UAA qualifies five athletes for D2 nationals with Walsh, Slate and Fields

A quintet of Seawolves and a trio of Alaskans are set to compete at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

UAA’s Anders Larsen, John Peckham, Vivien Liessfeld, Jess Chisar, Ryann Smith, Eagle River’s Emily Walsh, Fairbanks’ Essence Slate and Layla Fields will represent The Last Frontier across six events.

Larsen, a sophomore, will make his second straight trip to a national meet following his win in the decathlon at the GNAC Championships.

The Chugiak High grad compiled an impressive 6,969 points to qualify for the national meet. His score ranks second in UAA history, second in Alaska history and seventh in GNAC history.

Larsen’s rise to the national stage is unique, as he didn’t start competing in track and field until his prep junior year. While he joined the Seawolves with strong marks in the 400 and long jump, he remained a student of the sport, learning how to pole vault, hurdle and perfect his high jump technique.

The sophomore becomes just the second athlete in program history to qualify in the decathlon and first in a decade, joining Cody Thomas (2013-14 & 2016), who won the national title in 2016.

Larsen finished 14th in the heptathlon at the indoor national championships earlier this spring.

Peckham, a graduate student, is poised to make his fourth appearance at a national meet, having competed three times at cross country nationals and earning All-American honors last fall with a 25th-place showing.

A standout from Sisters, Ore., Peckham is fresh off his GNAC title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, where he ran 8:55.44. His time ranks fourth in program history, eighth in conference history and 10th out of 22 national entrants.

Peckham is the sixth athlete in UAA history to qualify in the steeplechase and first in seven years, joining Wesley Kirui (2019), Edwin Kangogo (2017 & 2019), Micah Chelimo (2010-12), David Kiplagat (2008-09) and Anchorage’s Nate Normandin (2004). Chelimo owns the program’s top finish in the event, with a runner-up showing in 2012.

Liessfeld, a junior, is primed to make her national debut, following a pair of GNAC titles in the heptathlon and the long jump.

Originally from Neuwied, Germany, Liessfeld is no stranger to the spotlight, as a four-time GNAC champion and program record holder in the long jump. She was also named GNAC Field Athlete of the Meet and GNAC Women’s High Point Scorer.

The junior qualified in the long jump after setting a school record of 20-2.5 at the Pacific Coast Invitational. The mark reset the program record held by Anchorage’s Chrisalyn Johnson, who was the inaugural Seawolf to qualify for nationals in the women’s long jump, placing 19th in 2019, while earning All-American honors in the triple jump.

Liessfeld’s colossal jump ranks second in GNAC history and ninth entering the national championships.

Chisar, a sophomore, will be making her second appearance at a national meet, having finished 15th in the 800 at the indoor meet in 2025.

Hailing from Pleasant Hill, Calif., Chisar qualified with a personal-best 2:07.95 to finish third at the GNAC Championships. The time ranks second in program history, behind Soldotna’s Dani McCormick (2:05.00), who was the last Seawolf to qualify in the event and placed fourth in both 2018 and 2019.

Chisar is the eighth athlete to represent UAA in the event, joining McCormick (2017-19), Anchorage’s Ruth Cvancara (2019), Yemi Knight (2018), Tamara Perez (2016), Wasilla’s Jessica Pahkala (2015), Anchorage’s Susan Bick (2011 & 2013) and Soldotna’s Ivy O’Guinn (2011 & 13).

Chisar enters the national meet as the 19th seed.

Smith, a sophomore, will make her national debut in the 1,500, following her runner-up showing at the GNAC Championships.

The athlete from Rawlins, Wyo., clocked a personal-best 4:26.76 at the Franson Last Chance Meet to eke into the national meet as the 20th seed.

Smith’s time ranks fourth in program history, as she becomes the seventh Seawolf to qualify in the event and first since 2019. She joins Nancy Jeptoo (2019), Tamara Perez (2016 & 2018), Jessica Pahkala (2016), Beatrice Decker (2015), Ivy O’Guinn (2011-14) and Miriam Kipng’eno (2010-11). O’Guinn owns the program’s top finish, placing third in 2014.

The UAA quintet represents the most to qualify since 2019, when 10 athletes punched their tickets. That year, the women’s team took seventh in a program-best, thanks largely to Caroline Kurgat’s legendary sweep of the 5,000 and 10,000-meter titles.

Cedarville’s Emily Walsh also qualified in the 1,500 and will make her fifth appearance at a national meet — twice in cross country, once indoors and now twice outdoors.

The Eagle River grad has remarkably gone 3-for-3 in garnering All-American honors over the past year, placing seventh in the 1,500 last spring, 31st in cross country and fifth indoors in the mile.

Walsh, a graduate student, placed runner-up in the 1,500 at the G-MAC Championships before running to a personal-best 4:21.22 at the Billy Hayes Invitational in just her third meet of the outdoor season. Her time ranks second in program history, behind Carsyn Koch-Johnson (4:12.19), and ninth among national qualifiers.

Mount Olive’s Essence Slate is slated to make her national debut in the 4×100 relay.

The Lathrop grad has had a breakout year, setting personal bests in the 200 (24.07), 400 (55.00) — No. 5 in Alaska history — and long jump (18-5.75), while helping the Trojans demolish the program and conference records in both the 4×100 (44.95) and 4×400 (3:41.64) relays. She also helped Mount Olive sweep the Conference Carolinas team titles for the 12th year in a row.

Slate, a junior, will be joined by Serenity Harvey, Heavan Roberts and Haniyyah Johnson after qualifying at the VertKlasse Meeting. The quartet ranks seventh among national entrants and is poised to finish well, after placing 11th in 2024.

Central Washington’s Layla Fields will also make her national debut in the 4×100 relay.

Just a freshman, the West Valley grad has been instrumental, anchoring the Wildcats to the GNAC title — their third in three years and sixth in program history — in 45.31.

The time ranks second in both program and conference history, trailing their own (44.76), set during the prelims at last year’s national meet. While Wildcats were unfortunately disqualified during the finals, they will get a chance to seek redemption in just over one week’s time.

Fields will be joined by Ashlyn Nielsen, Zoe Gonzalez and Elise Hopper, as the quartet enters as the 15th seed.

The NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Emporia, Kan., from May 21-23.