Monday, September 24, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. - A rare double eagle and a tournament championship has helped earn Montana State Billings golfer Gage Huft GNAC Red Lion Players of the Week honors. 

Huft is one of 13 athletes earning Red Lion honors for their performances during the period of Sept. 17-23, 2012.  They include:

Golf

Men – Gage Huft, Montana State Billings (So., Kimberly, ID) won the individual title in the MSUB Yellowjacket Invitational by three shots with a 36-hole score of 140 to earn Red Lion Player of the Week honors.  Huft had a 67 in the second round as the Yellowjackets shot a school-record 281 to rally from 16 shots back and win the team title with a 36-hole score of 594, two ahead of runner-up Rocky Mountain.  Earlier in the week, Huft recorded a rare double-eagle in the Colorado Mesa tournament, knocking in a seven-iron from 192 yards on the 528-yard ninth hole. Honorable Mention – Jake Webb, Western Washington.

Women – Kristen Hansen, Western Washington (Fr., Spokane, WA – Mead) carded a final round score of one-under-par 71 (the third best round of the tournament) to finish in a tie for 13th at 152 and lead the Vikings to a seventh place team finish in the Angelo State Concho River Classic at San Angelo, Tex.  Hansen’s eight-over par score earned her Red Lion Player of the Week accolades. Honorable Mention – Katie Fish, Montana State Billings.

Cross Country

Men –  Michael Luhr, Montana State Billings (So., Gillette, WY) finished second in the collegiate division in the Erik Anderson Invitational in Spokane covering the 8,000 meters in a time of 25:57.87. The Red Lion Athlete of the Week honoree finished second, seven seconds in back of Gonzaga’s Andrew Walker. Honorable Mention - Dak Riek, Western Washington; Brady Beagley, Western Oregon.

Women –  Katelyn Steen, Western Washington (So., Sammamish, WA – Eastlake) led the Vikings to the team title in the Saint Martin’s Invitational finishing third on the 6,000-meter layout in a time of 22:28.24 to earn Red Lion Athlete of the Week honors. Honorable Mention - Lindsey Butterworth, Simon Fraser; Holly Meler, Western Oregon; Whitney Mickelsen, Montana State Billings.

Volleyball

Offense – Emmy Dolan, Central Washington (OH, 5-11, Jr., Castle Rock, WA) had 23 kills and hit for a .450 percentage leading the Wildcats to wins over Simon Fraser and Western Washington.  The Red Lion Offensive Player of the Week winner  had 16 kills and hit for a .481 percentage as the Wildcats stopped arch-rival Western Washington in four sets for the second time in a row at Nicholson Pavilion.  CWU also beat the Vikings at home in four sets during the final week of the 2011 season. Defense – Becky Blees, Western Oregon (MB, 5-10, Jr., Portland, OR – Madison) contributed to nine of the Wolves’ 15 blocks as WOU earned sweeps of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks in limiting their opponents to a .080 attack percentage.   Blees, the Red Lion Defensive Player of the Week honoree, also had a .412 hitting percentage (8-1-17) in the two wins. Honorable Mention – Danielle Reese, Western Oregon; Kaely Kight, Central Washington; Kyndal Williams, Montana State Billings.

Women’s Soccer

Offense - Carson McKole, Central Washington (Sr., Oak Harbor, WA) scored two goals and also had an assist as the Wildcats earned four points during a two-game road trip.  McKole had a goal and assist in Thursday’s 3-1 win at Simon Fraser, then scored a goal in the 74th minute earning CWU a 1-1 draw at Seattle Pacific to grab Red Lion Offensive Player of the Week honors.  Defense – Jennifer Larsen, Montana State Billings (Sr., Mesa, AZ) helped limit Saint Martin’s and Northwest Nazarene to just 18 shots in a pair of 1-0 victories.   MSUB goalie Alexandria Johnson needed to make just four saves in recording her fifth and sixth shutouts of the season.  Larsen scored MSUB’s lone goal against the Saints on a penalty kick in earning Red Lion Defensive Player of the Week honors.  Honorable Mention – Jaucelyn Richter, Montana State Billings; Jenny Field, Northwest Nazarene; Brianna Jones, Western Washington.

Men’s Soccer

Offense – Brice Holliday, Sioux Falls (F, 5-11, Sr., Colorado Springs, CO – Coronado) scored all three of his team’s goals as the Cougars defeated Western Washington to snap a six-game losing streak and earn their first victory as a NCAA Division II member school. The hat trick earned Holliday Red Lion Offensive Player of the Week honors.  Defense – Conner Moe, Montana State Billings (D, 6-1, 185, Sr., Snohomish, WA – Bellevue CC) led the Yellowjacket defense to a 3-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s and a 1-1 draw with Seattle Pacific.  The Red Lion Defensive Player of the Week award winner was especially instrumental in  leading MSUB in the late minutes of the second half and both overtime periods against the Falcons. Honorable Mention - Carlo Basso, Simon Fraser; Stephen Marshall, Northwest Nazarene.

Football

Offense – Demetrius Sumler, Central Washington (RB, 5-10, 220, Sr., San Diego, CA – Cathedral Catholic) rushed for 148 yards including touchdowns from three, four and 50 yards leading the Wildcats to a 41-17 win against Azusa Pacific at Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell.  Sumler’s second touchdown came with 3:56 left in the first half and his third touchdown came early in the third quarter opening up a 27-7 lead.  Sumler, who was selected the Red Lion Offensive Player of the Week,  also had two receptions for 11 yards.  Defense – Scotland Foss, Western Oregon (LB, 6-3, 235, Sr,, Albany, OR – West Albany) had two interceptions, including one in the end zone with 24 seconds remaining, to seal the Wolves’ 20-16 home win against Simon Fraser and earn Red Lion Defensive Player of the Week honors.  The clinching interception came after Simon Fraser quarterback Trey Wheeler had completed seven consecutive passes driving his team from his own 22 to the WOU 14.  Foss also had six tackles, including four primaries. Special Teams - Chris Campbell, Humboldt State (P/LB, 5-11, 230, Jr., San Diego, CA) averaged 42.3 yards on three punts including a fourth-quarter boot that traveled 48 before it hit the ground with backspin and remained in place at the DSC 4-yard line.  Campbell was selected as the Red Lion Special Teams Player of the Week. Honorable Mention: Nick Ricciardulli, Humboldt State; Cody VonAppen, Western Oregon; Jarrel Johnson, Central Washington; JJ Evans, Humboldt State.