MONMOUTH, ORE. – Ben Peck finished third to lead the University of Alaska Anchorage men to third-place finish and the women finished sixth at the GNAC Cross Country Championships Saturday.
Ben Peck and Natalie Allen each earned GNAC Newcomer of the Year honors.
Junior Ben Peck covered the eight-kilometer course in 23:46 to finish third and earn All-GNAC honors. Junior Ben Browning joined Ben Peck on the All-GNAC team with a sixth-place finish in 23:55.
Senior Sam Griffin and junior Edgar Vera each finished in 24:40 to finish 21st and 22nd.
Freshman Ewen Wilkinson completed the scoring for UAA finishing 27th in 24:56.
"I'm so amazingly proud of what this group of athletes put out on the course today," said head coach Ryan McWilliams. "The men raced well and hard with almost the entire squad having their best efforts of the year. And we have a lot of confidence that we will be even better in two weeks."
Natalie Allen led the UAA women finishing 15th in the six-kilometer race in 21:25.
Makendra McCarty was 20th (21:43), and Nikiji Dayse was 38th (22:28).
Gloria Kiprotich was 54th (23:12), Juniper Ingalls 62nd (23:49) and Leila Stampanoni 68th (24:28).
"The women have faced adversity all year long," said Ryan McWilliams. "We have been short-handed and banged up, and they have just been undeterred. Really great races from this group of women."
The men finished third of 10 teams with 75 points. The women placed six of 10 teams with 166 points.
UAA will compete at the NCAA West Regional in Sacramento, Calif., Nov. 21st.
