UAA runner, former Colony athlete named top freshman in conference

WASILLA — When Jordyn Block’s name was announced during the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships awards ceremony after the cross-country running meet in Bellingham, Washington, last week, Block could not believe what she had just heard.

Block, a former Colony High School athlete and a UAA freshman running on the Division II Seawolves nationally-ranked cross-country running program, was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year.

“I was shocked. I was not expecting to receive that award,” Block said by cellphone earlier this week. “When they said my name I was really excited, but it was a huge shock to me.”

Block, the lone freshman on the UAA women’s roster, posted the top time by a freshman in the 6-kilometer women’s race, a mark of 22 minutes, 55 seconds. The time is a personal best, and the Oct. 22 race marked the first time in her career that she broke the 23-minute mark in a 6K race.

“I’ve been doing a lot of hard training, a lot of really intense training sessions have helped out a lot,” Block said.

The GNAC Championships also marked just the third 6K race for Block, who is competing in just her third season as a cross-country runner. Block has competed in Nordic skiing since she was in middle school, but didn’t join the Colony Knights cross-country running team until her junior year of high school. After graduating from CHS last spring, Block opted to join the UAA cross-country program as a walk-on.

Now, Block is the GNAC Freshman of the Year.

“I always thought I’d be a skier,” Block said.

She joined her high school cross-country running team to help her conditioning for the prep ski season. But it didn’t take long before Block’s focus shifted from skiing to running.

“Near the end of my high school career, I saw running as more of an opportunity for me,” Block said.

Block said he did have option to run for other schools, but UAA was her choice.

“UAA was definitely where I wanted to be,” Block said.

As she entered her first season as a collegiate athlete, Block said she had no idea what to expect.

“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much, other than gaining some experience, just being a college athlete, getting to feel what it feels like,” Block said. “I wasn’t really sure where I was going to be.”

But Block put in the work, and took advantage of the chance to run in a program that won its seventh GNAC title in eight years Oct. 22.

“All of my teammates have helped me through this season,” Block said.

Block — who joins a pair of Wasilla graduates, junior Mariah Burroughs and sophomore Riley Burroughs, and a Palmer grad, senior Joe Day, as UAA cross-country runners hailing from the Valley — has competed in a trio of 6K races and a 5K meet this year. She clocked a time of 23:08 at the UW Sundodger Invite in Seattle, Washigton, on Sept. 17. On Oct. 8, Block posted a time of 23:52 at the Western Washington Invite in Bellingham. Two weeks later, on the same Western Washington course, Block recorded her time of 22:55 in the GNAC Championships, shaving 57 seconds off her prior time in Bellingham.

“It was a good time for me. I think the coaches were happy with my performance as well,” Block said.

As a senior at Colony, Block finished 11th in the Region III Championships with a time of 20:24. She was 18th in the 4A state championships with a mark of 20:16. Block set a personal record in the 5K, a time of 20:04, at the Tsalteshi Invitational in Soldotna early in her senior season.

Block — who is studying physical education at UAA with the intent of teaching adaptive physical education and working with students with special needs — said she’s taking her college running career one step at a time.

“I’m trying to take it year-by-year. Just being a freshman, I’m still gaining experience,” Block said. “Right now I’m focusing on getting some good training in, focusing on the team aspect.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.