Complete Cross Country Championships Results

MONMOUTH, Ore. (Oct. 25) -- Josie Lavin and Jamie Witt finished 1-2 for the individual title and paced Seattle Pacific University to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's cross team title Saturday on the Western Oregon campus.

For the Falcons, ranked No. 23 among NCAA Division II teams, it was their seventh conference crown but their first since 1999. They finished with 62 points while Alaska Anchorage was next with 77.

Western Washington won the GNAC men's championship and Doug Hamilton of Humboldt State was the individual winner. Seattle Pacific was eighth for the second year in a row.

Witt (Jr., Folsom, Ca.) set the pace for much of the 6000-meter race before Lavin (Jr., Bremerton, Wa./Bremerton) charged ahead with a furious kick in the final 400 meters. Lavin's winning time was 21 minutes, 42.84 seconds and Witt was next in 21:56. With Alaska Anchorage taking three of the top nine places, the team title was determined by the next three SPU scorers. They ensured the victory by staying in front of the final two UAA scorers, who were 27th and 28th.

Abby Groth (So., Roseburg, Or.) took 15th (23:08), Summer Huntington (Fr., Marysville, Wa./M-Pilchuck) was 19th (23:14 ) and Ruth Harbaugh (So., Gig Harbor, Wa./Gig Harbor) ran 25th (23:21).

"Jamie did a lot of the hard work and Josie stayed right with until her sprint," said Coach Doris Heritage. "However, what saved us was our young ones. They pulled up and passed the people they needed to."

Lavin is Seattle Pacific's first champion since Rachel Ross in 2000 and the eighth overall. The women's team next competes at the West Regional Nov. 8 in Pomona, Ca. The region's three berths in the NCAA Championships will be determined there.

For the first time in four years the SPU men did not have a top-10 scorer.

Tim LeCount (So., Battle Ground, Wa.), the newcomer of the year as a freshman and eighth overall in 2002, was weakened by recent illness and placed 18th. He covered the 8k trail in 25:52, still his best time for the distance this season. Hamilton won in 24:59.

Western Washington placed three runners in the top 10, led by Brian Brancheau's fourth-place finish.

Men's Team Scores: 1-Western Washington 61, 2-Alaska Anchorage 77, 3-Western Oregon 79, 4-Humboldt State 96, 5-Saint Martin's 154, 6-Seattle 157, 7-Central Washington 174, 8-Seattle Pacific 183, 9-Northwest Nazarene 194, 10-Alaska Fairbanks 257.
All-Conference (8,000 Meters): 1-Doug Hamilton, HSU, 24:59.53; 2-Chase Wells, WOU, 25:01.81; 3-Andy Prentice, SMC, 25:04.60; 4-Brian Brancheau, WWU, 25:07.05; 5-Steve DeKoker, WWU, 25:16.93; 6-Brad Brolin, WOU, 25:17.64; 7-Kurt Hartmaier, WWU, 25:30.35; 8-Jake Hotchkiss, NNU, 25:31.50; 9-Brandon Stum, UAA, 25:32.94; 10-Tris O'Bluck, SMC, 25:34.21.
Other SPU scorers: 31-Paul Mach, 26:27; 32-Bjorn Bostrom, 26:30; 45-Aaron Libadisos, 27:09; 60-Eddie Strickler, 27:42.

Women's Team Scores: 1-Seattle Pacific 62, 2-Alaska Anchorage 77, 3-Central Washington 88, 4-Western Washington 113, 5-Alaska Fairbanks 135, 6-Western Oregon 147, 7-Seattle 152, 8-Humboldt State 205, 9-Northwest Nazarene 210, 10-Saint Martin's 255.
All-Conference (6,000 Meters): 1-Josie Lavin, SPU, 21:42.84; 2-Jamie Witt, SPU, 21:56.19; 3-Laura Trevellyan, WWU, 21:57.77; 4-Sigrid Aas, UAF, 22:04.02; 5-Mandy Kaempf, UAA, 22:14.79; 6-Nicole Campbell, HSU, 22:15.71; 7-Kristie Rice, SU, 22:28.12; 8-Sarah Hansen, UAA, 22:31.35; 9-Stacy Edwards, UAA, 22:32.91; 10-Alicen Maier, CWU, 22:37.25.
Other SPU scorers: 15- Abby Groth, 23:08; 19-Summer Huntington, 23:14 ); 25-Ruth Harbaugh , 23:21.