Monday, September 19, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – To be selected a GNAC Player of the Week three times in a row is a rare feat, but a hard one to deny to Western Oregon’s David Ribich.

The junior earned his third straight Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week award after he emerged as the conference’s top runner at the Sundodger Invitational on Saturday in Seattle. Ribich covered the 8,000-meter course in 24:04.90, finishing five seconds behind champion Declan White of Trinity Western. Ribich averaged 4 minutes, 50 seconds per mile and now has placed either first or second in all three of his races this season.

Alaska Anchorage junior Caroline Kurgat earned Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors after she placed third in the women’s 6,000-meter open race at Sundodger. Kurgat crossed the finish line in 20:34.90, also five seconds behind the top-two finishers, and led the Seawolves to a sixth place team finish.

Concordia picked up three of this week’s awards, including both soccer offensive honors. Freshman Christian Thyron was named the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after he scored three goals in the Cavaliers’ two matches against Academy of Art and Notre Dame de Namur. Sophomore Gabrielle Ewing scored two goals and an assist in three victories to be selected as the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. She scored the game-winner in the Cavaliers’ GNAC season-opening win over Saint Martin’s on Tuesday and assisted on the game-winner in a non-conference win over Hawaii Pacific on Friday.

Cavaliers’ junior middle blocker Colby Barnette was named the Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after finishing with 15 blocks in the first two GNAC matches of the season. She finished with a total of 10 blocks (1 solo, 9 assists) in the Cavaliers’ win over Northwest Nazarene in which Concordia set a GNAC record with 21 blocks in the four-set match.

Western Washington collected both soccer defensive awards. Senior defender Brady Ulen earned the men’s soccer award as he anchored a Vikings’ defense that held No. 18 Fort Hays State scoreless in a 1-0 victory. Emily Webster was selected as the Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week as she anchored a WWU defense that posted a 3-2 win over No. 6 UC San Diego and a 2-0 victory over Western Oregon.

Simon Fraser senior setter Tamara Nipp was named the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week. Nipp finished with 118 assists in two matches, including 63 assists in the Clan’s five-set upset of No. 19 Western Washington in the GNAC opener on Wednesday.

Humboldt State junior running back Ja’Quan Gardner collected the Football Offensive Player of the Week award after he carried 10 times for 211 yards and four touchdowns in the Lumberjacks’ 56-24 win at Simon Fraser. In the process, Gardner became Humboldt State’s all-time leading scorer.

Azusa Pacific claimed the Football Defensive and Special Teams Player of the Week awards for the second consecutive week. Senior cornerback C.J. Broussard collected the defensive honor after he finished with six tackles and one of the Cougars’ three interceptions in their 27-17 win at Central Washington. Sophomore punter Jacob Hall was named Special Teams Player of the Week after punting five times for an average of 44.8 yards per punt and succeeded in keeping the ball out of the hands of the league’s top punt returner.

This week’s GNAC Player of the Week awards honors 10 athletes from seven conference schools. Concordia finished with three selections while Western Washington and Azusa Pacific had two selections each.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 3
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Ja’Quan Gardner (Humboldt State, RB, 5-7, 205, Jr., Ceres, Calif. – Central Valley): Gardner became Humboldt State’s all-time leading scorer with 24 points in Saturday’s 56-24 win at Simon Fraser. He carried 19 times for a season-high 211 yards and four touchdowns, which included a touchdown run of 87 yards. Also Nominated: Aaron Baltazar (Azusa Pacific), Jalen Jana (Simon Fraser).

Defensive: C.J. Broussard (Azusa Pacific, CB, 6-0, 198, Sr., Clovis, Calif. - Clovis): Broussard finished with six tackles and had a fourth quarter interception, one of three by the Cougars in their 27-17 win at Central Washington. Also Nominated: Sefa Tauanu’u (Humboldt State).

Special Teams: Jacob Hall (Azusa Pacific, K/P, 6-2, 195, So., Greenville, Ill. - Geeenville): Hall punted five times for a total of 224 yards, averaging 44.8 yards per punt, including a season-long punt of 65 yards in the Cougars’ 27-17 victory over Central Washington. Hall succeeded in keeping the ball from CWU’s top return man, Jesse Zalk, who returned two punts for 11 yards. Also Nominated: Alex Elterman (Humboldt State).

MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Christian Thyron (Concordia, F, 5-11, Fr., Vancouver, Wash. - Paririe): Thyron scored three goals in two matches. He notched two goals in the Cavaliers’ 6-1 rout of Academy of Art on Friday and tallied a late first half goal in Concordia’s 3-2 double overtime loss at Notre Dame de Namur. The freshman now has four goals on the season. Also Nominated: Jeremiah Lee (Western Washington), Ricardo Palomino (Montana State Billings), Mamadi Camara (Simon Fraser), Rafael Junquiera (Northwest Nazarene).

Defensive: Brady Ulen (Western Washington, D, 5-11, Sr., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – North Idaho CC) Ulen anchored a Western Washington defense that held No. 18 Fort Hays State scoreless in a 1-0 victory in Bellingham. In five matches, the Vikings have allowed just two goals against 52 shots. Also Nominated: Linus Mansson (Northwest Nazarene), Joe Scott (Montana State Billings), Fernando Alvarez (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Gabrielle Ewing (Concordia, M, 5-7, So., Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – Hawaii Prep): Ewing led Concordia to a three-win week with two goals and an assist. She scored the game-winner in the Cavaliers’ 4-0 GNAC-opening win over Saint Martin’s on Tuesday and assisted on the game-winner in the Cavaliers’ 5-3 win over Hawaii Pacific on Friday. She also scored in a 3-1 win over NAIA Southern Oregon on Saturday. Also Nominated: Peyton Chick (Western Washington), Taylor Higa (Western Oregon), Sarah Jenkins (Northwest Nazarene), Keilin Farrand (Central Washington), Kasey Reeve (Seattle Pacific), Hannah Frakes (Saint Martin’s).

Defensive: Emily Webster (Western Washington, M, 5-6, Jr., Bellingham, Wash. - Sehome): Webster anchored a Western Washington defense that succeeded in beating No. 6 UC San Diego at home, 3-2, on Wednesday and then scored a 2-0 shutout in the Vikings’ GNAC-opener over Western Oregon on Saturday. In six matches, the Vikings have allowed just two goals and 38 shots. Also Nominated: Shannon McMahon (Concordia), Sarah Jenkins (Northwest Nazarene), Emily Holt (Central Washington), Sara Massee (Saint Martin’s).

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Tamara Nipp (Simon Fraser, S, 5-9, Sr., Vancouver, B.C. – Crofton House): Nipp finished the week with 118 assists as the Clan opened conference play 2-0. She finished with 63 assists and an ace in the Clan’s five-set upset of No. 19 Western Washington and then added 49 assists in Friday’s three-set sweep of Montana State Billings. Also Nominated: Kayleigh Harper (Western Washington), Lindsey Dorsey (Concordia), Alisha Bettinson (Western Oregon), Maddie Davis (Alaska), Madi Farrell (Northwest Nazarene), Kiah Jones (Central Washington), Erin Braun (Alaska Anchorage), Rebecca Mitchell (Saint Martin’s).

Defensive: Colby Barnette (Concordia, MB, 6-0, Jr., Puyallup, Wash. – Olympic CC): The junior finished the week with 16 blocks (1.78 blocks per set) as Concordia split their opening GNAC weekend. Barnette led the Cavaliers with 10 blocks (1 solo, 9 assists) as Concordia set a GNAC record for blocks in a four-set match with 21 in its four-set win over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Also Nominated: Alison McKay (Simon Fraser), Christie Colasurdo (Western Oregon), Meagan Olsen (Alaska), Mari Thomas (Northwest Nazarene), Kyla Morgan (Central Washington), Kyla Militante-Amper (Alaska Anchorage), Cassidy Apo (Saint Martin’s).

CROSS COUNTRY
Men: David Ribich (Western Oregon, Jr., Enterprise, Ore. – Enterprise): Ribich earned his third straight weekly honor after finishing second in the men’s open 8,000-meter race at the Sundodger Invitational. His time of 24:04.90 (4:50 per mile average) was five seconds behind individual champion Declan White of Trinity Western. Also Nominated: Lukash Platil (Alaska), Michel Ramirez (Alaska Anchorage), Jasper Heckman (Saint Martin’s).

Women: Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage, Jr., Eldoret, Kenya - Kapkenda): Kurgat placed third in the women’s open 6,000-meter race at the Sundodger Invitational in 20:34.9 (5:31 per mile pace) and finished just five seconds behind the top-two runners in the race. Kurgat led the Seawolves to a sixth place team finish. Also Nominated: Rebecca Bassett (Simon Fraser), Kennedy Rufener (Western Oregon), Dorothy O’Donnell (Alaska), Elena Gomez (Central Washington), Shannon Porter (Saint Martin’s).