Alaska News

UAA X-C picked to finish first

UAA picked to finish 1st

The UAA women's cross-country running team, which has won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship three years running, and the UAA men, two-time defending champs, are expected to remain atop the conference this season.

League coaches in their preseason poll unanimously picked both Seawolves squads, which also swept the NCAA Division II West Region last season, to repeat as GNAC champs.

UAA's women return two All-Americans in senior Miriam Kipng'eno and junior Ivy O'Guinn. The men return senior All-American Micah Chelimo, the reigning West Region champ.

The Seawolves are guided by defending GNAC and West Region Coach of the Year Michael Friess, who enters his 23rd year leading the program.

The Seawolves open their season Saturday at the Hawaii Pacific Invite and remain in Hawaii for the Hawaii Big Wave Invite on Sept. 8. After that, they're off from competition until the Western Washington Classic in Bellingham on Oct. 6.

In the GNAC preseason poll, Western Washington and Simon Fraser finished tied for the second among women's teams, with UAF fifth among 10 teams. On the men's side, coaches predicted Western Washington will finish second, Western Oregon third and UAF seventh.

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UAA MEN'S HOOPS

Seawolves add recruit

The UAA men's basketball team has announced its sixth recruit for the upcoming season -- 6-foot-5 sophomore Teancum Stafford will join the Seawolves.

After returning from a three-year church mission, Stafford last season made his college debut at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, where he earned honorable mention All-Scenic West Cofnerence honors.

Stafford averaged 11.6 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game, and shot 36 percent on his 3-point attempts.

UAA is coming off two straight second-round appearances in the NCAA Division II tournament.

Prep Volleyball

South 3, Eagle River 0

Holly Morehouse's 10 kills helped power South to a 25-13, 25-16, 25-13 sweep of host Eagle River in a Cook Inlet Conference volleyball match Wednesday night.

South setter Morgan Hooe dished 26 assists, and Mikayla Sweet added eight kills. Tess Anderson led Eagle River with 10 kills, and Morgen Wohrle made 15 digs for the Wolves.

Chugiak 3, East 0

Chugiak's Rachel Gregg pounded 16 kills Wednesday in a CIC volleyball win over East, the Mustangs rolling 25-7, 25-19, 25-21 at home.

Kara Haeussler tacked on nine kills for the Mustangs, and Bailey Hughes led the defense with 12 digs.

Lauren Lauruhn led East with eight kills, Grace Burgess contributed six, and Nadia Frank came up with five to go with two blocks.

Service 3, West 0

Erin Hess racked 27 assists, four blocks and three aces Wednesday in a CIC volleball match, leading Service to a 25-19, 25-22, 25-23 victory over visiting West.

Genny Boots produced nine kills and three blocks for the Cougars, with Brianna Toomer chipping in eight kills. Nicole Meyers led West with 18 assists, and Rita Dexter came up with 10 kills and seven digs for the Eagles.

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Dimond 3, Bartlett 0

Led by 15 assists, 18 digs and four kills from Janelle Felles, Dimond swept Bartlett 25-15, 25-20, 25-13 in a CIC volleyball match at Bartlett on Wednesday.

Leah Swiss aided Dimond's win with nine kills and seven digs, with Sierra Afoa adding six kills and Aaliyah Lewis turning in 25 digs.

Bartlett's Raven Agraviador was credited with 25 digs and nine kills. Autumn Plews led the Golden Bears' offense with 15 kills, and Kayla Punzarella led the defense with 33 digs. Bartlett's Sarah Johnson struck for eight kills.

PREP TENNIS

West 8, East 1

West won eight of nine matches in straight sets Wednesday to rack an 8-1 Cook Inlet Conference tennis victory over East.

In the Eagles' eight wins, they surrendered just 12 games to the Thunderbirds.

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East's lone win came in boys singles No. 1, where Ryan Roys topped Reed Lekander, 6-4, 6-2, in the most competitive match of the afternoon.

West 8, East 1

Boys singles 1 -- Ryan Roys (E) d. Reed Lekander (W) 6-4, 6-2. Boys singles 2 -- Ben Clayman (W) d. William Kim (E) 6-0, 6-2. Girls singles 1 -- Elana Fortson (W) d. Abigail McDiffett (E) 6-0, 6-0. Girls singles 2 -- Ellen Silverman (W) d. Keelah Fisher 6-0, 6-0. Boys doubles 1 -- John Gutsch/Keenan Hodges (W) d. Chris Chiu/Andy Kim (E) 6-0, 6-2. Boys doubles 2 -- Chase Anderson/Seneca Scott (W) d. Wyatt Warfield/Jesse Wright-Crask (E) 6-0, 6-2. Girls doubles 1 -- Katrina Brown/Grace Weinstein (W) d. Kathryn Hoke/Felicia Krieter (E) 6-1, 6-0. Girls doubles 2 -- Alli Haynes/Madelyn Boslough (W) d. Kate Alversado/Olivia Grant (E) 6-0, 6-0. Mixed doubles -- Anton Clark/Sahara McKee (W) d. Alec Perry/Ellen Rumley (E) 6-4, 6-1.

Anchorage Daily News

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