Thursday, September 30, 2021

GARCIA MAKES IT TWO FOR TWO: Junior Luz Garcia has raced twice in her first season at Western Oregon after transferring from Cal Poly Pomona. She seems right at home on her new home course.

Garcia was selected as the GNAC Cross Country Women’s Athlete of the Week after she picked up that second win on Friday at the Mike Johnson Classic on the Wolves’ Ash Creek Preserve course. Garcia finished in a time of 21:46.4 over 6,000 meters, averaging 5:50 per mile to finish six seconds ahead of Simon Fraser’s Olivia Willett.

Garcia opened the season by winning the Ash Creek Invitational on Sept. 10, running 13:59.3 for 4,000 meters.

Before arriving at Western Oregon, Garcia was a major contributor to a Cal Poly Pomona squad that finished sixth at the 2019 NCAA Division II West Regional, which was also run at Ash Creek. Garcia placed 13th and was the Broncos’ No. 1 runner, clocking a time of 21:08.8.

VIKINGS SAIL TO STRONG GRIAK PERFORMANCES: In Western Washington’s first solid test against national competition since sweeping the 2019 GNAC titles, Western Washington proved that both their men’s and women’s teams can compete with anyone in the nation.

The WWU men placed second in the men’s maroon race at Friday’s Roy Griak Invitational in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Vikings placed all five scoring runners in the top 25 to finish with a score of 72 points, just four points behind Wayne State (Mich.). Junior Mac Franks placed fifth in a time of 25:50.7 over 8,000 meters while senior Kaleb Korta finished 10th in a time of 25:57.8.

The Western Washington women placed sixth in the maroon race with a score of 209 points and were just three points behind fifth-place Winona State. Freshman Ila Davis led the Vikings with a 27th-place finish, covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 23:21.7.

NATIONAL MEET PREVIEW (2022 EDITION): Seattle Pacific will host the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open on Saturday at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Washington. The meet will be a first look at the facility that will be the site of the 2022 NCAA Division II Championships. Seattle Pacific will host the meet, along with championships for men’s soccer, women’s soccer, volleyball and field hockey as part of the 2022 Division II Fall Festival.

WINNER’S CIRCLE: The following GNAC athletes have picked up cross country victories during the 2021 season...

MEN
Coleman Nash, UAA (UAF Blue/Gold Race, Aug. 28, 22:53, 6,000m)
Coleman Nash, UAA (Seawolf Throwdown, Sept. 4, 26:18.4, 8,000m)
Kainalu Pagente, SMU (Puget Sound Invitational, Sept. 4, 19:03, 6,000m)
Aaron Ahl, SFU (San Francisco St., Sept. 10, 24:30.6, 8,000m)
Keanu Daos, WOU (Ash Creek Invitational, Sept. 10, 18:22.1, 4,000m)
Ase Ackerman, MSUB (Gage McSpadden Memorial, Sept. 17, 19:21.5, 6,000m)
Tyler Shea, NNU (Ken Garland Classic, Sept. 24, 25:36, 8,000m)

WOMEN
Kendall Kramer, UAF (UAF Blue/Gold Race, Aug. 28, 18:34, 5,000m)
Naomi Bailey, UAF (Seawolf Throwdown, Sept. 4, 22:37.8, 6,000m)
Sara Sabra, SMU (Puget Sound Invitational, Sept. 4, 15:35, 4,000m)
Olivia Willett, SFU (SF State Invitational, Sept. 10, 21:57.6, 6,000m)
Luz Garcia, WOU (Ash Creek Invitational, Sept. 10, 13:59.3, 4,000m)
Julia LaMar, NNU (EOU Invitational, Sept. 17, 19:22.9, 5,000m)
Annika Esvelt, SPU (PLU Invitational, Sept. 18, 22:15.7, 6,000m)
Luz Garcia, WOU (Mike Johnson Classic, Sept. 24, 21:46.4, 6,000m)

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN
Tyler Shea, Northwest Nazarene
Junior • Spokane, Wash.

Shea won his third career race on Saturday, taking the men’s 8,000-meter race at the Ken Garland Classic. Shea finished in 25:36 and was four seconds faster than Micah Murphy of Northwest (Wash). Shea led the Nighthawks to a third-place team finish.

Also Nominated: Ase Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Jack Farrell (Saint Martin’s), Aaron Ahl (Simon Fraser), Miguel Villar (Western Oregon), Mac Franks (Western Washington).

WOMEN
Luz Garcia, Western Oregon
Junior • Los Angeles, Calif.

Garcia made it two wins in as many races this season, taking top honors at the Mike Johnson Classic on Friday. Garcia covered the 6,000-meter course in 21:46.4 to finish six seconds ahead of Simon Fraser’s Olivia Willett. Garcia led the Wolves to a fifth-place team finish.

Also Nominated: Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Kalen Belton (Northwest Nazarene), Sara Sabra (Saint Martin’s), Olivia Willett (Simon Fraser), Ila Davis (Western Washington).

AROUND THE GNAC
ALASKA
• Returning to the course after three weeks, the Alaska women placed seventh and the men placed 12th at the Mike Johnson Classic on Friday in Monmouth, Oregon.

• The Nanooks’ women scored 164 points, seven points behind sixth-place Pacific (Ore.). Freshman Rosie Fordham led the way with her third top-five finish of the season, placing fourth in a time of 22:19.4 over 6,000 meters.

• Freshman Delainey Zock provided the Nanooks’ other top-25 finish, placing 23rd in a time of 23:20.1.

• The Alaska men finished with a team score of 356 points. Senior Zephan Ozturgut was the Nanooks’ top finisher, placing 74th in a time of 28:01.8 over 8,000 meters. Freshman Patrick Marbacher placed 80th in a time of 28:17.4.

• The Nanooks will not race this coming weekend. Alaska will complete its regular season on Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Bill Roe Classic in Bellingham, Washington.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage did not compete last week. The Seawolves will race for the first time in over a month on Saturday at the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open in University Place, Washington.

• The Seawolves last competed on Saturday, September 4, capturing the men’s team title and placed second in the women’s race in its own Seawolf Throwdown.

• Freshman Coleman Nash was the winner in the men’s race as he covered the 8,000-meter course in a time of 26:18.4. He was nine seconds faster than junior Jacob Moos, who was second in 26:27.9.

• Senior Nancy Jeptoo led the Seawolves’ women, covering the 6,000-meter distance in a time of 24:334.2 to place third. Junior Alfin Nyamasyo was fifth in a time of 26:00.9.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Running for the third consecutive week, Central Washington sent a limited number of athletes to the Ken Garland Classic on Saturday in Lacey, Washington. The Wildcats fielded incomplete teams.

• Freshman Dylan Thompson was the top CWU men’s runner, placing 24th in a time of 27:33 over 8,000 meters. Sophomore Garrett Hough was 32nd in a time of 28:34. The Wildcats had three men’s runners in the meet.

• Junior Caitlin Gohr led four Central Washington women’s runners, placing 26th in a time of 25:44 over 6,000 meters. Sophomore Katelynn Strate added a 29th-place finish in a time of 25:59.

• Central Washington will send complete teams to Salem, Oregon for the Charles Bowles Classic on Saturday.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Paced by a trio of top-10 finishes the Montana State Billings posted a third-place men’s finish and a seventh-place women’s finish at the Montana Open on Friday in Missoula.

• The Yellowjackets’ men scored 77 points, just one point behind second-place Carroll (Mont.). Junior Ase Ackerman led the way with a fourth-place finish, covering the 7,000-meter course in a time of 20:52.5. It was Ackerman’s third top-five finish of the season. Senior Carson Jessop added a seventh-place in a time of 21:22.3.

• The MSUB women scored a total of 151 points, seven points behind sixth-place Montana Western. Junior Kailee Stoppel led the way with a sixth-place finish, running the 5,000-meter course in a time of 17:37.6. Junior Ally Whitmer was the Yellowjackets’ No. 2, runner, placing 28th in 19:14.4.

• Montana State Billings will be off this weekend. The Yellowjackets will conclude the regular season on Friday, October 8, hosting the Yellowjacket Open at Billings’ Amend Park.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene ran to a second-place women’s finish and a third-place men’s finish at the Ken Garland Invitational in Lacey, Washington.

• Junior Tyler Shea was named the GNAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after he won the men’s 8,000-meter race in a time of 25:36, finishing four seconds ahead of Micah Murphy of Northwest (Wash.). It was Shea’s first victory of the season and the third of his NNU career.

• Freshman Dylan Tidwell added a top-five finish, placing fourth in a time of 25:46.

• Sophomores Kalen Belton and Julia LaMar finished second and third, respectively, in the women’s 6,000-meter race. Belton crossed in second place in 23:29 while LaMar was one second behind in 25:30.

• Northwest Nazarene is back in the course this weekend, competing in the Charles Bowles Invitational on Saturday in Salem, Oregon.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s posted a pair of fourth-place finishes at home in Saturday’s Ken Garland Classic, which served as a preview of the course for the GNAC Championships.

• The Saints’ men finished with a score of 89 points. Junior Jack Farrell had the team’s lone top-10 finish, placing eighth in a time of 26:24 over 8,000 meters. Freshman Kainalu Pagente placed 12 in a time of 26:34.

• The Saint Martin’s women scored a total of 74 points, three points behind third-place Northwest (Wash.). Freshman Sara Sabra posted the Saints’ lone top-10 finish, clocking 23:40 over 6,000 meters to place sixth. Freshman Cassidy Walchak-Sloan placed 11th in a time of 24:16.

• Saint Martin’s will complete its regular-season schedule this Saturday, competing in the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open in nearby University Place.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific did not race last weekend. The Falcons will host the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open on Saturday in University Place, Washington. Chambers Bay Collegiate Park will be the site of the 2022 Division II Championships when Seattle Pacific hosts the Division II Fall Festival.

• Seattle Pacific scored a pair of fifth-place finishes at the PLU Invitational on Sept. 18 in Tacoma.

• Sophomore Annika Esvelt was the winner in the women’s 6,000-meter race in just her second collegiate race. Her 22:15.7 was 15 seconds ahead of second-place Kara Putman on Pacific (Ore.). Freshman Ellie Rising added a third-place finish in a time of 22:45.2. The women finished with a score of 118 points, five points behind fourth-place Whitworth.

• The men scored a total of 128 points, six points behind fourth-place Puget Sound. Senior Colin Boutin was the Falcons’ top finisher, placing 11th in a time of 26:15.3 over 8,000 meters.

• The Seattle Pacific women dropped one spot in the USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll to No. 9.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser continues to run strong, winning the women’s team competition and placing second in the men’s race at Friday’s Mike Johnson Classic in Monmouth, Oregon.

• The SFU women scored 30 points to finish 48 points ahead of Division I Eastern Washington. The team placed three runners in the top-five and all five scoring runners in the top-13. There was a one-minute gap between the five runners.

• Junior Olivia Willett led the way, placing second in a time of 21:52.5 over 6,000 meters. Senior Alison Andrews-Paul was third in 21:59.7 and junior Megan Roxby placed fifth in 22:22.5.

• The SFU men scored a total of 47 points, 21 points behind Division I Portland and 22 points ahead of third-place Division I Eastern Washington. There was a gap of just 41 seconds between the scoring five runners.

• Junior Aaron Ahl led the way, placing third behind two Division I runners in a time of 25:07 over 8,000 meters. Sophomore Charlie Dannatt placed seventh in 25:27 while junior Sebastian Brinkman was 12th in 25:43.4.

• Simon Fraser’s women rose two spots to No. 9 in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll and is No. 1 in the West Region Rankings. The SFU men rose four spots to No. 19 in the national poll and are third in the West Region Rankings.

• Simon Fraser returns to racing on Saturday at the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open in University Place, Washington.

WESTERN OREGON
• Hosting its second home meet of the season, Western Oregon posted a pair of fifth-place team finishes at the Mike Johnson Classic on Friday.

• The Wolves’ women scored a total of 150 points, seven points ahead of Pacific (Ore.). Junior Luz Garcia was named the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after she won her second meet of the season, covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 21:46.7. Garcia won by six seconds over Simon Fraser’s Olivia Willett.

• Junior Caitlin Heldt added an 11th-place finish in a time of 22:37.6.

• The Western Oregon men scored 154 points, three points behind fifth-place Cal State East Bay and 11 points ahead of Pacific (Ore.). Junior Miguel Villar was the Wolves’ top placer, finishing 18th in a time of 25:53.1 over 8,000 meters.

• Western Oregon will not race this weekend. The Wolves will take their longest road trip of the season next week, competing in the Lewis Crossover in Romeoville, Illinois on Saturday, October 9.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington performed well in the high-powered Roy Griak Invitational last Friday in St. Paul, Minnesota.

• The Vikings’ men placed three runners in the top 15 and all five scoring runners in the top 30 to place second with a score of 72 points. The WWU women were a competitive sixth with a score of 209 points.

• Junior Mac Franks led the WWU men’s charge, placing fifth in a time of 25:50.7 over 8,000 meters. Senior Kaleb Korta finished 10th in 25:57.8 and freshman Jeret Gillingham finished 12th in 25:59.9.

• Freshman Ila Davis paced the Vikings’ women, placing 27th in a time of 23:21.7 over 6,000 meters. Senior Brittany Aquino finished 33rd in 23:37.6 and senior Shawnee Konrad was 41st in a time of 23:45.8.

• Western Washington also sent a limited number of runners to Saturday’s Ken Garland Classic in Lacey, Washington. The men placed fifth with 111 points while the women were incomplete.

• Freshman Ethan Bursch led the WWU men in Lacey, placing 19th in a time of 26:58 over 8,000 meters. Freshman Delphine Maurer led the WWU women, running 24:28 over 6,000 meters to place 15th.

• The Western Washington men received votes in this week’s USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll for the second consecutive week. Both the WWU men and women are No. 8 in this week’s West Region Rankings.

• The Vikings do not race again until they host the Bill Roe Classic in Bellingham on Saturday, October 9.