NAMPA, Idaho – The Alaska Anchorage men's indoor track & field team captured its first ever Great Northwest Athletic Conference title upsetting Western Washington, while the women's team finished runner-up Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center.
The men's squad, which was predicted to finish third, furnished 142 points through the two-day meet to knock off four-time champion Western Washington (136) by six points. Simon Fraser – seeded at No. 2 – finished third with 95 points. On the women's side, the Seawolves (134) - who only competed with 12 athletes - were edged by Seattle Pacific (146) by 12 points – giving themselves their third straight top-two performance after winning in 2013 and 2014. SFU was again third with 104 points.
Throughout the two-day event, the Seawolves furnished two GNAC records, eight meet records and seven league titles, while 11 different Seawolves captured all-conference honors in individual races. Meanwhile, both the men's and women's distance medley relays and 4x400-meter relay teams posted top-three performances.
Leading the Seawolf men's team was junior Cody Thomas, who was named the meet's Most Outstanding Male Performer with 28 points, while junior Karolin Anders (33) shared the same honor on the women's side with Becki Duhamel of Central Washington and Lindsey Butterworth of Simon Fraser. Anders was also named the meet's Most Outstanding Female Performer in 2014.
Thomas, from Blenheim, New Zealand, collected his third straight crown in the heptathlon with a meet record 4,985 point total, besting St. Martin's Jaysen Yoro (4,870). Additionally, Thomas – who won four of the seven events – set a meet record in the heptathlon's 60-meter hurdle at 8.50 for the win.
Leading the team with two individual wins were freshman Henry Cheseto, sophomore Jamie Ashcroft and Anders. Cheseto came away with titles in the 5,000 meters (14:39.24) on Friday before winning the 3,000 meters (8:27.83) on Saturday. Additionally, Ashcroft repeated as league champion in both the 60 meters (7.65) and 200 meters (GNAC record of 24.25), while Anders defended her titles in the pentathlon and long jump.
Also picking up all-conference honors were sophomore Adam Commandeur (2nd in 400m), sophomore Dominki Notz (2nd in 5K, 3K) and freshman Nathan Kipchumba (2nd in 800) on the men's team, while junior Amy Johnston (2nd in 5K), junior Beatrice Decker (2nd in one mile), junior Rosie Smith (2nd in 60mH and pent.) and freshman Alexia Blalock (3rd in TJ) were all-conference honorees on the women's side.
Taking second in the 4x400-meter relay was the men's team with a combined time of 3:16.60, while the women's team finished third at 3:53.09. Making up the men's squad was Liam Lindsay, Elliott Bauer, Darrion Gray and Adam Commandeur, while Ashcroft, Anders, Jessica Pahkala and Haleigh Lloyd competed for the women.
Up next for the Seawolves, qualified individuals head to the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala., March 13-14.
