Monday, April 22, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Bryan Clay Invitational produced a pair of GNAC records and a slew of school records, propelling those record performers to GNAC Athlete of the Week selections.

Alaska Anchorage senior Caroline Kurgat and Central Washington sophomore Sidney Trinidad shared Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors for their GNAC record performances. Kurgat reset her own record in the 5,000 meters with a third-place time of 15:40.45 and then proceeded to break the UAA record in the 1,500 meters in a time of 4:19.48, ranking her third on the GNAC All-Time List. Both times automatically qualify Kurgat for the NCAA Championships in those events.

Trinidad placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 59.11 seconds, bettering the previous record of 59.17 set by Haleigh Lloyd of Alaska Anchorage in 2015. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks No. 4 in Division II this season. In addition, Trinidad placed second in group one of the heptathlon with a score of 4,668 points.

Seawolves’ senior Chrisalyn Johnson and Wildcats’ senior Brooke Williams shared Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after setting school records in the long jump. Johnson broke her own record with a mark 19 feet, 5.25 inches, ranking No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time and No. 14 in Division II this season. Williams set the CWU record in the long jump with a mark of 19 feet, 2 inches, tying her for No. 9 on the GNAC All-Time List. She ranks No. 23 in Division II this season.

Northwest Nazarene senior Jake Knight, meanwhile, picked up another Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award for breaking his own school record in the discus. He won the event with a mark of 182 feet, 5 inches, ranking No. 5 in Division II and No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List. Knight also placed third in the shot put with a mark of 56 feet, 9.25 inches.

Western Washington’s Cordell Cummings was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for his two stellar performances in the hurdles. Cummings placed second in the 400-meter hurdles in 51.95 seconds, moving him to No. 4 in Division II this season and No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List. He also placed 10th in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.52 seconds, ranking No. 30 in Division II and No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List.

On the baseball diamond, senior Jalen Garcia provided Montana State Billings with another Player of the Week award after he hit .579 in a series victory over Northwest Nazarene, finishing with 11 hits, five runs, four RBI and a .872 slugging percentage. Garcia had three hits in two of the games and finished the week with a 4 for 5 effort in Saturday’s second game, which included a two-RBI triple.

Saint Martin’s senior reliever Mickey Walker was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he allowed just three hits and struck out 11 in 5.1 innings of work. Walker threw four innings of solid relief in Friday’s 11-inning second game, allowing the two hits and striking out nine. He then earned the save in Saturday’s nightcap, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Concordia junior Hannah Self earned Softball Player of the Week honors after she hit .533 with six runs, nine RBI, three doubles and three home runs as the Cavaliers swept a road trip to Simon Fraser and Western Washington. She went 3 for 4 with a double and a three-run homer in Friday’s opener at Simon Fraser and then went 3 for 5 in the nightcap with another three-run shot. She had single hits in both games at Western Washington, which included a solo home run in the second game.

Central Washington sophomore Lexie Strasser was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after earning two of the Wildcats’ three runs over Saint Martin’s. She compiled a 0.60 earned run average, allowing one run on 10 hits in 11.2 innings. She won Friday’s opener by allowing one run on seven hits and striking out four. She went four innings in Saturday’s 11-0, five-inning win as she allowed just two hits and struck out two.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 34
BASEBALL PLAYER
Jalen Garcia (Montana State Billings, OF, 6-0, Sr., Billings, Mont. – Corban Univ.): Garcia led the Yellowjackets with a .579 batting average in the series win over Northwest Nazarene, finishing with 11 hits, five runs, four RBI, a double, two triples and a .842 slugging percentage. Garcia went 3 for 5 in Friday’s opener and scored two runs. Before going 1 for 4 in the nightcap. He also went 3 for 5 in Saturday’s opener, which included an RBI triple that opened scoring, and closed by going 4 for 5 with a two-RBI triple in the nightcap. Also Nominated: Isaiah Hatch (Concordia), Austin Feist (Saint Martin’s), Collin Runge (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Mickey Walker (Saint Martin’s, RHP, 6-2, Sr., Bothell, Wash. – Archbishop Murphy): Walker posted a pair of solid relief appearances to help the Saints to a split with Concordia in Portland. In 5.1 innings, Walker allowed just three hits and struck out 11. Walker threw four innings of solid relief in a no-decision in Friday’s 6-5, 11-inning loss, allowing just two hits while striking out nine. Walker closed the weekend by earning his sixth save of the season in Saturday’s 5-1 nightcap victory, allowing just one hit and striking out two in 1.1 innings of work. Also Nominated: Kaleb Jones (Concordia), Andrew Schleusner (Montana State Billings), Dylan Myers (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Hannah Self (Concordia, OF/C, 5-11, Jr., Tigard, Ore. – Portland State Univ.): Self led the Cavaliers to a sweep at both Simon Fraser and Western Washington with a .533 batting average, going 8 for 15 with six runs, nine RBI, three doubles and three home runs. Of her eight hits, six were extra-base hits. Self went 3 for 4 with a double and a three-run homer in Friday’s opener at Simon Fraser. She went 3 for 5 in the nightcap a double and another three-run shot. Self went 1 for 2 with an RBI double that accounted for the winning run in Saturday’s opener at Western Washington and hit a solo home run in the second game. Also Nominated: Julia Reuble (Central Washington), Cassidy Fifield (Northwest Nazarene), Sabrina Hicks (Saint Martin’s), Sydney Bowers (Western Oregon), Emily Benson (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Lexie Strasser (Central Washington, RHP, 6-2, So., Chehalis, Wash. – W.F. West): Strasser earned two of the Wildcats’ three wins in the circle last week against Saint Martin’s, compiling a 0.60 earned run average in 11.2 innings. She allowed one run on 10 hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Strasser won Friday’s opener at Saint Martin’s as she allowed one run on seven hits and struck out four. At home on Saturday, Strasser won the 11-0, five-inning first game by allowing just two hits and striking out two in four innings. Also Nominated: Sally Bowles (Concordia), Rylee Thomas (Northwest Nazarene), Lauren Maley (Saint Martin’s), Haley Fabian (Western Oregon), Shearyna Labasan (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Cordell Cummings (Western Washington, Jr., Lake Stevens, Wash.): Cummings moved into No. 2 on the Vikings’ all-time lists in both hurdles races with performances at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Cummings placed second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 51.95 seconds, moving to No. 4 in Division II this season and No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List. Cummings placed 10th in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.52 seconds, ranking No. 30 in Division II and No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List. Also Nominated: Felix Kemboi (Alaska Anchorage), Giovanni Brown (Concordia), Sam Zook (Montana State Billings), Michael Russell (Saint Martin’s), Aaron Ahl (Simon Fraser), Curt Knott (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
Jake Knight (Northwest Nazarene, Sr., Meridian, Idaho- Boise State Univ.): Knight posted a pair of top-three finishes and broke his own school record in the discus at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Knight won the discus with a mark of 182 feet, 5 inches. The mark ranks No. 5 in Division II this season and No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List. He is only the second athlete in GNAC history to surpass 180 feet in the event. Knight also placed third in the shot put with a mark of 56 feet, 9.25 inches. Also Nominated: David Sramek (Alaska Anchorage), Braydon Maier (Central Washington), Joe Denniston (Concordia), Isaiah Girard (Montana State Billings), Owen Collins (Western Oregon), Nick Makrakis (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Eldoret, Kenya - Kapkenda): Kurgat set the GNAC record in the 5,000 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. She placed third in a time of 15:40.45, breaking her previous record of 15:41.21 set last year. Kurgat also set the UAA record in the 1,500 meters in a time of 4:19.48, which ranks third on the GNAC All-Time List. Both times are NCAA Championships automatic qualifiers. The 5,000-meter time leads Division II and the 1,500-meter time ranks second.

Sidney Trinidad (Central Washington, So., Arlington, Wash. – Arlington): Trinidad set the GNAC record in the 400-meter hurdles at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her fourth-place time of 59.11 seconds bettered the previous record of 59.17 set by Haleigh Lloyd of Alaska Anchorage in 2015. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks No. 4 in Division II this season. Trinidad also finished second in group one of the heptathlon with a score of 4,668 points. Also Nominated: Chelsea Bone (Concordia), Anne Lory Chevalier (Montana State Billings), Julia Howley (Simon Fraser), Savannah Smith (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Chrisalyn Johnson(Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Anchorage, Alaska – Dimond): Johnson reset her own school record in the long jump at the Bryan Clay Invitational, placing 12th with a leap of 19 feet, 5.25 inches. The performance ranks No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List and moves her to No. 14 in Division II this season. Johnson also placed 17th in the triple jump with a mark of 39 feet, 0.5 inches.

Brooke Williams (Central Washington, Sr., Vancouver, Wash. – Columbia River Christian Academy): Williams set the Central Washington record in the long jump at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a mark of 19 feet, 2 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks No. 23 in Division II and is tied for ninth on the GNAC All-Time List. Also Nominated: Janessa Williams (Montana State Billings), Moana Gianotti (Western Oregon), Raquel Pellecer (Western Washington).