Full GNAC Release
 
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference named Naomi Bailey, freshman runner for the Alaska Nanooks women's cross country team, their GNAC Women's XC Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, Sept. 7. This is Bailey's first career GNAC award and the women's cross country team's second of the season. 
 
On Saturday, Sept. 4 at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Bailey led the Nanook women's cross country team to their second-consecutive head-to-head victory over the UAA Seawolves. After her teammate, Kendall Kramer, won the opening-week award on August 30, Bailey won it after posting a time of 22:37.8 in the 6k race. She defeated her teammate and second-place finisher, Rosie Fordham, by 45 seconds, winning the race with ease. 
 
After not having a female GNAC XC Athlete of the Week for almost a decade, the Nanooks have now gone back-to-back, claiming the first two of the 2021 season.
 
"We're all very proud of Naomi." Says graduate-assistant, Josh Sanderlin, "The women have all done a fantastic job of developing chemistry and lifting each other to new heights."
 
The Alaska cross country teams are not back in action until Friday, Sept. 24 when they visit Western Oregon for the Mike Johnson Classic at the Ash Creek Preserve on the campus of WOU. 
 
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks cross country teams, follow @Alaska_XC on Instagram, or like the Alaska Nanooks XC team page on Facebook.