LAS VEGAS - Alaska Anchorage rookie Ethan Hewitt started his collegiate career with a Great Northwest Athletic Conference record in the season opener at the UNLV Track & Field Classic on Saturday.
The Seawolves competed in a field of mostly NCAA Div. I teams at the Myronn Partridge Stadium and Sheila Tarr-Smith field, with the except of GNAC member, Montana State-Billings.
Hewitt, a Eagle River native and Chugiak high school graduate, won the men's 400 meter race with a GNAC record-breaking time of 47.97 seconds. The mark also qualifies the freshman provisionally for the NCAA Championships (May 27-29 in Charlotte, N.C.).The previous record was held by Western Oregon's Ashtin Mott (48.11).
In addition to Hewitt, five other Seawolves posted provisional qualifying marks; junior Marko Cheseto, sophomore Alfred Kangogo, freshman Micah Chelimo on the men's team and junior Hallidie Wilt and sophomore Miriam Kipngeno.
Throughout the day, Kangogo qualified provisionally in two events. The Eldoret, Kenya, native won the men's 1500m with a time if three minutes, 51.04 seconds, while finishing runner up in the 800m with a time of 1:52.50.
Two-time All-American Cheseto raced to a second-place finish behind Kangogo in the 1500m, clocking in at 3:52.04, while Chelimo claimed his first college victory in the men's 3000m steeplechase (9:13.31).
Wilt commenced her junior season with her first UAA record. The Unalaska native crossed the finish line in second place in the 3000 m steeplechase with a time of 11 minutes, 10.43 seconds. The previous UAA record was held by teammate Emma Bohman (11:37.47).
Kipngeno provisioned in the 1500m with a third-place finish (4:37.22).
Other top results on the women's side included a second-place result in the 400m hurdles by junior Ardrienna Everett (1:03.84) and a third-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase by Bohman (12:16.73).
The Seawolves will hit the road to Eagle Rock, Calif. for the Occidental Distance Carnival on March 12 and the Northridge Relays (Northridge, Calif.) on March 13.
