Oct. 22, 2002

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The first test of the "post-season" arrives Saturday for Western Washington University as the Vikings compete in the second annual Great Northwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships at Seattle's Lincoln Park.

The men race of eight kilometers begins at 10 a.m., the women follow with a 6-kilometer run at 11 a.m.

The Vikings enter the meet with high hopes. Western was second in both the men's and women's races last year, and have runners on both teams who could be considered favorites for individual championships.

On the women's side, sophomore Ashlee Vincent (Bellingham/Squalicum) is the defending GNAC champion. She has been Western's top performer in each of the four races she has run, winning the Saint Martin's Open and being the top collegiate finisher in the WWU Invitational. Vincent was third over five kilometers at Lincoln Park in the Sundodger Invitational on Sept. 21.

For the men, junior Paul Kezes (Bellingham/Sehome), a transfer from Western State, Colo., has made an immediate impact, winning both times he has competed. Kezes' first race of the season was at Lincoln Park, and he won the Invitational Section of the Sundodger Invitational, finishing in 23:42, just two seconds off the course record.

"Ashlee has won the meet before," said Western coach Pee Wee Halsell. "And Paul very well could win. We certainly need him to be right up front."

The women, who are ranked fourth in the American Cross Country Coaches' NCAA Division II West Region poll, face their stiffest challenge from No.6 Humboldt State and No.7 Central Washington. Seattle Pacific, Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks occupy spots eight through 10 in the regional poll.

The men are not ranked regionally, but five of the teams in the 10-team field are, led by Alaska Anchorage at No.4. Even so, Halsell believes the men can be near the top of the results.

"The women have the better shot at winning, but our men are also capable of doing well. For the men, we really need our four-to-seven runners to move up in the standings." Head Coach Pee Wee Halsell

"The women have the better shot at winning, but our men are also capable of doing well," Halsell said. "For the men, we really need our four-to-seven runners to move up in the standings."

Two extra advantages for Western is running on a course that they see every year and being near home with familiar surroundings and climate.

"We've been there and know the course well," said Halsell. "It's close to home, so it isn't a draining trip, and most everyone on our squad has run well there."

Joining Vincent on the women's squad are Lexi Baxter (So., Colville), Molly DePasqual (Fr., Jackson WY/Jackson Hole), Kristin Haas (So., Port Orchard/South Kitsap), Carla Mingione (Fr., Sammamish/Issaquah), Carolyn Morris-Oviatt (Sr., Deer Park), Lisa Pearl (Sr., Kenmore/Inglemoor), Beth Rosapepe (So., Port Orchard/South Kitsap), Tina Stimson (Jr., Renton/Liberty) and Laura Trevellyan (Fr., Vashon).

Trevellyan has been Western's top runner in two races when Vincent was out of the lineup, winning the individual title in a dual meet with Seattle Pacific, and was the No.2 Viking in two other meets. Pearl, a three-year letter winner, placed 10th at the GNAC meet last year to earn all-conference honors, and has been Western's No.2 finisher twice this season.

Competing for the men are Joe Baisch (Fr., Burien/Highline), Brian Brancheau (Jr., Edmonds/Edmonds-Woodway), Jeff Bridges (So., University Place/Curtis), Jon Carwin (Fr., Kirkland/Lake Washington), Matt Crabtree (Fr., Lynden), Kurt Hartmaier (Jr., Woodinville/Redmond), Emil Newhouse (Sr., Snohomish), Dan Toomey (Fr., Mount Vernon), and Brandon Whitaker (So., Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck).

Newhouse is a three-year letter-winner who was Western's top runner in two events this season. Hartmaier was 11th in last year's GNAC meet.

GNAC RELEASE Vincent, Castle Top Returnees For Saturday's GNAC Championship Meet

Ashlee Vincent of Western Washington and Nathanael Castle of Seattle Pacific are the top returning finishers from the 2001 Great Northwest Athletic Conference cross country meet. The 2002 championships will be held this Saturday at Lincoln Park in Seattle.

Seattle University is the host school for the meet which begins at 10 a.m. with the men's 8,000 meter race. The women's 6,000 meter race will begin at 11 a.m.

Vincent won the women's title last year at Anchorage, Alaska, covering the 6,000 meter course in 23:46.0, 19.7 seconds ahead of Dolores Bergmann of Humboldt State. Bergmann also returns as do eight of last year's Top 10 finishers.

Also back among last year's women's Top 10 are Kelly Fullerton of Seattle University, Stephanie Stine of Central Washington, Kati Gosnell of Humboldt State, Stacey Edwards of Alaska Anchorage, Kiersten Lippmann of Alaska Anchorage and Lisa Pearl of Western Washington. Alaska Anchorage's Leslie Boyd, who finished 11th last year to just miss earning all-conference honors, also is back.

Vincent has had an outstanding fall, winning the Saint Martin's Open and finishing first among collegiate runners in the WWU Invitational. She also finished third over 5,000 meters in the Sundodger Invitational at Lincoln Park in September.

Humboldt State won the women's team title last year and then finished second in the regional meet and 14th at nationals and returns six women off their 2001 championship squad, including three - Bergmann (2nd), Gosnell (7th) and Tammy Hunt (15th) - who placed among the Top 20.

Gosnell has also had an outstanding fall, twice winning GNAC Athlete-of-the-Week honors. She had the second best finish by a Division II athlete at the Fresno State Invitational on Sept. 15 and also finished second in the Willamette Invitational on Oct. 5.

Alaska Anchorage returns the most female runners from last year's championships (7), including four that finished in the Top 20. Central Washington and Western Washington each have two Top 20 finishers from a year ago. The Wildcats also return Alicen Maier, a Top 10 finisher in the 2000 PacWest meet, who redshirted last season.

In the men's race, Castle, who finished fifth in a time of 26:38.3, and Louie White of Humboldt State, who placed eighth in a time of 26:52.8 are the top returnees. Defending conference champion Northwest Nazarene and Alaska Anchorage, which finished fourth in the 2000 conference meet, but then placed third in the regional meet and 16th at nationals, each have three Top 20 placers from a year ago.

Back for the Crusaders are Zach Dwello, who placed ninth; Ben Wornell, who finished 11th, and Brice Roncace, who placed 16th. Returning for the Seawolves are Eric Strabel, who finished 10th at the conference meet; Tobias Schwoerer, who placed 13th, and Sean Rivers, who finished 15th. Schwoerer went on to earn a second place finish in the regional meet and then placed 35th at nationals.

In addition to Northwest Nazarene and Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington is the only other team that has more than one runner who finished among the Top 20 a year ago. Back for the Wildcats are Jason Porter and Matt Schmitt, who placed 18th and 19th.

Other returning Top 20 placers include Kurt Hartmaier of Western Washington, who finished 11th, and Nathan Carlson of Saint Martin's, who placed 17th. Western Washington also has a solid contender for individual honors in Western State, Colo., transfer Paul Kezes, from Bellingham's Sehome High School.

Kezes has won both races he has competed in this fall, including the invitational section of the SunDodger Invitational, where he finished in a time of 23:42, just two seconds off of the course record to win GNAC Athlete-of-the-Week honors. Other runners who have won GNAC Athlete-of-the-Week awards this fall include Rivers, Castle, Chase Wells of Western Oregon, Pete Clusener of Humboldt State and Steve Manos of Seattle University.

Clusener was the only two-time winner of the award. He was selected after placing 34th (second among Division II runners) in the Stanford Invitational on Sept. 28. He followed that up with a third place finish in the Willamette Invitational on Oct. 5.