Oct. 22, 2005

Complete Results

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Alaska Anchorage placed five runners in the top 13 to become the first two-time men's team champion in the five-year history of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships held Saturday at Lake Padden Park. Seattle Pacific took the women's title, its second in three years, posting a 17-point victory over runner-up Alaska Anchorage.

Seattle University's Casey Moriarity dominated the men's race, winning by 41 seconds as he toured the 8-kilometer course in 25:16. That performance earned him both the GNAC Outstanding Male Performer and Newcomer of the Year honors. Alaska Anchorage's David Kiplagat, who was second in 25:57, was named the league's Male Freshman of the Year.

Alaska Fairbanks' Pavla Havlova won the women's race by 17 seconds over Seattle Pacific's Meredith Crane. Havlova earned GNAC Outstanding Female Performer and Newcomer of the Year accolades as she was clocked in 22:15 over the 6-kilometer distance.

Seattle Pacific's Mary Moriarty, who placed seventh, was the GNAC Female Freshman of the Year.

Alaska Anchorage won the men's race by 49 points over host Western Washington, 39 to 88. Humboldt State was third in the 10-team field with 91 points and defending champion Seattle Pacific fourth with 97 points.

Seattle Pacific posted a low score of 54 in claiming the women's race, Alaska Anchorage placing second with 71 points. Defending champion Central Washington was third with 91 points.

Completing the top five for the victorious Alaska Anchorage men behind Kiplagat were Aaron Dickson fifth (26:29), Leif Olson ninth (26:36), Drew Dickson 10th (26:38) and Mick Boyle 13th (26:47).

Leading Western Washington was Logan Senrud (Jr., Bigfork, MT), who finished sixth in 26:30. A pack of four Viking runners placed 19th to 22nd to complete the scoring. They were Anthony Tomsich (Fr., Fairbanks, AK/West Valley), who ran 27:02 in his collegiate debut, the same time as teammate Sam Bedell (Fr., Reno, NV/Bishop Manogue). Keith Lemay (So., Lynden/Lynden Christian) finished in 27:05 and Chad Portwood (Jr., Cheney/Western State) in 27:06.

The three scoring runners for the triumphant Seattle Pacific women behind Crane and Moriarty were Josie Lavin 11th (23:26), Karin Rohde 12th (23:31) and Suzie Strickler 22nd (23:57).

Laura Trevellyan (Sr., Vashon Island) led the Western Washington women, who tied for sixth, as she placed fourth in 22:43. Trevellyan placed second last year after being third in 2003.

The top 10 runners in each division received all-conference honors.

The men's all-stars were Moriarty from Seattle, Kiplagat, Dickson, Olson and Dickson from Alaska Anchorage, Brian Kostock, Jasper Peach and Eric Tibbetts from Humboldt State, Senrud from Western Washington and Kevin Lambert from Northwest Nazarene.

The women's all-stars were Havlova and Johanna Turunen from Alaska Fairbanks, Crane and Moriarty from Seattle Pacific, Mandy Kaempf, Stacy Edwards and Laura Carr from Alaska Anchorage, Trevellyan from Western Washington, Alana Garcia from Seattle, and Rachel Bailey from Central Washington.

5th Annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships Host Western Washington University Bellingham, Wash. (Lake Padden Park) Oct. 22, 2005

MEN

TEAM RESULTS (8K)- 1. Alaska Anchorage 39, 2. Western Washington 88, 3. Humboldt State 91, 4. Seattle Pacific 97, 5. Northwest Nazarene 149, 6. Western Oregon 151, 7. Seattle U. 161, 8. Central Washington 207, 9. Saint Martin's 231, 10. Alaska Fairbanks 236.

WWU INDIVIDUAL RESULTS - 6. Logan Senrud 26:30, 19. Anthony Tomsich 27:02, 20. Sam Bedell 27:02, 21. Keith Lemay 27:05, 22. Chad Portwood 27:06, 25. Michael Stewart 27:09, 28. Bul Nyuop 27:18, 33. Josh Beck 27:35, 39. Henry Keever 27:48, 44. Sam Brancheau 28:01.

TOP TEN - 1. Casey Moriarty, Seattle U., 25:16; 2. David Kiplagat, Alaska Anchorage, 25:57; 3. Brian Kostock, Humboldt State, 26:06; 4. Jasper Peach, Humboldt State; 26:08, 5. Aaron Dickson, Alaska Anchorage, 26:29; 6. Logan Senrud, Western Washington, 26:30; 7. Eric Tibbetts, Humboldt State, 26:31; 8. Kevin Lambert, Northwest Nazarene, 26:32; 9. Leif Olson, Alaska Anchorage, 26:36; 10. Drew Dickson, Alaska Anchorage, 26:38.

WOMEN

TEAM RESULTS (6K) - 1. Seattle Pacific 54, 2. Alaska Anchorage 71, 3. Central Washington 91, 4. Seattle U. 123, 5. Northwest Nazarene 138, 6. Western Washington 148, 6. Alaska Fairbanks 148, 8. Humboldt State 182, 9. Western Oregon 211, 10. Saint Martin's 245.

WWU INDIVIDUAL RESULTS - 4. Laura Trevellyan 22:43, 20. Jolene Boogaard 23:51, 31. Erin Deasy 24:31, 50. Jill Keller 25:21, 53. Katrina Schwerdtfeger 25:27, 55. Keely Kaligis 25:35, 56 Lexi Baxter 25:35, 63. Catherine McDonald 26:03, 66. Katie Wittrock 26:11, 71. Jessica Howell 26:31.

TOP TEN - 1. Pavla Havlova, Alaska Fairbanks, 22:15; 2. Meredith Crane, Seattle Pacific, 22:32; 3. Mandy Kaempf, Alaska Anchorage, 22:36; 4. Laura Trevellyan, Western Washington, 22:43; 5. Alana Garcia, Seattle U., 22:57; 6. Johanna Turunen, Alaska Fairbanks, 23:03; 7. Mary Moriarty, Seattle Pacific, 23:11; 8. Rachel Bailey, Central Washington, 23:12; 9. Stacy Edwards, Alaska Anchorage, 23:13; 10. Laura Carr, Alaska Anchorage, 23:22.

GNAC champs live up to billing

WWU men finish second, women tie for sixth

DOUG PACEY, THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

The Western Washington University men's cross country team knew Alaska-Anchorage was good.

At the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships on Saturday at Lake Padden, the Vikings, ranked one spot behind the Sea Wolves in the West Region poll, found out just how good.

"We were really hoping to take them down," said Western's Logan Senrud, who led the Vikings with a sixth-place finish. "But they're a stronger team than we thought they were."

The Sea Wolves, ranked third in the region, placed their top-five runners among the first 13 finishers, totaling 39 points. Western was second with 88.

Seattle University's Casey Moriarty won the 8K race with a time of 25:16, earning outstanding performer and newcomer of the year honors.

The top-10 finishers in each race earned all-conference honors. After Senrud, a pack of four Vikings placed Nos. 19 through 22.

"We knew it was going to be a battle with Anchorage," Western coach Pee Wee Halsell said. "They were ahead of us the whole race. They ran a great race, and we didn't."

Senrud said the race played out as he expected.

"I ran exactly how I planned it," the junior from Big Fork, Mont., said. "I started out conservatively and picked people off as the race went on. I was where I wanted to be."

Western senior Laura Trevellyan placed fourth in the women's race with a time of 22:43. She said it was slower than she had hoped.

"I felt a little heavy out there," she said. "I had too much for breakfast. I had toast with peanut butter, cereal, a granola bar and a banana. See? The food just kept coming."

Alaska-Fairbanks' Pavla Havlova raised a few eyebrows when she beat Seattle Pacific's Meredith Crane by 17 seconds in the 6K race.

"She went out fast, and I wasn't sure she was going to be able to keep it up," Halsell said. "I thought the SPU girl was going to get her. Her winning was a little bit of a surprise."

Havlova won with a time of 22:15, getting newcomer of the year and outstanding performer accolades.

Karin Rohde, a 2004 Mount Baker graduate, placed 12th for Seattle Pacific, helping the Falcons win the team title.

The Vikings tied for sixth with Alaska-Fairbanks.

Next up is the NCAA Division-II West Regional on Nov. 5 at Chino, Calif.