UAA Athletics

Another 1-2 finish for UAA runners Nash and Moos, and another historic win for the UAF women

Two meets into the cross-country season, UAA freshman Cole Nash is 2 for 2, and so is the history-making UAF women’s team.

Nash, who joined the Seawolves as a high school standout from Littleton, Colorado, won his second race of the season Saturday at the Seawolf Throwdown at Kincaid Park. The event was a dual meet between UAA and UAF, who also met last weekend in Fairbanks.

Nash won the men’s 8-kilometer race in a time of 26:18, leading five Seawolves into the top six for an overwhelming 18-38 team victory.

In the women’s 6K race, history repeated itself for the Nanooks.

A week after they defeated powerhouse UAA for the first time in program history, the UAF women fashioned another head-to-head victory over their rivals, 32-23.

Naomi Bailey, a freshman out of West Valley High School, led the Nanooks in 22:37. Rosie Fordham, a freshman from Australia, gave UAF a 1-2 finish by clocking 23:22.

Third place went to UAA’s Nancy Jeptoo in 24:34. Jeptoo, a senior from Kenya, earned NCAA Division II All-America honors in 2019 by placing 10th at the national championships.

ADVERTISEMENT

Missing from the field was UAF freshman Kendall Kramer, another West Valley product and the winner of last week’s race in Fairbanks. She was subsequently named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s athlete of the week in women’s cross country, but the Nanooks chose to rest her on Saturday.

Nash, the GNAC’s men’s runner of the week, claimed his second win in as many college races Saturday by beating teammate Jacob Moos of Galena by nine seconds. Nash and Moos also placed 1-2 in Fairbanks.

A third-place finish by UAF’s Mike Ophoff prevented the Seawolves from posting a perfect score.

The Seawolves will spend the rest of the month training. Their next meet is Oct. 2 in Seattle.

Women’s 6K

UAF 23, UAA 32

1. Naomi Bailey, UAF, 22:37.8; 2. Rosie Fordham, UAF, 23:22.2; 3. Nancy Jeptoo, UAA, 24:34.2; 4. Delainey Zock, UAF, 25:04.8;5. Alfin Nyamasyo, UAA, 26:00.9; 6. Rya Berrigan, UAF, 26:08.3; 7. Joan Kipsani, UAA, 26:16.7; 8. Sofija Spaic, UAA, 26:49.5; 9. Arielle Himelbloom, UAA, 26:49.6; 10. Aila Berrigan, UAF, 29:01.6; 11. Elena Cano, UAA, 29:08.4.

Men’s 8K

UAA 18, UAF 38

1. Cole Nash, UAA, 26:18.4; 2. Jacob Moos, UAA, 26:27.9; 3. Mike Ophoff, UAF, 26:42.2; 4. Nickson Koech, UAA, 26:54.8; 5. Jesus Avalios, UAA, 27:36.2; 6. Felix Kemboi, UAA, 27:54.2; 7. Zephan Ozturgut, UAF, 29:34.2; 8. Nolan Earnest, UAF, 29:56.6; 9. Koen Ross, UAF, 30:02.3; 10. Titus Kangogo, UAA, 30:17.9; 11. Jack Carter, UAF, 31:21.6.

ADVERTISEMENT