Monday, November 7, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Washington ran away with both team championships at the 2022 GNAC Cross Country Championships in Monmouth, Oregon on the way to earning GNAC Team of the Week honors for both the men and the women.

The Vikings men placed all five of their scoring runners in the top 10, led by sophomore Jeret Gillingham in third place, and finished with a team score of 31 points. Western Washington was 21 points clear of second-place Simon Fraser who entered as the defending champion.  Gillingham completed the eight-kilometer course in a time of 24:06.5, averaging 4 minutes, 51 seconds per mile. He was followed by teammate Andrew Oslin in fourth just one second behind.

The next three scoring runners for the WWU men weren’t far behind with sophomore George Karamitsos in seventh with a time of 24:12.5, sophomore Kevin McDermott eighth in 24:20.5 and sophomore Ryan Clough finished ninth in 24:22.7. All five scoring Vikings earned All-GNAC honors courtesy of their top-10 finishes while Jared Alderfer was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year after he finished in 17th with a time of 24:51.6.

The Western Washington women claimed team victory with a score of 64, 14 points ahead of second-place Saint Martin’s. The Vikings charge was headed up by sophomore Mia Crocker in seventh place who finished the six-kilometer course in a time of 21:30 followed by fellow sophomore Sophie Wright with a time of 21:39.6. Sophomore Meara Shannon was named the GNAC Newcomer of the Year after finishing in 11th place 21:48.4. Crocker and Wright both earned All-GNAC Honors for their top-10 finishes.

Sophomore Evelyn Collins-Winn and freshman Ashley Reeck completed the scoring for Western Washington in 17th and 21st, respectively.

The pair of team victories marks the second time that the Vikings have swept the GNAC Cross Country Championships. The WWU men won the title for the sixth time and the women for the second. Both teams moved up from second-place finishes at the 2021 GNAC Championships.

Both Western Washington squads will now look ahead to the NCAA West Region Championships which will be hosted by Montana State Billings on Sat., Nov. 19 at Amend Park in Billings, Montana.