Thursday, October 7, 2021

BATTLIN’ BY THE BAY: A handful of GNAC teams took the chance to get an early preview of the course that will host the 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. The conference talent that took part in the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open on Saturday did not disappoint.

Alaska Anchorage freshman Coleman Nash and Seattle Pacific sophomore Annika Esvelt won their respective races to achieve a GNAC sweep. Nash was an easy winner in the men’s 8,000-meter race in a time of 25:01.9 to finish 15 seconds ahead of junior teammate Jacob Moos, who was second in 25:16.1.

Nash led the Seawolves to the men’s team title with 56 points, three points ahead of second-place Northwest (Wash.). It was the third victory in three collegiate races for Nash.

Esvelt, meanwhile, won for the second time in three races, covering the 5,000-meter course in 18:32.9. She finished 11 seconds ahead of Alaska Anchorage senior Nancy Jeptoo, who placed 10th at the 2019 NCAA Division II Championships.

The Seawolves placed second in the women’s competition with 80 points while an injury-depleted Seattle Pacific team placed fourth.
Saint Martin’s showed significant improvement, placing third in both the men’s and women’s competitions. The women scored 82 points to finish between Alaska Anchorage and Seattle Pacific. Freshman Sara Sabra led the Saints with a seventh-place finish in a time of 19:12.3.

The SMU men compiled a score of 96 points, four points ahead of fourth-place Spokane CC. Junior Jack Farrell led the way with a seventh-place finish of his own with a time of 25:54.9.

The Chambers Bay Collegiate Open provided 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)
Carson Jessop, MSUB (Providence Invitational, Oct. 1, 29:12, 8,000m)
Coleman Nash, UAA (Chambers Bay Collegiate Open, Oct. 2, 25:01.9, 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)
Annika Esvelt, SPU (Chambers Bay Collegiate Open, Oct. 2, 18:32.9, 6,000m)

THIS WEEK'S GNAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN
Coleman Nash, Alaska Anchorage
Freshman • Littleton, Colo.

Nash won for the third time in as many meets this season, capturing the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open on Saturday. Nash won in a time of 25:01.9 over 8,000 meters, finishing 15 seconds ahead of teammate Jacob Moos. Nash led the Seawolves to the team title with 56 points.

Also Nominated: Carson Jessop (Montana State Billings), Jack Farrell (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN
Annika Esvelt, Seattle Pacific
Sophomore • Spokane, Wash.

Esvelt was a winner for the second time this season, winning Saturday’s Chambers Bay Collegiate Open. Esvelt ran a time of 18:32.9 over 5,000 meters, finishing 11 seconds ahead of second-place Nancy Jeptoo of Alaska Anchorage.

Also Nominated: Nancy Jeptoo (Alaska Anchorage), Sara Sabra (Saint Martin’s).

ALASKA
• Alaska did not compete last week. The Nanooks will conclude the regular season this Saturday at the Bill Roe Classic in Bellingham, Washington.

• Returning to the course after three weeks, the Alaska women placed seventh and the men placed 12th at the Mike Johnson Classic on September 24 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.

ALASKA ANCHORAGE
• Alaska Anchorage scored the men’s team victory and placed second in the women’s competition at the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open on Saturday in University Place, Washington.

• The Seawolves’ men finished with a score of 56 points and placed three runners in the top-10. Freshman Coleman Nash was named the GNAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after he won with a time of 25:01.9 over 8,000 meters. It was Nash’s third race victory of the season.

• Nash was 15 seconds ahead of junior Jacob Moos, who placed second in a time of 25:16.1. Senior and 2019 GNAC champion Felix Kemboi finished fifth in 25:49, knocking over two minutes off of his time at the Seawolf Throwdown in early September.

• The Alaska Anchorage women scored 80 points to finish 26 points behind first-place Northwest (Wash.). Senior Nancy Jeptoo was UAA’s lone top-10 finisher, placing second in 18:43.7 over 5,000 meters. Sophomore Bailey Roe placed 14th in a time of 19:58.3.

• The Chambers Bay Collegiate Open was the final regular-season race for the Seawolves. Alaska Anchorage will compete next at the GNAC Championships on Saturday, October 23 in Lacey, Washington.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON
• Central Washington ran to a seventh-place men’s finish and a 13th-place women’s finish as the only GNAC team competing at the Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational on Saturday in Salem, Oregon.

• The Wildcats’ men finished with 173 points, 13 points behind sixth-place Western New Mexico and four points ahead of Pacific Lutheran.

• Senior Trevor Allen led CWU in 20th place, covering the 8,000-meter course in 25:27.7. Freshman Shawn Clough placed 22nd in 25:36.2 and senior Rajesh Gill was 24th in 25:42.8.

• Central Washington’s women finished with a score of 326 points, 23 points behind 12th-place Western New Mexico. Junior Kay Lester led the Wildcats, placing 60th in a time of 19:53.7 over 5,000 meters. Sophomore Katelynn Strate was 72nd and freshman Tailer Cochran placed 73rd, both recording times of 20:10.9.

• Central Washington is one of just two GNAC teams set to compete in each of the next two weeks. The Wildcats will be at the Bill Roe Classic on Saturday in Bellingham, Washington.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings sent its men’s team to the University of Providence Open on Friday in Great Falls, winning the small meet with a perfect score of 15 points.

• The Yellowjackets swept the top three spots in a meet that featured 400 feet of elevation gain. Senior Carson Jessop was the winner in a time of 29:12 over 8,000 meters. Junior Ase Ackerman placed second in 29:20.6 and sophomore Bryant Edgerton was third in 29:25.6.

• The MSUB women last raced on September 24, placing seventh at the Montana Open in Missoula.

• 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 conclude its regular season this Friday, hosting the Yellowjacket/Battlin’ Bear Invitational at Amend Park in Billings.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene did not compete. The Nighthawks will conclude the regular season on Saturday at the Bill Roe Classic in Bellingham, Washington.

• Northwest Nazarene ran to a second-place women’s finish and a third-place men’s finish at the Ken Garland Invitational on September 25 in Lacey, Washington.

• Junior Tyler Shea 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.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• In a great team showing, Saint Martin’s placed third in both the men’s and women’s races at the Chambers Bay Collegiate Open on Saturday.

• The Saints’ women finished with a score of 80 points, just two points behind second-place Alaska Anchorage and 23 points ahead of Seattle Pacific.

• Freshman Sara Sabra led the way with a seventh-place finish, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 19:12.3. Freshman Cassidy Walchak-Sloan placed 10th in a time of 19:25.6. In all, Saint Martin’s placed four runners in the top 20.

• The Saint Martin’s men finished with a score of 96 points, 36 points behind second-place Northwest (Wash.) and four points ahead of Spokane CC.

• Junior Jack Farrell led the Saints, placing eighth with a personal-best time of 25:54.9 over 8,000 meters. Freshman Kainalu Pagente placed 15th in a time of 26:27.1, which was also a personal best.

• The Chambers Bay Collegiate Open closed the regular season for Saint Martin’s. The Saints will host the GNAC Championships on Saturday, October 23 on the SMU campus in Lacey, Washington.

SEATTLE PACIFIC
• Seattle Pacific posted a fourth-place women’s team finish and a sixth-place men’s team finish at its own Chambers Bay Collegiate Open on Saturday in University Place, Washington.

• The Falcons’ women finished with a score of 105 points and had three runners finish in the top 15.

• Sophomore Annika Esvelt was named the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after winning her second consecutive meet, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:32.9. She was 11 seconds faster than Alaska Anchorage’s Nancy Jeptoo, who placed second.

• Sophomore Ellie Rising had her third top-five finish of the season, placing fourth in 18:45.8. Freshman Nicki Yorges finished 11th in a time of 19:35.1.

• The Seattle Pacific men finished with a score of 121 points, 20 points behind fifth-place Puget Sound.

• The Falcons had a pair of top-20 finishes. Senior Colin Boutin finished 14th in a time of 26:26 over 8,000 meters. Sophomore Brennan LeBlanc placed 16th in his second collegiate meet in 26:41.7.

• The Seattle Pacific women held steady at No. 9 in the USTFCCCA Division II West Region Rankings.

• Seattle Pacific will close the regular season on Saturday at the Bill Roe Classic in Bellingham, Washington.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser did not compete last week. The team will split on Saturday with athletes at the Bill Roe Classic in Bellingham, Washington and the TWU Cross Country Open in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

• Simon Fraser won the women’s team competition and placed second in the men’s race at Friday’s Mike Johnson Classic on September 24 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.

• With no racing last week, the SFU climbed two spots to No. 17 in the USTFCCCA Division II Coaches Poll while the women dropped two spots to No. 11. The SFU women are No. 1 in the West Region Rankings and the men are No. 2.

WESTERN OREGON
• Western Oregon did not compete last week. The Wolves head east this week to take part in the Lewis Crossover on Saturday in Romeoville, Illinois.

• Hosting its second home meet of the season, Western Oregon posted a pair of fifth-place team finishes at the Mike Johnson Classic on September 25 at the Ash Creek Preserve.

• The Wolves’ women scored a total of 150 points, seven points ahead of Pacific (Ore.). Junior Luz Garcia 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 WASHINGTON
• Western Washington did not compete last week. The Vikings close the regular season on Saturday, hosting the Bill Roe Classic at the Sudden Valley Golf Course in Bellingham.

• Western Washington performed well in the high-powered Roy Griak Invitational on September 24 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 the Ken Garland Classic on September 25. The men placed fifth with 111 points while the women did not have enough runners for a team score. 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 Bill Roe Classic is named in memory of the longtime Western Washington assistant coach, who was also a former president of USA Track and Field and renowned internationally in the cross country and track and field communities. Roe passed away unexpectedly in February 2020.