MONMOUTH, Ore. – The nationally ranked Alaska Anchorage men's and women's outdoor track & field teams both finished runner-up at the 2015 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships Saturday at McArthur Field with a combined 10 individual titles and 28 all-conference performances.
The No. 16 UAA men's team finished second for the second straight year by just two points, as Western Washington won by the closest margin in a men's competition, 176-174, for their fourth straight crown. Central Washington rounded out the top three with 109.5 points. On the women's side, the No. 23 Seawolves – the two-time defending champion – fell to six-time champion Seattle Pacific, 183.5-154.5. CWU finished third with 90 points.
Combined throughout the championships – which took place over four days – the Seawolves amassed 10 individual titles (4 men, 6 women) and 28 all-conference finishes (16 men, 12 women). The women's team picked up its fourth straight top-three team finished, while the men's team has finished in the top five for nine straight league meets.
Leading the Seawolf pack with two individual titles were junior Karolin Anders and sophomore Jamie Ashcroft. Anders, from Berlin, Germany, won the high jump with a leap of 5-5.75, after winning the Combined Events heptathlon April 28. A NCAA qualifier in the heptathlon, Anders also earned all-conference honors in the long jump Friday.
Successfully defending both her titles was Ashcroft - the meet's Most Outstanding Female Performer - in the 100 meters and 200 meters. From Shawnigan Lake, B.C., Ashcroft cruised to easy wins in both events, while posting a field record in the 200 meters at 24.45. Provisionally ranked for the NCAAs in both events, Ashcroft posted a time of 11.84 in the 100 meters for the win.
Sweeping the women's hurdle events were senior Haleigh Lloyd and junior Rosie Smith. Lloyd (Ladysmith, B.C.) picked up her second career 400-meter hurdle title with a meet-record time of 1:00.29. Lloyd, who also won the 400-meter hurdles in 2012, took third in the 100-meter hurdles (14.37) as well. A Bartlett High graduate, Smith won her first 100-meter title with a school-record time of 14.18, also good for a field record.
In the men's competition, UAA received titles from four different Seawolves. Picking up their third straight titles, were seniors Franz Burghagen and Elliott Bauer in the javelin and 400-meter hurdles, respectively. Burghagen, who has already punched himself a ticket to the NCAAs, produced a toss of 220-10.25, while Bauer furnished a career-best run of 52.90.
Pacing UAA to a 1-2-3 sweep of the 5,000 meters was senior Dylan Anthony, who defended his title with a time of 14:39.17. Meanwhile, junior Victor Samoei won the 10,000 meters (31:46.09) on Friday, as UAA also went 1-2-3. Taking second in both events was freshman Henry Cheseto, while junior Dominik Notz finished third in both.
Other all-conference performers on the men's side included; freshman Darrion Gray (200m), sophomores Adam Commandeur (400m), Grant George (DT) and Tevin Gladden (HJ, TJ), and juniors Cody Parker (JV) and Travis Turner (110H, Dec.). For the women; freshman Caroline Kurgat (10K), sophomore Mary-Kathleen Cross (400m), and senior Amy Johnston (10K).
The Seawolves will have the next weekend off to prepare for the NCAA Div. II Championships, May 21-23, which are held in Allendale, Mich., for the second straight year.
