Monday, September 26, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – A wealth of worthy performances and records on the football field made for a much longer list for this week’s GNAC Player of the Week Awards.

Both the Football Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Week awards are shared between a pair of indivduals. Western Oregon running back Malik Braxton and Humboldt State quarterback Robert Webber split the week’s offensive honors despite playing against each other in the Wolves’ 48-42 victory over the Lumberjacks. Braxton ran for a career-high 191 yards and scored three touchdowns on 23 carries to lead WOU offensively in the win. Webber, meanwhile, threw for a GNAC record 502 yards while competing a conference record 44 passes in the loss. He also tied the GNAC single game record with 64 pass attempts while throwing for four touchdowns.

The Wolves’ Paul Revis and Azusa Pacific’s Jamie Cacciatore shared the Football Special Teams Player of the Week award. Revis with 142 combined kick return yards on seven returns in the victory, which included a 43-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter. Cacciatore went 8 for 8 on PAT attempts and connected on field goals of 38 and 42 yards in the Cougars’ 64-14 win over Simon Fraser.

Taliuaki Suliafu provided Azusa Pacific its third Football Defensive Player of the Week award after he finished with six tackles, including four for loss and 1.5 sacks, along with an interception in the Cougars’ win over Simon Fraser.

Simon Fraser’s Adam Jones was selected as the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week thanks to his two goals and an assist in the Clan’s two victories. The midfielder scored both of his goals in the Clan’s 3-1 win over Seattle Pacific. Montana State Billings midfielder Guillaume Kremer earned the defensive weekly honor for his role in the Yellowjackets’ two shutouts and a tie in three matches last week, including a 3-0 shutout of Northwest Nazarene in the team’s GNAC opener.

Western Washington’s Gabrielle Pelogi earned the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honor. She provided the game-winning goal in the seventh minute of the Vikings’ nationally televised 5-0 shutout of Bridgeport on Thursday and assisted on the game-winner in a 1-0 win at Simon Fraser on Saturday. Concordia goalkeeper Olivia Brock earned the Defensive Player of the Week award after earning her fifth and sixth shutouts of the season.

Northwest Nazarene’s Kendra Bodine finished with 39 kills, a .348 hitting percentage and 32 digs in the Crusaders’ two matches to earn the league’s Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week Award. Alaska Anchorage’s Erin Braun was tabbed for the defensive award after she came up with 10 blocks in the Seawolves’ two road wins at Western Washington and Simon Fraser.

The Cross Country Athlete of the Week awards went to a pair of race winners, the 11th and 12th for the GNAC this season. Northwest Nazarene’s Godfrey Kemboi earned the men’s award after winning Friday’s Yellowjacket Invitational, covering the 10,000-meter course in 32:20.5. Saint Martin’s Shannon Porter picked up her second victory in three races this season to win the women’s award. She won on her home course, covering the 5,000 meters at the SMU Open in 17:50.10.

Concordia’s Ryan Melnychuk and Western Washington’s Audrey Orem earned the first Golf Player of the Week awards of the season. Melnychuk earned Men’s Golf Player of the Week after tying for third place at the Saint Martin’s Invitational with 36-hole score of even-par 142. Orem tied for 19th place at the Western New Mexico Fall Intercollegiate, tying for 19th place with a score of 7-over-par 151.

This week’s GNAC Player of the Week awards went to 15 student-athletes from 10 conference schools. Western Oregon, Azusa Pacific, Western Washington and Montana State Billings had two selections apiece.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 4
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Malik Braxton (Western Oregon, WR/RB, 5-11, 195, So., Lynnwood, Wash. - Meadowdale): Braxton ran for a career-high 191 yards on 23 carries and finished with 197 all-purpose yards to lead the Wolves to a 48-42 win at Humboldt State. He scored three touchdowns, including two first quarter scores on runs of 24 and 29 yards.

Robert Webber (Humboldt State, QB, 5-9, 180, Jr., Corona, Calif. – Corona Centennial): Webber set GNAC single game records with 502 passing yards and 44 completions and tied the GNAC single game record with 64 pass attempts in the 48-42 loss to Western Oregon. Webber also threw for four touchdowns in the contest. Also Nominated: Brandon Jackson (Azusa Pacific), Justin Lane (Central Washington).

Defensive: Taliuaki Suliafu (Azusa Pacific, SS, 6-0, 185, Jr., Moreno Valley, Calif. – Moreno Valley): Suliafu finished with six tackles, including four for loss for 36 yards, 1.5 sacks for 16 yards of loss and an interception in the Cougars’ 64-14 win over Simon Fraser. The pick was APU’s 10th of the season, ranking them second in Division II. Also Nominated: Bo Highburger (Western Oregon), Tovar Sanchez (Central Washington).

Special Teams: Paul Revis (Western Oregon, KR/WR, 5-9, 165, Jr., Scappoose, Ore. - Scappoose): Revis finished with 142 yards on seven returns in the Wolves’ 48-42 win at Humboldt State, which included a 43-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter. The junior finished with 216 all-purpose yards, including two touchdowns.

Jamie Cacciatore (Azusa Pacific, K, 5-8, 170, Sr., Orange, Calif. – El Modena): Cacciatore went 2 for 3 on field goals, making kicks of 38 and 42 yards, and went 8 for 8 on PATs in the Cougars’ 64-14 win over Simon Fraser. He also averaged 64.8 yards on 11 kickoffs with six touchbacks. Also Nominated: Tevin Gray (Central Washington).

MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Adam Jones (Simon Fraser, M, 5-7, 140, Jr., Coquitlam, B.C. – Charles Best): Jones scored two goals and has an assist as the Clan won two matches and improved to 7-0-0 on the season. He scored a pair of goals in the Clan’s 3-1 win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday and assisted on the opening goal in SFU’s 2-1 victory at Saint Martin’s. Also Nominated: Julien Dragomir (Montana State Billings), Matt Paine (Concordia), Will Eldred (Saint Martin’s), Keon Jones (Northwest Nazarene).

Defensive: Guillaume Kremer (Montana State Billings, M/D, 5-7, So., Metz, France – Univ. of Strasbourg) Kremer played a critical role as the holding midfielder as the Yellowjackets picked up two shutouts over Mary (6-0) and Northwest Nazarene (3-0) and played to a tie at Concordia. In addition to helping MSUB limit their three opponents to 13 shots on goal, Kremer also finished with a goal and two assists. Also Nominated: Grant Alcorn (Concordia), Jake Zimmer (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Gabriella Pelogi (Western Washington, F, 5-4, So., Federal Way, Wash. – Federal Way): Pelogi scored the game-winning goal in the seventh minute in the Vikings’ 5-0 nationally-television shutout of No. 10 Bridgeport on Thursday. She then added an assist on the game-winner in the Vikings’ 1-0 win at Simon Fraser on Saturday. Also Nominated: Mariah Konyn (Western Oregon), Dana Lubieniecki (Montana State Billings), Gabrielle Ewing (Concordia), Mackenzie Nolte (Central Washington), Sarah Jenkins (Northwest Nazarene).

Defensive: Olivia Brock (Concordia, GK, 5-10, Sr., Olympia, Wash. - Olympia): Brock recorded a pair of shutouts and made five saves in two matches, including three in a blustery double overtime match at Montana State Billings, as Concordia notched its fifth and sixth shutouts of the season. Brock has yet to concede a goal in over 457 minutes of action this season. Also Nominated: Sierra Shugarts (Western Washington), Emily Holt (Central Washington).

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Kendra Bodine (Northwest Nazarene, OH, 5-10, Jr., Eugene, Ore. - Churchill): Bodine finished with 39 kills, a .348 hitting percentage and 32 digs as the Crusaders split a pair of GNAC matches. She finished with 20 kills and 22 digs Tuesday against Central Washington and added totals of 19 kills and 10 digs against Montana State Billngs. Also Nominated: Abby Phelps (Western Washington), Alisha Bettinson (Western Oregon), Hannah Lautenbach (Seattle Pacific), Morgan Hooe (Alaska Anchorage), Lindsey Dorsey (Concordia), Nicolette Nesbitt (Saint Martin’s), Madison Weg (Central Washington).

Defensive: Erin Braun (Alaska Anchorage, MB, 6-0, Sr., San Bernardino, Calif. - Cajon): Braun came up with 10 blocks in a pair of road wins over Western Washington and Simon Fraser. She finished with five blocks and three digs on the front-line in the four-set win over WWU on Thursday and added five blocks in the three-set sweep of Simon Fraser on Saturday. Also Nominated: Shayli Siegfreid (Northwest Nazarene), Libbie Hoene (Western Oregon), Shaun Crespi (Seattle Pacific), Anna Dols (Concordia), Cassidy Apo (Saint Martin’s), Erin Little (Central Washington).

CROSS COUNTRY
Men: Godfrey Kemboi (Northwest Nazarene, Fr., Iten, Kenya – Anin Secondary): In his second collegiate race, Kemboi won the Yellowjacket Invitational in Billings, covering the 10,000-meter course in 32:20.5 (5:13 per mile pace). He led the Crusaders to a third place team finish on the course that will be used for the NCAA West Regional Championships. Also Nominated: Isaac Derline (Western Washington), Josiah Shelman (Saint Martin’s), Garrett Love (Montana State Billings), Matt Conrady (Central Washington).

Women: Shannon Porter (Saint Martin’s, Sr., Vancouver, Wash. – Treasure Valley CC): Porter won her second race in only her third time out as a collegiate cross country runner, capturing the SMU Open in a time of 17:50.10 (5:44 per mile pace) over 5,000 meters. She led the Saints to a third place finish on their home course. Also Nominated: Sierra Manzer (Northwest Nazarene), Brittany Grant (Western Washington), Nikki Aiken (Montana State Billings), Alicia Girdler (Central Washington).

GOLF
Men: Ryan Melnychuk (Concordia, Sr., Grants Pass, Ore. – Univ. of Idaho): Melnychuk was the top GNAC finisher at the Saint Martin’s Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The senior tied for third with a 36-hole score of even-par 142 and finished just four strokes out of the top spot. Also Nominated: Ian Briske (Northwest Nazarene), Chris Hatch (Western Washington).

Women: Audrey Orem (Western Washington, Sr., Bellingham, Wash. – Bellingham): Orem led Western Washington at the season-opening Western New Mexico Fall Intercollegiate, tying for 19th place at 7-over-par 151. She finished with a low round of even-par 72 on the second day of competition. Also Nominated: Bailee Dexter (Montana State Billings).