Monday, October 24, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – In front of a national television audience, Western Oregon quarterback Phillip Fenumiai put together his most impressive effort of the season. The performance leads the list of GNAC Players of the Week.

Fenumiai was named GNAC Football Offensive Player of the Week as he led the Wolves in their 42-37 loss to Humboldt State in a game televised by the American Sports Network as part of the Division II Football Showcase. The junior finished with 445 yards of total offense, completing 22 of 40 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns and rushing 17 times for 145 yards and a touchdown. He accounted for the majority of the Wolves’ 524 yards of total offense.

The other two football awards went to freshmen and five of the week’s 11 awards went to first-year players. Azusa Pacific’s Robert Bohanna earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after he finished with seven tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles in the Cougars’ 57-0 shutout of Simon Fraser. Western Oregon freshman Torreahno Sweet was named Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned six kickoffs for 133 yards against the Lumberjacks.

Simon Fraser picked up both soccer offensive awards. Adam Jones was named Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after he scored two goals and had two assists in the Clan’s 5-0 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday. Emma Pringle was selected for the women’s soccer offensive award after she scored the game-winner in both of the Clan’s 1-0 wins over Concordia and Western Oregon.

Montana State Billings’ Oliver Posarelli picked up the Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honor as he anchored a Yellowjackets’ defense that beat both Concordia and Seattle Pacific last week. Western Washington’s Emily Webster received Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week laurels after she led the Vikings’ defense in a 4-0 shutout at Seattle Pacific and a 4-1 win over Central Washington as WWU clinched the GNAC regular season championship.

Northwest Nazarene’s Madi Farrell was named the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after she finished 26 kills, a .500 hitting percentage and seven blocks as the Crusaders won road matches at Central Washington and Montana State Billings. Concordia’s Brianna Hogan picked up the defensive honor after she finished with 10 blocks, 15 kills and a .440 hitting percentage in the Cavaliers’ wins over Seattle Pacific and Saint Martin’s. In the process, Hogan became the first Concordia player to amass 300 or more career blocks.

Concordia also swept the final golf player of the week awards for the fall. Tanner Huddleston was named Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he won a one-hole playoff over teammate Ryan Melnychuk to win the Concordia Invitational. He led the Cavaliers to the team title, their first since joining the GNAC. Cammie Decker was named Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she placed fourth behind three Division I golfers at the Concordia Invitational with a two-round score of 150.

This week’s GNAC Player of the Week awards honor 11 student-athletes from seven league schools. Concordia leads the way with three selected athletes.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 8
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Phillip Fenumiai (Western Oregon, QB, 6-3, 225, Jr., Juneau, Alaska – Douglas): Fenumiai finished with 445 yards of total offense in the Wolves’ nationally-televised 42-37 loss to Humboldt State. Fenumiai completed 22 of 40 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed 17 times for a team-leading 145 yards and a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Fenumiai went 11 of 18 for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. Also Nominated: Robert Webber (Humboldt State), Brandon Jackson (Azusa Pacific).

Defensive: Robert Bohanna (Azusa Pacific, DE, 6-1, 235, Fr., Fresno, Calif. – Central): Bohanna finished with seven tackles, four tackles for loss for 36 yards, three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles to pace Azusa Pacific in a 57-0 shutout of Simon Fraser. He led an APU squad that limited SFU to 117 yards of total offense and provided for four defensive touchdowns. Also Nominated: Derek Parnell (Western Oregon).

Special Teams: Torreahno Sweet (Western Oregon, RB, 5-10, 195, Fr., La Puente, Calif. – Bishop Amat): Sweet was the Wolves’ primary kick returner against Humboldt State, finishing with 133 yards on six kickoff returns. His total included a 33-yard return in the third quarter. Also Nominated: Tyree Davis (Azusa Pacific).

MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Adam Jones (Simon Fraser, M, 5-7, Jr., Coquitlam, B.C. – Charles Best): Jones scored two goals and had two assists as the Clan scored a 5-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s on Saturday. Jones had four shots on the afternoon. Also Nominated: Alex Mitrovic (Northwest Nazarene), Julien Dragomir (Montana State Billings), Anthony Dean (Western Washington).

Defensive: Oliver Posarelli (Montana State Billings, D, 5-11, Fr., Verona, Italy – Educandato Statale Agli Angeli) Posarelli anchored a Montana State Billings’ defense that picked up to wins and scored its sixth shutout of the year on Saturday, a 1-0 win over Seattle Pacific. The freshman played all 90 minutes in the shutout win and also had his first career assist in the Yellowjackets’ 4-1 win on Thursday over Concordia. Also Nominated: Linus Mansson (Northwest Nazarene), Tyler Visten (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Emma Pringle (Simon Fraser, F, 5-8, Fr., North Vancouver, B.C. - Windsor): Pringle chipped in the game-winner in a pair of a 1-0 victories for the Clan. She scored in the 85th minute in Thursday’s home win over Concordia and netted the winner in the 29th minute on Saturday at Western Oregon. Pringle enters the week leading the GNAC with nine goals and five game-winning goals. Also Nominated: Taylor Higa (Western Oregon), Cassandra Clarke (Northwest Nazarene), Jordan Devoto (Montana State Billings), Lauren Allison (Saint Martin’s), Caitlyn Jobanek (Western Washington).

Defensive: Emily Webster (Western Washington, M, 5-6, Jr., Bellingham, Wash. – Sehome): Webster keyed the defense for the No. 1 ranked Vikings in a pair of victories. She had an assist in the Vikings’ 4-0 shutout at Seattle Pacific and helped limit Central Washington to just six shots in a 4-1 victory on Saturday. Also Nominated: Caitlin Kastelic (Western Oregon), Daniele Ortiz (Northwest Nazarene), Ali Koehler (Saint Martin’s), Olivia Brock (Concordia)

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Madi Farrell (Northwest Nazarene, MB, 6-2, Jr., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – Lake City): Farrell paced Northwest Nazarene with 26 kills, a .500 hitting percentage and seven blocks as the Crusaders won a pair of road matches. She finished with 13 kills, a .440 hitting percentage and one block in Tuesday’s three-set win at Central Washington and added a performance of 13 kills, a .571 hitting percentage and six blocks on Saturday at Montana State Billings. Also Nominated: Alisha Bettinson (Western Oregon), Colby Barnette (Concordia), Diana Fa’amausili (Alaska Anchorage), Michaela Hall (Western Washington).

Defensive: Brianna Hogan (Concordia, MB, 6-1, Sr., Portland, Ore. – Centennial): Hogan played a key role in Concordia’s two wins with 10 blocks, 1.43 blocks per set, 15 kills and a .444 hitting percentage. She had four blocks and two kills in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Seattle Pacific and added 13 kills and six blocks in Saturday’s win over Saint Martin’s. In the process, Hogan became the first player in Concordia history to register 300 career blocks. Also Nominated: Christie Colasurdo (Western Oregon), Shayli Siegfreid (Northwest Nazarene), Kyla Militante-Amper (Alaska Anchorage), Joellee Buckner (Western Washington).

GOLF
Men: Tanner Huddleston (Concordia, Jr., Woodland, Wash. – Woodland) Huddleston won the Concordia Invitational last Tuesday, firing a three-round score of 214 and beating teammate Ryan Melnychuk in a one-hole playoff. Huddleston helped Concordia win its first tournament since joining the GNAC in 2015. Two of his three individual rounds came in under par. Also Nominated: Ian Briske (Northwest Nazarene), Ryan Pickthorn (Saint Martin’s)

Women: Cammie Decker (Concordia, Fr., Keizer, Ore. – McNary) Decker led Concordia with a fourth place finish at the Concordia Invitational, carding a score of 150 to place fourth overall behind three Division I players. She led the Cavaliers to a second place team finish, their third straight top-five finish of the fall. Also Nominated: Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene), Celia Beyke (Saint Martin’s), Stephanie Sewell (Western Washington).