Monday, April 10, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Efforts by Central Washington pitcher/designated hitter Jake Levin and Montana State Billings hurler Cody Cooper to lead their teams to victories headline the selections for GNAC Players of the Week.

Levin earned a weekly honor for the third time this season, but was named the Baseball Player of the Week for just the first time this season. He led the Wildcats in their four-game sweep at Concordia with six hits, seven runs, five RBIs and two home runs as CWU became the GNAC’s first 20-win baseball team this season. He had two hits in both games in Saturday’s doubleheader, which indluded a home run in the opener.

Cooper was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week as he threw a nine-inning complete game to beat Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, 14-4. He allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out 12 as he threw an impressive 149 pitches. In the process, Cooper became the sixth player in GNAC history to amass 200 career strikeouts.

Western Washington’s Carlie Richards hit .583 in four games to be named the Softball Player of the Week. She went 7 for 12 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored and five RBIs. She finished with three hits and a home run in both Saturday’s 9-8 opening game win over Simon Fraser and in Sunday’s 9-0 finale victory over Central Washington.

Kiana Wood was selected as the Softball Pitcher of the Week for the second straight week after she went 2-0 with a 1.17 earned run average over 12 innings, allowing four runs, two earned, on nine hits with six strikeouts. She allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts to beat Simon Fraser on Saturday, 5-3. She then allowed one run on three hits and struck out four in a 9-0, five-inning shutout of Western Washington on Sunday.

Montana State Billings’ Jorey Egeland earned Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after he won the steeplechase at the Bauer Invitational. His time of 9:29.49 is a personal best and, when converted to 9:22.51 for altitude, is the third best mark in the GNAC this season. Western Oregon’s Olivia Woods earned the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award after she led a top-three sweep for the Wolves in the 400 meters at their own John Knight Twilight with a time of 57.06 seconds.

Jakob Chamberlin of Concordia was selected as the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he placed second in the discus behind a Division I competitior at the John Knight Twilight. His mark od 174 feet, 6.75 inches, leads the GNAC and is the seventh best mark in Division II this season. It also moved Chamberlin to No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Saint Martin’s Kirby Neale earned Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after she won the hammer at the John Knight with a mark of 183 feet, 6.25 inches. The peformance is a school record, is second best in the GNAC and ranks 15th in Division II this season.

The Saints’ Andrew Rabb was honored as the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he tied for seventh place at the Western New Mexico Mustang Intercollegiate. He carded a three-round score of 4-under-par 212, which included a 71 in both the first and third rounds and a 70 during the second round. Simon Fraser’s Jaya Rampuri was named the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she finished in a four-way tie for eighth place at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational. She carded a round of 79 in both rounds.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 31
BASEBALL PLAYER
Jake Levin (Central Washington, P, 6-5, Sr., Redmond, Wash. – Chapman Univ.): Levin paced Central Washington with six hits, seven runs, five RBIs and two home runs as the Wildcats won four of five games this week over Concordia. He went 2 for 3 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs in Saturday’s opener, a 9-5 win over the Cavaliers, and went 2 for 5 in the nightcap, a 7-6 victory. His efforts helped make Central Washington the first 20-win team in the GNAC this season. Also Nominated: Ryan Myers (Montana State Billings), Billy King (Northwest Nazarene).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Cody Cooper (Montana State Billings, P, 6-4, Sr., Bozeman, Mont. – Bozeman): Cooper threw 149 pitches to earn a complete-game 14-4 win over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. He allowed the four runs on seven hits and struck out 12. It was his third nine-inning complete game of his career and his seventh career game of 10 strikeouts or more. In the process, Cooper became the sixth player in GNAC history to record 200 career strikeouts. Also Nominated: JJ Asinas (Central Washington), Scott Schepige (Concordia), Bryan Black (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Carlie Richards (Western Washington, OF/C, 5-4, Jr., Kennewick, Wash. – Kamaikin): Richards batted .583 in four games for the Vikings, going 7 for 12 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored and five RBIs. She went 3 for 4 with a three-run homer in the first inning in Saturday’s 9-8 opening game win over Saint Martin’s. Richards then went 3 for 4 with a two-run homer in the final game of the week, a 9-0 shutout of Central Washington on Sunday. Also Nominated: Sabrina Hicks (Saint Martin’s), Kylie Orr (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Kiana Wood (Central Washington, P/OF, 5-6, Sr., Aloha, Ore. – Aloha): Wood repeated as Pitcher of the Week after she won two games and amassed a 1.17 earned run average, allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits with three walks and six strikeouts in 12 innings. She allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts in a 5-3 win over Simon Fraser on Saturday. Against Western Washington on Sunday, Wood allowed one run on three hits and struck out four in the Wildcats’ 9-0, five-inning shutout. Also Nominated: Lindsay Miller (Saint Martin’s), Anna Kasner (Western Washington), Rylee Thomas (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S TRACK
Jorey Egeland (Montana State Billings, Jr., Billings, Mont – Billings Senior): Egeland won the steeplechase at the Bauer Invitational with a personal best time of 9:29.49. After conversion to 9:22.51 for altitude, the time is the third-best mark in the GNAC this season and is just five seconds short of a NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark. Also Nominated: Josiah Shelman (Saint Martin’s), Aaron Whitaker (Western Oregon), Ebu Camara (Northwest Nazarene)

MEN’S FIELD
Jakob Chamberlin (Concordia, Fr., Bellingham, Wash. - Bellingham): Chamberlin placed second in the discus at the John Knight Twilight with a mark of 174 feet., 6.75 inches. He was the top non-Division I finisher in the event and earns the No. 3 spot in the event on the GNAC all-time list. It is the top mark in the GNAC and the seventh best mark in Division II. Also Nominated: Craig Boyle (Saint Martin’s), Beau Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Kolton Koenig-Rohde (Western Oregon), Brandon Pless (Western Washington), Jared Webster (Northwest Nazarene),

WOMEN’S TRACK
Olivia Woods (Western Oregon, So., Troutdale, Ore. – Reynolds): Woods led a top-three sweep for the Wolves in the 400 meters at their own John Knight Twilight, winning with a time of 57.06 in less than optimal weather conditions. Also Nominated: Alexi Whatley (Saint Martin’s), Josey Smiedala (Montana State Billings),

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kirby Neale (Saint Martin’s, Sr., Coos Bay, Ore. – Marshfield): Neale won the hammer throw at the John Knight Twilight with a school record mark of 183 feet, 6.25 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is the second best in the GNAC this season and 15th in Division II. Also Nominated: Shaniah Schwend (Montana State Billings), Rachel Bartlow (Northwest Nazarene), McKenzie Warren (Concordia).

MEN’S GOLF
Andrew Raab (Saint Martin’s, Jr., Yakima, Wash. – East Valley): Raab was the top GNAC individual finisher at the Western New Mexico Mustang Intercollegiate, tying for seventh place with a three-round score of 4-under-par 212. He turned in very consistent rounds, scoring 1-under-par 71 in the first and third rounds and 2-under-par 70 in the second round. Raab led the Saints to a seventh place team finish. Also Nominated: Jeffrey Marcum (Western Washington), Garrett Woodin (Montana State Billings).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Jaya Rampuri (Simon Fraser, Fr., Coquitlam, B.C. – Charles Best): Rampuri was the top GNAC player at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational. She finished in a four-way tie for eighth place with a score of 14-over-par 158, carding a 79 in both rounds. Rampuri led the Clan to a sixth place team finish. Also Nominated: Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene).