Monday, February 29, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – The state of Washington’s two fierce rivals share something else in common: Each team collected three honorees in this week’s GNAC Player of the Week selections.

Central Washington and Western Washington each had three honorees. The Wildcats swept the baseball selections after going 2-1 in their three-game series at Academy of Art. Jake Levin was named the Baseball Player of the Week after going 4 for 9 in the series. His weekend included a 3 for 5 performance with six RBI in Saturday’s opener. His three home runs in that game was the first such performance in Central Washington program history.

McKenzie Gaul was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week for his starting performance in Saturday’s opener. He earned the win in the 7-2 victory over the Urban Knights as he allowed one run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts in seven innings of work.

Luke Plummer was the third Wildcats’ honoree, earning Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after he won the triple jump at the SPU Final Qualifier on Saturday with his mark of 48 feet, 4 inches. The GNAC champion in the event, it was his first Athlete of the Week selection of the season.

Western Washington’s three selections were spread among three sports. Lynsey Amundson was named the Softball Player of the Week after she went 7 for 14 as the Vikings opened GNAC play by going 3-1 against Simon Fraser. She finished with two runs, a double and six RBI, five of which came in two-out situations. She topped her weekend by going 3 for 3 with three RBI in Saturday’s 7-1 first game win.

Miranda Osadchey was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after setting the Vikings’ indoor record in the women’s high jump at the SPU Final Qualifier. She won the event with a clearance of 5 feet, 8.5 inches, which ties her for fourth on the GNAC all-time list and ties her for third in Division II this season. Jenn Paul was named the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after placing eighth at the St. Edwards Invitational with a two-round score of 11-over-par 151.

Simon Fraser collected two awards in women’s basketball and softball. Ellen Kett was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she led the Clan to a sweep of their games in Alaska. She posted a triple double of 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists and assisted on the game-winning three-pointer in their 67-66 upset over Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. Alia Stachoski was selected as the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she allowed one run on six hits in the Clan’s 7-1 win over Western Washington in Sunday’s finale, snapping a 12-game losing streak to the Vikings.

Western Oregon picked up two track awards. Badane Sultessa was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he broke his GNAC indoor record in the 800 meters for the second time this season with a time of 1:49.68 at the SPU Final Qualifier. Nicole Maurmann earned the women’s track honor after she ran the GNAC’s fastest time in the mile this season with a time of 4:58.10, provosionally qualifying her for the NCAA Championships.

Mitch Penner of Seattle Pacific was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season. The senior scored 39 points and had 17 rebounds in the Falcons’ two wins, topped by 27 points and 11 rebounds in SPU’s senior night win over Simon Fraser on Saturday, 85-62.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 26
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Mitch Penner (Seattle Pacific, F, 6-6, 215, Sr., Seattle, Wash. - Kennedy): Penner closed his final regular season week with 39 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Falcons to two wins as they secured the No. 4 seed in the GNAC Championships. He finished with 12 points and six rebounds in Thursday’s 58-51 win over Western Washington and then finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds on senior night as SPU beat Simon Fraser 85-62. It was Penner’s 12th game this season with 20 points or more. Also Nominated: Trey Dreschel (Western Washington), Trey Ingram (Saint Martin’s), Emmanuel Johnson (Montana State Billings), Bouna N’Diaye (Northwest Nazarene), Julian Nichols (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Ellen Kett (Simon Fraser, G, 5-7, Jr., Melbourne, Australia - Ruyton): Kett averaged nearly a triple double in the Clan’s games at the Alaska schools at 11.5 points, eight assists and 9.5 rebounds. She recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists and assisted on the game-winning three-pointer in Simon Fraser’s 67-66 win at Alaska Anchorage. On Thursday, Kett finished with nine points as the Clan beat Alaska 83-68. Also Nominated: Emily Howey (Western Oregon), Taylor Peacocke (Western Washington), Taylor Simmons (Northwest Nazarene), Megan Wiedeman (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S TRACK
Badane Sultessa (Western Oregon, Sr., Portland, Ore. – Clackamas CC): Sultessa broke his own GNAC indoor record in the 800 meters for the second time this season at the SPU Final Qualifier, placing fifth in 1:49.68. He outleaned rival and GNAC champion Cameron Proceviat of Simon Fraser, who was sixth in 1:49.77. Also Nominated: Cameron Proceviat (Simon Fraser).

MEN’S FIELD
Luke Plummer (Central Washington, Sr., Vaughn, Wash. – Peninsula): The two-time GNAC indoor champion, Plummer won the triple jump at the SPU Final Qualifier with his mark of 48 feet, 4 inches.

WOMEN’S TRACK
Nicole Maurmann (Western Oregon, Jr., Salem, Ore.- Lane CC): Maurmann ran the best mark in the GNAC this season in the mile, placing fourth in the event at the SPU Final Qualifier with her time of 4:58.10. She led three GNAC athletes to go under five minutes in the race and currently has the 33rd fastest time in Division II.

WOMEN’S FIELD
Miranda Osadchey (Western Washington, Jr., DuPont, Wash. – Steilacoom): Osadchey set the Western Washington indoor record in the high jump, winning the event with her clearance of 5 feet, 8.5 inches. The performance moves her into a tie for No. 4 on the GNAC all-time list and ties her for third best in Division II this season.

BASEBALL PLAYER
Jake Levin (Central Washington, IF/P, 6-5, 226, Sr., Redmond, Wash. – Chapman Univ.): Levin went 4 for 9 in the Wildcats’ three-game series at Academy of Art. He went 3 for 5 in Saturday’s first game with six RBI and was the first player in CWU history to hit three home runs in a game. Also Nominated: Ben Warner (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
McKenzie Gaul (Central Washington, LHP/OF, 6-0, 205, So., Winlock, Wash. – Univ. of Washington): Gaul earned the win in the Wildcats’ 7-2 win in the first game of their doubleheader at Academy of Art on Saturday. In seven innings, he allowed one run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Also Nominated: Torin Dooley (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Lynsey Amundson (Western Washington, C, 5-5, Jr., Arlington, Wash. - Arlington): Amundson finished the four-game Simon Fraser series hitting .500, going 7 for 14 with two runs, six RBI and a double. Of her six RBI, five came in two-out situations as she went 5 for 6 with runners in scoring position. Amundson went 3 for 3 with three RBI in Saturday’s 7-1 win in the opener over Simon Fraser and went 2 for 4 in Sunday’s opener in Burnaby. Also Nominated: Sabrina Hicks (Saint Martin’s), Kylie Orr (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Alia Stachoski (Simon Fraser, P, 5-9, So., Port Coquitlam, B.C. - Riverside): Stachoski pitched Simon Fraser to a 7-1 win over Western Washington in the series finale on Sunday, breaking a 12-game losing streak to the Vikings. In the complete game, Stachoski allowed one run on six hits and six walks while striking out seven. Also Nominated: Kendall Goodwin (Northwest Nazarene), Makinlee Sellevold (Western Washington), Loryn Williams (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Jenn Paul (Western Washington, So., Bellingham, Wash. - Bellingham): Paul was the top GNAC player at the St. Edward’s Invitational last week in Austin, Texas, placing eighth with an 11-over-par 151. She shot her lowest round of four-over-par 74 in the second round and lowered her season scoring average of 75.38.