Monday, December 14, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – A week of solid performances for Saint Martin’s in basketball and indoor track and field headline the selections for GNAC Player of the Week.

Megan Wiedeman earned the nod as the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after a pair of double-doubles in two home games for the Saints. Against No. 5 ranked Cal Baptist on Friday, Wiedeman finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in a competitive 71-54 loss. In the Saints’ 65-54 win over Quest on Saturday, Wiedeman led the way with 17 points and 14 rebounds. In the two games, Wiedeman finished with 29 points and 26 rebounds. She enters the week leading the GNAC with 10.9 rebounds per game.

The Saints swept the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week awards in their opening weekend of the indoor season. Latrelle Swayne was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week awards after he tied the Saints’ record in the 60-meter dash at the Jackson’s Indoor Open in Nampa, Idaho. In his first meet with the Saints, Swayne ran 6.97 seconds in the preliminary round, tying the school mark set by Michael Davis in 2013. He went on to win the 60 meters in 7.00 seconds.

Mikel Smith was selected as the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after finishing second in the high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 10.25 inches. The mark is fourth best in Division II this season and is a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Championships.

Northwest Nazarene swept the women’s track weekly awards. Taylor Deskins was selected as Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she just missed a school record in the 60-meter dash, placing third in 7.87 seconds. She was beat only by two Division I competitors. Taylor Van Valey earned the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week award after she his a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships in the weight throw. She placed third with a mark of 53 feet, 7.5 inches.

Seattle Pacific’s Mitch Penner was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after earning the Most Valuable Player award at their own Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic. Penner scored 30 points and had 11 rebounds in the teo games, placed by a 16-point, five-rebound performance in Saturday’s 71-54 win over Azusa Pacific. With two wins in the tournament, Seattle Pacific has now won nine straight games. Penner leads the Falcons in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 15
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Mitch Penner (Seattle Pacific, F, 6-5, 215, Sr., Seattle, Wash. - Kennedy) Penner was named the Most Valuable Player of the Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic by scoring 30 points and 11 rebounds in two games. He scored 14 points and had six rebounds in a 76-64 win over NAIA Northwest (Wash.) and then had 16 points and five rebounds in a 71-54 win over Azusa Pacific on Saturday. He made 18 of 23 free throws during the tournament. Also Nominated: Preston Beverly (Montana State Billings), Bouna N’Diaye (Northwest Nazarene), Kadeem Strickland (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Megan Wiedeman (Saint Martin’s, F, 6-0, Sr., Sammamish, Wash. - Skyline): Wiedeman finished with two double-doubles as the Saints split their games. She finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in a 78-66 loss to No. 5 Cal Baptist. In Saturday’s 65-54 win over Quest, Wiedeman finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds. For the two games, Wiedeman finished with 29 points and 26 rebounds while shooting 45 percent from the field. Also Nominated: Sierra Dean (Concordia), Natalie DeLonge (Western Oregon), Jessica Madison (Alaska Anchorage), Marissa Van Atta (Montana State Billings).

MEN’S TRACK
Latrelle Swayne (Saint Martin’s, Jr., Sacramento, Calif. – American River JC): In his first meet for the Saints, Swayne won the 60-meter dash at the Jackson’s Indoor Open with a time of 7.00 seconds. He has the top time in the preliminaries at 6.97 seconds, tying the school record set by Michael Davis in 2013. Also Nominated: David Harris (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S FIELD
Mikel Smith (Saint Martin’s, Sr., Muskogee, Okla. - Muskogee): Smith finished second in the high jump at the Jackson’s Indoor Open with a mark of 6 feet, 10.25 inches. The performance is not only a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Division II Championships, but is fourth best in Division II this season. Smith owns the GNAC record with a mark of 7 feet, 0.5 inches. Also Nominated: Payton Lewis (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Taylor Deskins (Northwest Nazarene, Jr., Corvallis, Ore. – Corban Univ.): Deskins just missed setting a school record in the 60-meter dash at the Jackson’s Indoor Open, finishing third in 7.87 seconds. She was beat by two Division I competitors. Deskins also placed eighth in the 200 meters in 26.54 seconds. Also Nominated: Lisa Petersen (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Taylor Van Valey (Northwest Nazarene, Jr., Brush Prairie, Wash. - Hockinson): Van Valey hit a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships in the weight throw, placing third with a mark of 53 feet, 7.5 inches. She also placed fourth in the shot put with a mark of 42 feet. Also Nominated: Kirby Neale (Saint Martin’s).