Wednesday, October 6, 2021
PORTLAND, Ore. – The trio of four-time honorees, demonstrating the best on the course and in the classroom, lead 95 selections to the 2021 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Cross Country All-Academic Team, presented by Barnes & Noble College.
Alaska Anchorage senior Felix Kemboi, Saint Martin’s senior Miguel De LaMalena and Seattle Pacific senior Elizabeth Thompson were all named to the team for the fourth time and are among 45 repeat selections to the team.
Kemboi and De LaMalena are back on the course after the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out both schools’ 2020-21 cross country season. The 2019 GNAC cross country champion, Kemboi has a 3.41 GPA as a nursing major. He has competed in all three of Alaska Anchorage’s races this season, led by his fifth-place finish at the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open on October 2.
De LaMalena, who has a 3.61 GPA as a mechanical engineering and mathematics major, is a four-year member of the Saints’ team. A middle-distance specialist during the track and field season, De LaMalena’s cross country season is highlighted by a 39th-place finish at the Ken Garland Classic on September 25.
Thompson, who has a 3.91 GPA as a history major, has been a key part of Seattle Pacific’s successes in cross country over the last four years. She has yet to race during the 2021 season.
A total of 48 men and 47 women were named to the Cross Country All-Academic Team. Twenty of the honorees have GPAs of 3.9 or higher and seven have perfect 4.00 GPAs: Alaska senior Nolan Earnest and freshman Kendall Kramer, Alaska Anchorage junior Jacob Moos and freshman Coleman Nash, Northwest Nazarene sophomore Jordan Woods and Seattle Pacific sophomores Annika Esvelt and Charisma Smith.
To qualify for the GNAC All-Academic Teams, presented by Barnes & Noble College, nominees must be of sophomore eligibility or greater, have a minimum cumulative GPA or 3.20 or greater, be a letterwinner on their team and must be in their second year at the nominating institution.
Thanks to eligibility waivers provided by the NCAA due to the cancellation of the 2020 season, players who continue to hold freshman eligibility but are in their second season of competition at the nominating institution were eligible for selection to the GNAC All-Academic Team.
2021 GNAC CROSS COUNTRY ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM Presented by Barnes & Noble College |
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MEN | ||||
ALASKA | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Jack Cater | Civil Engineering | Fr. | 3.59 | Fairbanks, Alaska |
Nolan Earnest | Film & Performing Arts | Fr. | 4.00 | Fairbanks, Alaska |
* Christopher Kalev | Geological Engineering | So. | 3.39 | Tallinn, Estonia |
Patrick Marbacher | Biological Sciences | Jr. | 3.31 | Schupfheim, Switzerland |
* Mike Ophoff | Mechanical Engineering | So. | 3.37 | Cista u Horek, Czech Republic |
*+ Zephan Ozturgut | Biological Studies | Jr. | 3.91 | Anchorage, Alaska |
ALASKA ANCHORAGE | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Titus Kangogo | Mechanical Engineering | So. | 3.63 | Eldoret, Kenya |
*+# Felix Kemboi | Nursing | Sr. | 3.41 | Eldoret, Kenya |
Jacob Moos | Aviation Technology - Piloting | Jr. | 4.00 | Galena, Alaska |
Coleman Nash | Finance | Fr. | 4.00 | Littleton, Colo. |
CENTRAL WASHINGTON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Trevor Allen | Clinical Physiology | Sr. | 3.38 | Lake Stevens, Wash. |
Espen Diamond | Sport Management | Fr. | 3.92 | Everett, Wash. |
* Ian Engdahl | Professional Pilot | So. | 3.43 | Dana Point, Calif. |
Rajesh Gill | Accounting | Sr. | 3.73 | Federal Way, Wash. |
* Garrett Hough | Environmental Sciences | So. | 3.54 | Dana Point, Calif. |
* Ethan Lapic | History/Social Studies | So. | 3.68 | Monroe, Wash. |
Henry Milodragovich | Philosophy | Sr. | 3.64 | Seattle, Wash. |
* Mateo Rivera | Physical Education/School Health | Jr. | 3.50 | Everett, Wash. |
Ty Savely | Sport Management | Jr. | 3.59 | Mission Viejo, Calif. |
* Zach Sundt | Exercise Science | So. | 3.58 | Olympia, Wash. |
Dylan Thompson | Music Performance | Fr. | 3.36 | Roy, Wash. |
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Ase Ackerman | Health & Human Performance - Human Performance Option | Jr. | 3.40 | Glendive, Mont. |
Jackson Bailey | Business Administration: Accounting | Fr. | 3.51 | Missoula, Mont. |
*+ Logan Straus | Health & Human Performance - Performance Option | Jr. | 3.46 | Billings, Mont. |
NORTHWEST NAZARENE | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Braeden Blakeney | Pre-Physical Therapy | Fr. | 3.20 | Cascade Locks, Ore. |
Chandler Emerson | Nursing | Fr. | 3.64 | Eagle, Idaho |
*+ Tyler Shea | Mathematics | Jr. | 3.93 | Spokane, Wash. |
SAINT MARTIN’S | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+# Miguel De LaMelena | Mechanical Engineering & Mathematics | Sr. | 3.61 | Vancouver, Wash. |
* Jack Farrell | Biology | Jr. | 3.69 | Lacey, Wash. |
Michael Harwell | Undeclared | Fr. | 3.46 | Freeland, Wash. |
Ian Kisamore | Information Systems | Fr. | 3.52 | Kalama, Wash. |
SIMON FRASER | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Aaron Ahl | Biomedical Physiology | Sr. | 3.22 | Calgary, Alta. |
Aiden Good | Business | Fr. | 3.37 | Carstairs, Alta. |
* Ephrem Mekonnen | Behavioral Neuroscience | So. | 3.69 | Burnaby, B.C. |
* Brendan Moore | Business Administration | So. | 3.29 | Calgary, Alta. |
WESTERN OREGON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Keanu Daos | Communication | Jr. | 3.38 | Kennewick, Wash. |
Chase Eckenfels | Math | Fr. | 3.38 | Kailua, Hawaii |
* Emmett Klus | Psychology | So. | 3.44 | Burns, Ore. |
Dustyn McKenney | Business | Fr. | 3.79 | Clovis, Calif. |
Bailey Smith | Communication | Jr. | 3.70 | Cody, Wyo. |
WESTERN WASHINGTON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Ethan Bursch | Electrical & Computer Engineering |
Fr. | 3.45 | Shelton, Wash. |
*# Mac Franks | Electrical & Computer Engineering |
Jr. | 3.65 | Lake Forest Park, Wash. |
Jeret Gillingham | Pre-Physician's Assistant | Fr. | 3.50 | Sandy, Ore. |
Jalen Javurek | Electrical & Computer Engineering |
Fr. | 3.36 | Portland, Ore. |
Brock Knowles | Psychology | Fr. | 3.61 | Shelton, Wash. |
#$ Kaleb Korta | Business Administration/ Management | Sr. | 3.56 | Galena, Alaska |
Kevin McDermott | Business Administration & Finance | Fr. | 3.47 | Port Orchard, Wash. |
* Alec Ritter | Kinesiology | So. | 3.30 | Enumclaw, Wash. |
Sean Sands | Behavioral Neuroscience | Fr. | 3.52 | Pine, Colo. |
Abbas Theophilus | Environmental Studies | Fr. | 3.40 | Lynden, Wash. |
Drew Weber | Environmental Sciences | Fr. | 3.36 | Vancouver, Wash. |
WOMEN | ||||
ALASKA | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Rya Berrigan | Biological Sciences | Sr. | 3.89 | Palmer, Alaska |
Kendall Kramer | Psychology | Fr. | 4.00 | Fairbanks, Alaska |
* Sarah Olson | Business Administration | So. | 3.38 | Blaine, Minn. |
Mariel Pulles | Business Administration | So. | 3.59 | Otepaa, Estonia |
ALASKA ANCHORAGE | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Arielle Himelbloom | Health Sciences | Jr. | 3.50 | Kodiak, Alaska |
* Alfin Nyamasyo | Global Logistics & Supply Chain Mgt. | Jr. | 3.36 | Makueni, Kenya |
* Bailey Roe | Health Sciences | So. | 3.30 | Fairbanks, Alaska |
Sofija Spaic | Social Work | Fr. | 3.30 | Palmer, Alaska |
CENTRAL WASHINGTON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Madison Child | Clinical Physiology | Jr. | 3.90 | Camas, Wash. |
*+ Caitlin Gohr | Business Administration | Jr. | 3.86 | Anchorage, Alaska |
Ryan Hyatt | Public Health | So. | 3.46 | Pullman, Wash. |
*+ Kay Lester | Psychology | Jr. | 3.67 | Royal City, Wash. |
* Meredith Massey | Art | Jr. | 3.84 | Kennewick, Wash. |
* Zoie Mastin | Exercise Science | So. | 3.67 | Lake Stevens, Wash. |
*+ Molly Mattson | Clinical Physiology | Jr. | 3.94 | Selah, Wash. |
* Katelynn Strate | Clinical Physiology | So. | 3.44 | Yelm, Wash. |
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Sierra Durbin | Communication: Media Studies | Jr. | 3.55 | Moore, Mont. |
*+ Kailee Stoppel | History – Teaching Option | Jr. | 3.49 | Billings, Mont. |
Aspen Tolman | Health & Human Performance - Teaching Option K-12 | Fr. | 3.86 | Westminster, Colo. |
Ally Whitmer | Health & Human Performance - Human Performance Option | Jr. | 3.56 | Pocatello, Idaho |
NORTHWEST NAZARENE | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Kalen Belton | Nursing | Jr. | 3.88 | Zillah, Wash. |
*+ Sage Earnest | Recreation & Sport Management | Jr. | 3.80 | Nampa, Idaho |
Chloe Edmiston | Social Work | Fr. | 3.92 | Nampa, Idaho |
Kalyssa Kempthorn | Criminal Justice | Fr. | 3.83 | Lake Oswego, Ore. |
Olivia Klein | Recreation & Sport Management | Fr. | 3.87 | Meridian, Idaho |
Isabelle Kronz | Computer Science | Fr. | 3.22 | Nampa, Idaho |
* Julia LaMar | Nursing | So. | 3.45 | Eagle, Idaho |
Emily McMahon | Undeclared | Fr. | 3.72 | Prescott, Ariz. |
Alyssa Quinn | Psychology | Fr. | 3.90 | Meridian, Idaho |
* Sage Way | Nursing | So. | 3.94 | Cascade, Idaho |
Jordan Woods | Accounting | So. | 4.00 | Meridian, Idaho |
SAINT MARTIN’S | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Cassidy Walchak-Sloan | Social Work | Fr. | 3.47 | Olympia, Wash. |
SEATTLE PACIFIC | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Annika Esvelt | Biochemistry | So. | 4.00 | Spokane, Wash. |
Libby Michael | Biology | So. | 3.95 | Nine Mile Falls, Wash. |
Ellie Rising | Music Therapy | So. | 3.94 | Goldendale, Wash. |
Charisma Smith | Exercise Science | So. | 4.00 | Fife, Wash. |
*+# Elizabeth Thompson | History | Sr. | 3.91 | Portland, Ore. |
* Kelsey Washenberger | Applied Human Biology | Jr. | 3.92 | Bend, Ore. |
SIMON FRASER | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Alison Andrews-Paul | Health Studies | Sr. | 3.79 | Ohope Beach, New Zealand |
*+ Emily Chilton | Biomedical Physiology | Jr. | 3.99 | New Westminster, B.C. |
Ella Marion | Biomedical Physiology | Fr. | 3.82 | Calgary, Alta. |
* Claire Noort | History & Indigenous Studies | Sr. | 3.31 | New Westminster, B.C. |
Charlotte Prangley | Biomedical Physiology | Fr. | 3.37 | North Vancouver, Wash. |
Megan Roxby | Business & Sustainable Business | Jr. | 3.33 | North Vancouver, B.C. |
WESTERN OREGON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
*+ Kaylin Cantu | Exercise Science | Jr. | 3.37 | Mount Angel, Ore. |
WESTERN WASHINGTON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Mia Crocker | Undeclared | Fr. | 3.87 | Sammamish, Wash. |
Shawnee Konrad | Business – Operations Management | Sr. | 3.21 | Spokane, Wash. |
* - 2020-21 All-Academic Selection + - 2019 All-Academic Selection # - 2018 All-Academic Selection $ - 2017 All-Academic Selection |