Tuesday, May 22, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – For the second year in a row, Alaska Anchorage finds itself crowned the Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-sports champion.

With two conference regular-season championships and top-four finishes in seven of the nine conference sports the school sponsors, Alaska Anchorage came out on top of a close race with an average score of 7.92. Western Washington was second for the second consecutive year with an average score of 7.51 while Central Washington finished third with a score of 7.47.

"We are extraordinarily proud to repeat as GNAC all-sports champions,” said UAA interim athletic director Tim McDiffett. “This honor belongs not just to our student-athletes, but to our coaches and athletic department support staff who lay the foundation for their success in the competitive arena. Additionally, UAA student-athletes and staff should be commended for setting records in the classroom and with community service, producing a combined GPA of 3.33 in calendar year 2017 and contributing nearly 2,700 volunteer hours.”

The Seawolves also claimed their second consecutive women’s all-sports championship, finishing with a score of 8.05. The school won both of its GNAC championships in women’s sports, claiming the cross country title and tying for the regular-season title in basketball. The Seawolves also tied for third in volleyball. Seattle Pacific finished second at 7.94 while Central Washington was third at 6.99.

Western Oregon claimed its second men’s all-sports championship in three years, topping the list with a score of 7.89. The Wolves won its two championships in men’s sports, winning both the cross country and basketball titles. Western Oregon was further helped with a second-place finish in baseball and a third-place finish in indoor track and field. Western Washington finished second at 7.57 while Alaska Anchorage was third at 7.23.

Nine of the GNAC’s 11 full-member institutions won at least one championship. Concordia led the conference with four championships. The Cavaliers won the regular-season championship in women’s soccer and won conference tournaments in men’s indoor and outdoor track and field and women’s golf.

Central Washington won three conference championships, claiming the regular-season title in football and a share of the regular-season championship in softball. The Wildcats also shared the women’s indoor track and field championship.

Alaska Anchorage and Western Oregon were among five GNAC schools to win two championships. The schools are joined by Northwest Nazarene (women’s basketball and softball), Seattle Pacific (women’s indoor and outdoor track and field) and Simon Fraser (men’s soccer and men’s golf). Montana State Billings won the baseball regular-season championship and Western Washington won the volleyball championship.

For the second year, the GNAC all-sports championship was determined using the Dormeyer System, which gives each school an average score based on its finish in each conference sport and the number of GNAC sports sponsored by each school. The averages are based on regular season finishes in football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball and conference meet finishes in men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and men’s and women’s golf. The system treats each conference title equally, with 10 points awarded to first place with values dropping incrementally based on the number of schools sponsoring that sport.

In past years, the all-sports championship was based on points awarded in two-point increments based on a team’s regular season or conference meet finish.