UAA Athletics

UAA sets relay record, dominates 5,000 at GNAC indoor track championships

The UAA track and field team turned in dominant performances Friday on the first day of action in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor track and field championships in Nampa, Idaho.

The Seawolves swept the 5,000-meter titles -- grabbing the top five spots in the men’s race -- and set school and conference records in the women’s distance medley relay.

The relay team of Ruth Cvancara, Vanessa Aniteye, Danielle McCormick and Caroline Kurgat won the medley relay in 11:23.47, setting new school, GNAC and GNAC Championship records.

In the men’s 5,000, Wesley Kirui led a 1-2-3-4-5 finish winning in 14:55.66 and extending UAA’s winning streak in that event to seven straight years. Two seconds behind was defending Felix Kemboi, followed by Edwin Kangogo (15:07.57), Jorge Sanchez (15:10.99) and Nickson Koech (15:11.48).

In the women’s 5,000, Nancy Jeptoo triumphed in 17:48.46 to become the fifth UAA runner in seven years to win the race. UAA"s Grace Gannon was eighth in 18:57.59.

Other top performances for UAA came from volleyball star Chrisalyn Johnson, who placed third in the long jump (18 feet, 7.75 inches), and the men’s distance medley relay team of Drew Johnson, Nathanial Brunett, Eduardo Orozco and Faisal Ibrahim, which finished third (10:21.08).

David Sramek is in fifth place after day one of the heptathlon; in the pentathlon, Elano Cano and Yvonne Jeschke finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

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