Wednesday, May 15, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. – The University of Alaska Anchorage completed a sweep of the 2012-13 GNAC women’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field titles last weekend.

The Seawolves are just the second school in GNAC history to complete that “triple” joining Seattle Pacific which accomplished that feat in back-to-back years in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

That has earned UAA GNAC Team of the Week honors.

The Seawolves won the outdoor title at Monmouth scoring 169 points as they dethroned three-time defending champion Seattle Pacific.

“I feel very happy for our young women,” UAA coach Michael Friess said.  “The conference meet was very competitive and will the teams giving their best in all the events.

“To win a conference championship when competing against strong teams is an honor and reflects positively on the teams participating.”

UAA won seven individual titles in claiming their first women's outdoor team championship.

Grace Morgan swept the 100 and 200 meters for the second year in a row posting times of 12.12 and 24.44.  Her 200 time was a meet record.

Ruth Keino added victories in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in times of 17:35.97 and 36:03.00 and Susan Tanui won the steeplechase in a time of 10:41.88.

The Seawolves also got wins from Haleigh Lloyd in the 400 hurdles in a meet record time of 1:01.31 and from Karolin Anders in the high jump (5-5 ¾).

UAA will send six women – Keino, Tanui, Lloyd, Anders, Ivy O'Guinn and Susan Bick - to the NCAA Division II national meet next week at Pueblo, Colo.

Keino will compete in the 5,000 and 10,000, while Tanui will run in the 5K and steeplechase.  O’Guinn will double in the 800 and 1500 meters.  Lloyd and Bick will run in the 400 hurdles and 800, respectively, and Anders will compete in the heptathlon.