Dec. 4, 2014 (Report #8)
www.gnacsports.com
Contact: Bob Guptill
Record 7 GNAC Teams Head to Louisville for NCAA National Meet
The Clan, which placed seventh last year in its first NCAA
national meet after a long history in the NAIA which
included five consecutive national titles (2003-07), had a
low score of 103 points, nine fewer than Chico State, in the
regional
USTFCCCA POLLS
Regional
Men
Pre-Season
Sept. 23
Sept. 30
Oct. 7
Oct. 14
Oct. 21
Oct. 28
UAA
2nd
nd
2
2nd
2nd
nd
2
2nd
2nd
MSUB
8th
10th
-----------
SFU
7th
7th
7th
7th
6th
6th
6th
WWU
3rd
4th
5th
5th
7th
7th
7th
Women
Pre-Season
Sept. 23
Sept. 30
Oct. 7
Oct. 14
Oct. 21
Oct. 28
UAA
7th
th
8
7th
7th
5th
th
5
th
5
CWU
10th
6th
6th
6th
6th
6th
7th
SPU
3rd
7th
-----------
SFU WWU
4th
5th
nd
2
5th
nd
2
5th
nd
2
5th
nd
2
7th
nd
2
7th
nd
2
6th
Pre-Season
Sept. 24
Oct. 1
Oct. 8
Oct. 15
Oct. 22
Oct. 29
Nov. 25
National
Men
UAA WWU SPU
8th 18th
13th
th
th
8
20
7th 22nd
th
25th
UAA
7
th
7
20th
th
20th
7
th
7
19th
th
18th
11th
6
SFU’s point total was the highest in the past two decades
for the winning team. The previous high was by UC Davis
which had a total of 86 in 2002.
Alaska Anchorage earned a No. 11 national ranking in the
pre-national poll, while Central Washington and Western
nd
rd
Washington came in 22 and 23 in the poll.
The Seawolves, who finished third in the regional meet,
are making their seventh consecutive national appearance.
They finished fourth last year.
Central Washington finished fifth in the regional earning
its first national meet appearance since it won its only
NCAA regional title – in any sport - in 2000.
The Wildcats placed three runners in the Top 14, including
th
a 14 by Megan Rogers. Rogers finished eighth among
th
GNAC athletes at the regional after placing 14 in the
conference meet.
Women
SFU WWU CWU
16th 19th
9th
19th
th
9
20th
8th 23rd
8th
8th
8th
6th
23rd
22nd
Western Washington, which placed sixth in the regional
meet, is making its sixth national appearance in the past
seven years. The Vikings are led by GNAC and West
Regional champion Katelyn Steen.
PORTLAND, Ore. - A record seven teams will represent
the GNAC in the 2014 NCAA Division II National Cross
Country meet Saturday at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park in
Louisville, Kent.
Alaska Anchorage’s men, which is ranked sixth in the
USTFCCCA national poll, finished second at Billings with 53
points qualifying for the national meet for the seventh
th
year in a row and the 11 time since 2001. UAA is led by
freshman Henry Cheseto, the GNAC and West Regional
individual champion.
Competing in the men’s race which begins at 11 a.m. (8
a.m. Pacific) will be Alaska Anchorage, Western
Washington and Simon Fraser.
Western Washington brings a No. 18 rank into the national
meet after finishing fourth in the regional. Simon Fraser ,
which finished sixth in the regional, is unranked.
The women’s race, which will start at 12:15 p.m. (9:15
a.m. Pacific) will feature SFU, UAA, WWU and Central
Washington. Both races will be streamed live at ncaa.com.
In addition to the seven qualifying teams, Robert Peterson
of Montana State Billings qualified for the national meet as
th
an individual placing 13 in the regional meet.
All four GNAC women’s teams are nationally ranked in the
Top 25.
The seven teams betters the GNAC previous record of six
qualifying teams in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Since 2008, the
GNAC has qualified 39 teams for the national meet (an
average of 5.6). In the seven previous seasons, it qualified
just 12 (1.7 per season).
Simon Fraser, which won the West Regional title Nov. 22
at Billings, Mont., is ranked sixth.
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