Nov. 20, 2008
SPOKANE, Wash. - Western Washington University is the early leader in the 2008-09 Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-sports competition.
With the completion of fall sports, the Vikings are the overall leaders with 77 points, 22 ahead of Western Oregon. The Vikings also lead the Wolves by 12 points (33-21) in the men's race. WOU is the overall and men's defending champion.
In the women's race, the Vikings have an eight-point lead (44-36) over five-time defending champion Seattle Pacific.
WWU nearly maxed out its scoring possibilities in the fall picking up 87.5 percent of its possible points (77 of 88) by winning titles in men's soccer and women's soccer, finishing second in volleyball, football and men's cross country and placing third in women's cross country.
Alaska Anchorage, which is fourth overall with 42 points, ranks second percentage-wise, picking up 42 of 54 possible points in the three sports in which it competes. The Seawolves won the men's cross country title, finished second in women's cross country and sixth in volleyball.
Five different GNAC schools won team titles in the fall. WWU won the two soccer titles, while Alaska Anchorage and Seattle Pacific won the men's and women's cross country titles. Western Oregon was the volleyball champion and Central Washington finished first in football.
Overall (6 of 15 Sports) - Western Washington 77, Western Oregon 55, Seattle Pacific 54, Alaska Anchorage 42, Central Washington 38, Northwest Nazarene 36, Saint Martin's 32, Alaska Fairbanks 26, MSU Billings 20, Dixie State 4, Humboldt State 2. Men (3 of 8 Sports) - Western Washington 33, Western Oregon 21, Alaska Anchorage 18, Saint Martin's 18, Seattle Pacific 18, Central Washington 14, Northwest Nazarene 10, Alaska Fairbanks 6, Montana State Billings 6, Dixie State 4, Humboldt State 2. Women (3 of 7 Sports) - Western Washington 44, Seattle Pacific 36, Western Oregon 34, Northwest Nazarene 26, Central Washington 24, Alaska Anchorage 24, Alaska Fairbanks 20, MSU Billings 14, Saint Martin's 14.
