ANCHORAGE, Alaska. --- The Western Oregon men's cross country team placed fourth while the women's team secured a sixth-place finish at the GNAC Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Kincaid Park.
The Wolves women were led by Caitlin Heldt as she finished in 21st place, completing the 6K race in 22 minutes and 12.6 seconds. Riley Smith was WOU's second runner, coming in 26th in 22:32.1. Holly Hutton placed 30th in 22:50.0 while Katie Chapman secured 34th place, crossing the line in 23:03.9. Kaydence Nguyen was WOU's final scorer with a 42nd finish in 23:40.0. Amelia Merrit and Olivia Flack rounded out the Wolves' top seven, placing 46th and 48th. Joelle Upshur, Kyla Potratz, and Ali Clifton placed 49th, 57th, and 68th for the Wolves.
The Wolves finished with 141 points, just four points behind Alaska Anchorage. Western Washington won the GNAC title with 49 points, with Saint Martin's taking second place with 71 points. Alaska Fairbanks claimed third place while Simon Fraser took fourth. Alaska Fairbanks had a one-two finish with Kendall Kramer (20:46.2) taking first overall while her teammate Rosie Fordham (20:55.5) was the runner-up.
Kanoa Blake led the way for the men's 8K, placing 17th in 25:54.3. With his strong performance, he was awarded the GNAC Freshman of the Year. Easton Pomrankey placed 25th with a time of 26:13.9. Ethan Bothwell ran a strong race, placing 33rd in 26:37.1, while Kolby Spink placed 36th in 26:41.0. Jordan Kemper continues to improve as he was the final scorer, placing 41st in 26:46.8. Grant Bohannon and Isaiah Rodriguez rounded out the top seven, placing 43rd and 46th. Logan Parker, Cedar Davis-Frankfort, and Keeton Sanchez placed 51st, 59th, and 64th.The Wolves men finished with 142 points, picking up points late in the race to edge out Northwest Nazarene. Western Washington placed first with just 37 points. Alaska Anchorage placed second while Simon Fraser secured third place. Kevin McDermott took home the individual title, running 24:34.
The Wolves will return to the course on Saturday, Nov. 4, to host the NCAA West Regional Championships at home on Ash Creek Preserve.
