BILLINGS, Mont. – Run as a pack and run with a purpose. That's been the motto of the Western Washington University Cross Country program all season and it all came together on Saturday as both the women's and men's teams climbed to the top of the podium as the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Cross Country Champions.

 

WWU's women claimed the first GNAC title in program history and the men added their fifth trophy (first since 2009) in the 19-year history of the event. The 2019 championships were raced on a snowy course at Amend Park in Billings, Montana.

 

Western becomes the first team other than Alaska Anchorage to claim both the women's and men's team titles in the same year in the 19-year history of the event dating back to 2001, with UAA sweeping top team honors seven previous times.

 

"Just an amazing day to be a Viking," said 33^rd-year WWU head coach Pee Wee Halsell. "The team ran as a unit, just like they have done all year, but today was even more impressive. They overcame some tough elements to start fast and finish strong. To claim both team titles is something really special and we are going to celebrate this…but I believe there is a lot still left in this team heading into regionals and hopefully nationals. They are a driven, determined team that today can all themselves all GNAC Champions."

 

The women displaced four-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage from the top spot on the podium, who won nine of the last 10 titles entering the 2019 Championships. The Vikings recorded a team score of 53 to edge UAA by seven points, with all five of their scoring runners in the top 15 separated by just 26 seconds. Junior Jane Barr (8^th), sophomore Rebecca Lehman (9^th) and senior Tracy Melville (10^th) earned All-GNAC honors for placing in the top 10.

 

The men won their fifth team title at the conference championships, and first since 2009, with a dominating team score of 38, half that of second-place Simon Fraser (76). The Vikings placed four runners in the top 10 to earn All-GNAC honors, led by senior James Jasperson (4^th), junior Ed Kiolbasa (5^th), freshman Deyago Peraza (6^th) and senior Liam Cossette (7^th). Peraza was selected as the GNAC Freshman of the Year while making his official WWU debut. WWU's top five runners were separated by just 20 seconds.

 

Alaska Anchorage had won eight of the last nine men's team titles dating back to 2010. The WWU Track & Field and Cross Country men's programs have now claimed the last three team titles, with the Vikings winning the 2019 Indoor Track & Field and Outdoor Track & Field Championships earlier in 2019. 

 

"We have a lot of leaders in this program – indoor, outdoor, cross country – that are determined to take WWU to the next level," added Halsell. "They train hard – on the trails, in the weight room, on the track – and our coaches do an excellent job mentoring our student-athletes. I can't wait to see what these student-athletes do the rest of the season, but even more importantly in life."

 

The WWU women won their first GNAC title, finishing with 53 team points, with all five scoring runners in the top 15. The Vikings ended the amazing run by four-time defending champion Alaska Anchorage, as the Seawolves were seven points back of Western with 60. UAA entered the meet having won nine of the last 10 GNAC Championships going back to 2009. Seattle Pacific entered the championships as the highest ranked team in the nation and region, but finished in third place just behind UAA with 64 points.

 

The Vikings claimed the team title by running as a pack, with all five scoring runners finishing in the top 15, and three in the top 10 to claim All-GNAC honors.

 

 

Junior co-captain Jane Barr continued her solid season leading the Vikings with an 8^th-place finish covering the snowy 6k course in 22:26.10. Barr was followed closely by sophomore Rebecca Lehman in 9^th place (22:29.60) and senior Tracy Melville in 10^th place (22:40.00). The top 10 finishers receive all-conference honors.

 

"The whole race I ran with all my teammates. The pack running was really awesome today," said Barr after the race via GNACSports.com. "Every time one of us started to get tired, one of us would surge and share the effort of working together. We all used each other and kept going."

 

While just outside of the all-GNAC top 10, senior Sophia Galvez (11^th) and sophomore Tovah Swartz-Ireland (15^th) proved to be the key pieces behind the Vikings claiming the first team title in the 19-year history of the event. The top five finishers from each team and their placement make up the team score. While UAA had three finishers in the top six, their fourth and fifth runners were 18^th and 32^nd.

 

Here is a look at the team standings from the 2019 GNAC Championships Women's 6K, with the Vikings winning the first team GNAC title in program history. WWU's previous highest finish was 2^ndplace in 2015, 2010 and 2001.

 

 

Additionally, junior co-captain Talia Dreicer earned a top-20 finish and senior Aundrea Koger was 21^st.

 

UAA's Emmanuelah Chelimo finished 1^st in 21:31.9 and Seattle Pacific's Kate Lilly was runner-up in 21:39.3.

 

Here is a look at the individual performances by the WWU women at the GNAC Championships:

 

 

The Viking men made it a Western sweep in Billings with the top five runners finishing within 20 seconds of each other. WWU's pack-running mentality led to 38 team points, with the five scoring runners in the top 16, finishing well ahead of second-place Simon Fraser with 76 points. 

 

WWU's fifth team cross country title at the GNAC Championships was led by four top-10 finishers, with senior James Jasperson, junior Ed Kiolbasa, freshman Deyago Peraza and senior Liam Cossette consecutively crossing the finish line in places 4-7. Junior Eric Hamel was 16^th as WWU's fifth scoring runner and junior Colton Hoggarth finished 18^th as the Vikings took up six of the top 20 spots in the 88-runner field.

 

"Our strength is pack running...we decided that in the offseason after nationals, and all of our workouts this year have been with pack running," said Jasperson via GNACSports.com. "Everything we do is about the team and no one is focusing on their individual efforts. It is all team driven and that showed today."

 

 

Peraza, a freshman from Edmonds-Woodway High School, made his WWU debut after running unattached earlier this season as a possible redshirt candidate. But after placing 10^th at the WWU Classic two weeks ago, Peraza was elevated to the travel roster and earned a 6^th-place finish to take home GNAC Freshman of the Year honors.

 

Here is a look at the team standings from the 2019 GNAC Championships Men's 8K, with WWU winning its fifth team title in the 19-year history of the event.

 

 

Here is a look at the individual performances by the WWU men at the GNAC Championships:

 

 

Alaska Anchorage juniors Felix Kemboi and Wesley Kirui finished 1^st and 3^rd in the men's 8k, with senior Justin Crosswhite finishing runner-up.

 

Here are the official team results, All-GNAC performers (top 10 finishers) and award winners provided by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference:

 

2019 GNAC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Amend Park, Billings, Mont. (Montana State Billings, Host)

 

Team Scores: Western Washington 53, Alaska Anchorage 60, Seattle Pacific 64, Simon Fraser 101, Northwest Nazarene 120, Western Oregon 153, Central Washington 168, Alaska 244, Concordia 255. Montana State Billings 272, Saint Martin's 307.

Top 10 Finishers (All-GNAC): 1, Emmah Chelimo, UAA, 21:31.9. 3, Kate Lilly, SPU, 21:39.3. 3, Nancy Jeptoo, UAA, 21:55.5. 4, Dania Holmberg, SPU, 22:02.5. 6, Joan Kipsanai, UAA, 22:20.6. 7, Olivia Willett, SFU, 22:22.2. 8, Jane Barr, WWU, 22:26.1. 9, Rebecca Lehman, WWU, 22:29.6. 10, Tracy Melville, WWU, 22:40.0.

Athlete of the Year: Emmah Chelimo, Alaska Anchorage

Freshman of the Year: Joan Kipsanai, Alaska Anchorage

Newcomer of the Year: Olivia Jimenez, Western Oregon

 

2019 GNAC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Amend Park, Billings, Mont. (Montana State Billings, Host)

 

Team Scores: Western Washington 38, Simon Fraser 76, Alaska Anchorage 79, Northwest Nazarene 112, Seattle Pacific 120, Western Oregon 121, Central Washington 168, Alaska 242, Saint Martin's 259, Montana State Billings 290, Concordia 305.

Top 10 Finishers (All-GNAC): 1, Felix Kemboi, UAA, 24:44.0. 2, Justin Crosswhite, WOU, 25:54.1. 3, Wesley Kirui, UAA, 25:10.8. 4, James Jasperson, WWU, 25:24.5. 5, Edward Kiolbasa, WWU, 25:25.6. 6, Deyago Peraza, WWU, 25:27.4. 7, Liam Cossette, WWU, 25:28.1. 8, Elius Graff, SPU, 25:29.8. 9, Trevor Allen, CWU, 25:32.2. 10, Chris Sobczak, SFU, 25:33.4.

Athlete of the Year: Felix Kemboi, Alaska Anchorage

Freshman of the Year: Deyago Peraza, Western Washington

Newcomer of the Year: Marcus Rice, Saint Martin's

 

The Vikings return to meet action in two weeks on Saturday, November 9 with the NCAA Division II West Regional at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Oregon. A total of 34 teams will be selected to participate in the 2019 NCAA Division II Championships held November 23 at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, California. The top three teams from each of the eight regional meets will automatically advance to the championship finals (24 teams), with 10 at-large teams selected by the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Cross Country Committee using a complicated system for selection criteria. After the 34 selected teams have been determined, a minimum 24 additional individuals per gender will be selected to compete at the NCAA Championships.

 

The 2019 WWU cross country schedule featured five regular-season meets, followed by this week's GNAC Championships, with the NCAA II West Regional and the NCAA II Championships next up on the schedule. Start times for all meets will be posted online at WWUVikings.com/XC. For the 2019 season, the women will race first and the men second at each meet.

 

 

Fans can follow WWU Cross Country online at WWUVikings.com/XC, and via social media on Twitter (@WWUTFXC), Instagram (@WWUTFXC) and Facebook (@WWUTFXC).