INDIANAPOLIS – Alaska Anchorage will be sending nine student-athletes to the NCAA Div. II Indoor Track and Field Championships next week in Pittsburg, Kansas.
“We are really excited for the NCAA Championships,” said head coach Michael Friess. “We are bringing a strong group of student-athletes to the championships, and I am excited to see what this group can do against the best in the nation.”
Senior Caroline Kurgat, a three-time NCAA National Champion, will be the top seed in both the 3,000 and 5,000. Kurgat, a native of Eldoret, Kenya, set all-time Div. II records in the 3,000 (9:07.05) and the 5,000 (15:28.46) this season.
The women's distance medley relay of junior Vanessa Aniteye (Norderstedt, Germany), sophomore Ruth Cvancara (Anchorage), Kurgat and senior Danielle McCormick (Soldotna) enters as the No. 1 seed after running 11:23.47 at the GNAC Championships, the sixth-fastest time ever run in Div. II.
UAA's men's distance medley relay will also be competing after running a school-record time of 9:50.19. The relay of freshman Nathanial Brunett (Clancy, Mont.), freshman Drew Johnson (Littleton, Colo.), sophomore Felix Kemboi (Eldoret, Kenya) and junior Eduardo Orozco (King City, Calif.) enters the national championships as the 10th seed.
Senior Danielle McCormick will look to defend her national title in the 800 where she is seeded 11th with a time of 2:10.63.
Freshman Nancy Jeptoo will compete in the mile where she is ranked 11th with a time of 4:51.09.
The NCAA Championships are hosted by Pittsburg State March 8-9.
