophomore Charlie Dannatt led SFU in his season debut, placing sixth in a time of 24:55.4 over 8,000 meters. Sophomore Scott Arndt was seventh in 24:57.5 while junior Sebastian Brinkman was ninth in 25:00.6.

• The Simon Fraser women finished with a score of 72 points, 19 points behind first-place Western Washington.

• Junior Grace Chalk led the Red Leafs, finishing sixth in a time of 22:20.5 over 6,000 meters. Senior Megan Roxby also placed in the top 10, finishing ninth in a time of 22:33.2. Sophomore Charlotte Prangley rounded out the SFU runners in the top 20, placing 16th in 22:52.9.

• The SFU women retained their No. 28 position in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Red Leafs men dropped one spot to No. 30.

WESTERN OREGON
• On the home course for the second time this season, Western Oregon ran to a second-place women’s finish and a third-place men’s finish at the Mike Johnson Classic on Friday in Monmouth.

• Senior Bailey Smith was named the GNAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after he placed third in the men’s 8,000-meter race. Smith covered the course in a time of 24:43.6, placing six seconds behind champion Juan Rosales of San Diego Mesa.

• The men finished with a team score of 69 points. In addition to Smith, sophomore Easton Pomrankey placed 15th in 25:33.2 and sophomore Cedar Davis-Frankfort was 16th in 25:37.8.

• The WOU women scored 65 points to place second. Freshman Ali Clifton was the Wolves’ lead runner, placing eighth in a time of 22:37.9 for 6,000 meters. Freshman Riley Smith placed ninth in a time of 22:41.2.

• All five WOU women’s placers finished in the top 20. Freshman Natalie Perez was 14th in 23:11.4. Sophomore Olivia Flack was 15th in 23:15.9 and sophomore Katie Chapman placed 19th in 23:22.3.

• Western Oregon does not race again until Saturday, Oct. 15, at the L&C Invitational in Estacada, Oregon.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington scored the men’s top honors while the women placed second as the Vikings sent limited rosters to the John Payne Curtis Invitational on Saturday in University Place, Washington.

• The WWU men won with a score of 19 points, placing three runners in the top five to finish 17 points ahead of second-place Saint Martin’s. Sophomore Sean Sands led the way, placing second with his time of 25:54.5 over 8,000 meters.

• Sophomore Drew Weber placed third with a time of 26:14.1 while freshman Will Henry placed fourth in 26:26.7. Rounding out WWU’s top-10 runners were freshman Michael Salazar in seventh (26:48.1) and freshman Jonah Bloom in eighth (27:05.6).

• The WWU women scored 30 points to place second to Saint Martin’s. Freshman Sidra Miller led five consecutive Vikings’ finishers, placing fourth in a time of 19:42.6 over 5,000 meters.

• The next four included freshman Laura Halsell in fifth (19:56.4), freshman Alexis Parker in sixth (20:07.6), sophomore Emma Smith in seventh (20:12.0) and freshman Emmy Korrintje in eighth (20:12.4).

• The WWU women climbed one more spot in the USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll to No. 18. The WWU men dropped two spots to No. 26.

• Western Washington travels east this week, competing in the Lewis Crossover on Saturday in Romeoville, Illinois.