Anchorage Daily News

Good thing Edinboro University's cross-country runners spent Friday sightseeing, because about the only thing the Pennylvanians saw on Saturday was green singlets.

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Elizabeth Chepkosgei

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Marko Cheseto

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A day after hiking a glacier and exploring the mountains, the Fighting Scots came to Kincaid Park, where they got a good look at the Seawolves -- mostly from behind.

The UAA men, sparked by newcomers Marko Cheseto and Jake Parisien, edged Edinboro's nationally ranked men's team by seven points, while the women won with ease by packing four runners into the top five.

The star of the day was Cheseto, a 25-year-old Kenyan who came to Alaska less than a month ago to join a UAA team that now boasts seven runners from the African nation famous for its distance runners.

Cheseto's pace looked effortless as he quickly pulled away from the pack. He ran alone for most of the race, which measured nearly 8 kilometers, and won in a time of 23 minutes, 24.6 seconds -- 35 seconds ahead of Edinboro's Ben Hahn, a sophomore who had his hands full with Parisien. Hahn finished second in 24:00.9 and Parisien was right behind in 24:01.2.

"I wanted to see how fast I could run," Cheseto said.

He ran fast enough for UAA coach Michael Friess to wonder how far Cheseto might come this season. Like many Kenyans, Cheseto is a born runner, but he hasn't trained or competed extensively until now.

"If we don't screw him up, he's going to be pretty good," Friess said.

Another runner showing instant promise was Parisien, a Palmer High grad who last spring set the high school state record in the 3,200 meters.

Parisien has been hobbled by injuries since then, first missing a month of running with a foot injury, then missing another month with a knee injury.

"I was kinda scared coming into the season, because it was just injury after injury," Parisien said. "I'm in better shape than I thought I'd be."

Another Kenyan, Elizabeth Chepkosgei, paced the Seawolves in the women's 5-kilometer race, just as she paced them in most of last season's races.

Julie Nemergut, an assistant coach for Edinboro, won the race in 17:44, but then came a bunch of Seawolves -- Chepkosgei (18:23), Laura Carr (18:31), Emma Bohman (19:08.9) and Laura Rombach (19:09.8).

Nemergut, whose result didn't count in the team standings, is the first assistant coach in Edinboro history. She joins a head coach -- Doug Watts -- who has been coaching the Fighting Scots ever since they became a team 40 years ago.

Watts believes that education should be part of the athletic experience, so he planned a day for his team to explore a little of Alaska. That included a trip to Matanuska Glacier on Friday, where the runners spent more time climbing and hiking than the coach had planned.

"We had so much fun yesterday," Watts said. "Those are things we'll remember all our lives, so if our legs are a little trashed today for the race, oh well."

Find Beth Bragg online at adn.com/contact/bbragg or call 257-4309.

Women

UAA 17, Edinboro 44

Individual results -- 1) Julie Nemergut, unattached, 17:44; 2) Elizabeth Chepkosgei, UAA, 18:23; 3) Laura Carr, UAA, 18:31; 4) Emma Bohman, UAA, 19:08.9; 5) Laura Rombach, UAA, 19:09.8; 6) Amber Sanders, Edinboro, 19:13.4; 7) Hilary Weismiller, Edin, 19:35.3; 8) Stephanie Trenholm, UAA, 19:43.7; 9) Mychaela Bailey, UAA, 19:55.1; 10) Hallidie Wilt, UAA, 19:55.4; 11) Kristine Beringer, Edin, 20:03.2; 12) Danielle Cerroni, Edin, 20:16; 13) Ariel Roelle, UAA, 20:21.314) Shoshana Keegan, UAA, 20:25.2; 15) Jaime Bronga, UAA, 20:30.2; 16) Ruth Jeptoo-Keino, UAA, 20:35; 17) Natalie Pfeifer, UAA, 21:02.0; 18) Jordan Gibbons, Edin, 21:30.8.

Men

UAA 24, Edinboro 31

Individual results -- 1) Marko Cheseto, UAA, 23:24.6; 2) Ben Hahn, Edin, 24:00.9; 3) Jake Parisien, UAA, 24:01.2; 4) Nick Hankins, Edin, 24:34.4; 5) Paul Rottich, UAA, 24:38.2; 6) Barry McLaughlin, Edin, 24:40.6; 7) David Kiplagat, UAA, 24:44.7; 8) Cory Pena, UAA, 25:14.9; 9) Jacob Krolick, Edin, 25:21.7; 10) Garth Watson, Edin, 25:33.3; 11) Nils Kristen, UAA, 25:41.0; 12) Auston Ellis, UAA, 25:46.4; 13) Orin Ryan, UAA, 26:06.8; 14) Mick Boyle, UAA, 26:12.9; 15) Garrett Gray. Edin, 26:14.1; 16) Raphael Wunderle, unattached, 26:17.3; 17) Max Treinen, unattached, 26:40.3; 18) Cornelious Sigei, UAA, 26:59.7; 19) James Pettigrew, UAA, 28:08.7.

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