Wednesday, June 5, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – For much of the year, Central Washington All-American cross country and track and field standout Alexa Shindruk has performed in the shadow of another GNAC athlete who has won national titles in her same events.

The lack of attention did not seem to phase the senior from Bellingham, Washington, who has performed at the highest level both in her sport and her chosen academic field of accounting. The conference’s athletic directors have recognized both with the selection of Shindruk as the 2018-19 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Shindruk becomes the third Central Washington student-athlete, and the second female, to receive the conference’s highest honor for academic and athletic achievement.

An All-American during the cross country and outdoor track and field seasons and a Second Team All-American indoors, Shindruk has also received a bevy of academic honors with her 4.00 cumulative grade point average in accounting.

A GNAC All-Academic Team selection in both cross country and track and field, Shindruk was the recipient of the women’s NCAA’s Elite 90 Award at December’s Division II Cross Country Championships. Designed to honor the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level, the Elite 90 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site of each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.

The GNAC swept the Elite 90 awards at the Cross Country Championships with Western Oregon’s Tyler Jones earning the men’s award. Jones was named the 2018-19 GNAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Shindruk opened the year as one of the conference’s strongest cross country runners. She was the runner-up at November’s GNAC Cross Country Championships, turning in a time of 21:31.1 over 6,000 meters to earn All-GNAC honors. Two weeks later, Shindruk placed eighth at the NCAA West Region Championships with a time of 21:27.52. She joined teammate Nicole Soleim in earning individual berths to the NCAA Championships.

At the national meet, Shindruk led all GNAC competitors as she clocked a time of 23:14.7 to finish in 21st place. In the process, she became the first Central Washington woman since 2013 to earn All-American honors in cross country.

Shindruk did not slow down once she moved indoors. The senior took second place in the 3,000 meters at the GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships in a time of 10:00.38. She qualified for the national championships in both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters and earned Second Team All-American honors when she placed ninth in the 3,000 and 11th in the 5,000.

During the outdoor season, Shindruk was the runner-up in the 5,000 meters at the GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, clocking a time of 16:47.08. A qualifier for nationals in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters, Shindruk earned All-American trophies in both races. She placed seventh in the 5,000 meters in a time of 17:27.70 and seventh in the 10,000 meters in a time of 38:04.69.

Shindruk finished the indoor season with the No. 15 time in Division II in the 3,000 meters (9:42.19) and the No. 16 time in the 5,000 meters (16:48.43). Outdoors, Shindruk finished with the No. 3 time in Division II in the 10,000 meters (34:25.41) and the No. 17 time in the 5,000 meters (16:47.08).

Other nominees for the 2018-19 GNAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award included Cate Whiting of Alaska (volleyball), Caroline Kurgat of Alaska Anchorage (track and field), Chelsea Bone of Concordia (track and field), Amanda Hemmen of Montana State Billings (soccer), Kylie Orr of Northwest Nazarene (softball), Liz Larson of Saint Martin’s (track and field), Julia DeVere of Seattle Pacific (soccer), Sophie Dodd of Simon Fraser (cross country/track and field), Ali Nelke of Western Oregon (basketball) and Grace Eversaul of Western Washington (track and field).

GNAC FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
2018-19: Alexa Shindruk, Central Washington
2017-18: Alisha Breen, Montana State Billings (Basketball)
               Caroline Kurgat, Alaska Anchorage (Cross Country/Track & Field)
2016-17: Bethany Drake, Western Washington (Track and Field)
2015-16: Shayla Page, Seattle Pacific (Soccer)
2014-15: Suzanna Ohlsen, Seattle Pacific (Basketball)
2013-14: Lacey McGladrey, Saint Martin’s (Softball)
2012-13: Helen Crofts, Simon Fraser (Track and Field)
2011-12: Kelsey Jenkins, Seattle Pacific (Soccer)
2010-11: Dara Zack, Saint Martin’s (Basketball)
2009-10: Jessica Pixler, Seattle Pacific (Cross Country/Track and Field)
2008-09: Ashley Puga, Northwest Nazarene (Cross Country/Track & Field)
2007-08: Amanda Peters, Northwest Nazarene (Soccer/Track and Field)
2006-07: Ana Gutierrez, Seattle (Soccer)
2005-06: Mullen, Central Washington (Track and Field)
2004-05: Martina Kartikova, Saint Martin’s (Basketball)
2003-04: Liz Bishop, Western Washington (Volleyball)
2002-03: Nichole Sauvageau, Seattle (Soccer)
2001-02: Nichole Sauvageau, Seattle (Soccer)