SPOKANE, Wash. - The Northwest Nazarene University athletic programs finished fifth overall in the 2011-12 race for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Sports Title, announced this afternoon by the conference office.
Led by the Crusader men's programs, who finished third out of the 12 all-sports men's teams with 57 points, the NNU programs totaled 120 points. The Crusader women's teams were sixth out of the 10 women's all-sports teams with 63 points.
Complete GNAC Release...
All-Sports: Vikings Win Fourth Straight Overall Title
Western Washington scored 180 points – one off its own conference record - in winning its fourth consecutive GNAC All-Sports title, according to final official released by the conference office Tuesday.
It's the eighth GNAC all-sports title in 11 seasons for the Vikings under the direction of athletic director Lynda Goodrich.
For the second year in a row, the Vikings also won both the men's and women's crowns scoring nearly identical point totals to last season. A year ago, the men earned 76 points and the women had 105 points. This year the men matched last year's 76-point total, while the Viking women netted 104.
Points are awarded (on a two-point increment) based on the final finishes in each of the conference's 16 sports – football, volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's outdoor track & field, men's and women's golf, baseball and softball.
The Vikings outpointed Western Oregon 180-144 for the overall title. They also edged the Wolves 76-74 for the men's title and outscored Seattle Pacific 104-94 for the women's crown.
Western Washington won three team titles though one of the three was not in men's basketball where they won the NCAA Division II national title. WWU was the men's and women's golf champion and also won the men's outdoor track and field title.
In men's basketball, WWU was the regular-season GNAC champion, but lost to eventual champion Montana State Billings in the conference tournament before bouncing back to win the national title.
Seattle Pacific won the most team titles claiming four – all on the women's side (volleyball, soccer, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field).
Western Washington and Alaska Anchorage (men's cross country, women's cross country, women's basketball) each won three titles, Western Oregon (men's indoor track and field and baseball) and MSU Billings (men's basketball, softball) won two each. Simon Fraser (men's soccer) and Humboldt State (football) each won one.
ALL-SPORTS POINTS: Overall - Western Washington 180, Western Oregon 144, Seattle Pacific 136, Alaska Anchorage 125, Northwest Nazarene 120, MSU Billings 108, Simon Fraser 103, Central Washington 99, Saint Martin's 95, Alaska Fairbanks 24, Humboldt State 10, Dixie State 2. Men – Western Washington 76, Western Oregon 74, Northwest Nazarene 57, Saint Martin's 54, Central Washington 53, Alaska Anchorage 52. MSU Billings 46, Seattle Pacific 42, Simon Fraser 36, Humboldt State 10, Alaska Fairbanks 4, Dixie State 2. Women – Western Washington 104, Seattle Pacific 94, Alaska Anchorage 73, Western Oregon 70, Simon Fraser 67, Northwest Nazarene 63, MSU Billing 62, Central Washington 46, Saint Martin's 41, Alaska Fairbanks 20.
