Monday, February 10, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – It seems like there is no one out there who can stop Alaska’s Shadeed Shabazz.

The junior guard picked up his third GNAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award as he averaged an incredible 40 points per game to go along with 14 rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks and five steals as the Nanooks scored road wins over Western Washington on Thursday and Simon Fraser on Saturday. In the process, Shabazz shot 58.7 percent from the field, 68.4 percent from three-point range and 86.7 percent from the free-throw line.

In the 96-85 win over the Vikings, Shabazz tied the Carver Gym record and his season-high with 43 points to go along with six rebounds, seven assists, a block and four steals. He was nearly as potent in the close 87-85 win over the Clan, scoring 37 points to go with eight rebounds, six assists, a block and a steal.

Alaska Anchorage senior Yazmeen Goo was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she averaged 11.5 points per game and played a key role defensively in road wins over Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington. Goo was most effective defensively in Thursday’s 68-54 win at NNU, scoring seven points as the Seawolves held the Nighthawks to 23 points under their scoring average. Goo then matched her career-high with 16 points in Saturday’s 67-59 win at CWU.

Seattle Pacific completed a sweep of both women’s track and field weekly awards. Sophomore Peace Igbonagwam was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won the 60 meters at the Nike Indoor Invite with a time of 7.78 seconds. She ran 7.70 seconds in the prelims, the third-fastest time in the conference this season, and was seventh in the 200 meters in 25.34. Igbonagwam also placed second in the triple jump and third in the long jump.

Junior Renick Meyer earned Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after she won the long jump with a season-best of over a foot with a mark of 18 feet, 9.25 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks second in the GNAC and is tied for 20th in Division II this season.

Western Oregon freshman Dominique Loggins was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after opening his collegiate track career by winning the 60 meters at the Portland Indoor #2 meet. Loggins ran a time of 6.98 seconds for the win, which leads the GNAC and ranks fifth on Western Oregon’s all-time list.

Central Washington senior Andrew Harris claimed Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after he won the weight throw at the Nike Indoor Invite with a mark of 58 feet, 8.75 inches. The mark moves Harris into No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List.

On the softball diamond, Northwest Nazarene senior catcher Brittany Genuardi was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .571 to lead the Nighthawks to a 3-2 record at the Courtyard Classic in St. George, Utah. Her week was capped by a 3 for 3 performance in Saturday’s 11-0, five-inning win over Fort Lewis on Saturday in which she hit a two-run double and a grand slam.

Western Washington junior pitcher Anna Kasner was selected as the Softball Pitcher of the Week after amassing a 2-1 record and a 1.05 earned run average at the Courtyard Classic. Kasner allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks while striking out 15 in Thursday’s 1-0 shutout of Fort Lewis and then threw a three-hit shutout in Friday’s 10-0, five-inning win over Hawaii Hilo.

Central Washington senior Justin Hampson was named the Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .500 and helped the Wildcats split a four-game series at Academy of Art. His week included a pair of three-hit efforts in Saturday’s games. Northwest Nazarene freshman Kyle Ethridge earned Pitcher of the Week honors after he allowed two hits and one walk in six innings in Saturday’s 6-0 shutout of Cal State LA.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 24
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska, G, 6-1, Jr., Seattle, Wash. – Iowa Western Coll.): Shabazz averaged an astounding 40 points per game to go along with 14 rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks and five steals as the Nanooks swept road games at Western Washington and Simon Fraser. He shot 58.7 percent from the field, 68.4 percent from three-point range and 86.7 percent from the free-throw line as UAF moved into a tie for second place in the GNAC standings. Shabazz opened by tying both his season-high and the Carver Gym record with 43 points in Thursday’s 96-85 win at Western Washington. He also had six rebounds, seven assists, a block and four steals as he made 14 of 24 from the field, 7 of 9 from long-range and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. On Saturday at Simon Fraser, Shabazz finished with 37 points on 13 of 22 from the field and 6 of 10 from three-point range in the 87-85 win. He also added eight rebounds, six assists, a block and a steal. Also Nominated: Jeryn Lucas (Central Washington), Xavier Smith (Concordia), Jayden Bezzant (Northwest Nazarene), CJ Jennings (Saint Martin’s), Shaw Anderson (Seattle Pacific), Michael Provenzano (Simon Fraser), Dalven Brushier (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Yazmeen Goo (Alaska Anchorage, G, 5-10, Sr., Daly City, Calif. – Westmoor): While averaging 11.5 points per game in wins at Northwest Nazarene and Central Washington, Goo was equally potent on defense as the Seawolves solidified their hole on first place in the GNAC. While scoring just seven points in Thursday’s 68-54 victory at NNU, Goo anchored a defense that held the Nighthawks to 23 points under their season average and held one of NNU’s top players to just one point. Goo then scored a season-high of 16 points in Saturday’s 67-59 win at Central Washington, connecting on 5 of 8 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. She also sparked a 13-0 first-half run that brought the Seawolves back from an eight-point deficit. Also Nominated: Kassidy Malcolm (Central Washington), Dorcas Wu (Concordia), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), McKenna Emerson (Northwest Nazarene), Bria Thames (Saint Martin’s), Ozioma Nwabuko (Simon Fraser), Keyonna Jones (Western Oregon), Lexie Bland (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Dominique Loggins (Western Oregon, Fr., Tualatin, Ore. – Tualatin): Running in his first collegiate track and field meet, Loggins proceeded to run a conference season-best time of 6.98 seconds to win the 60 meters at the Portland Indoor #2 meet. He just edged out former Concordia standout Adam Brown, who ran 7.07 seconds. The performance is the fifth-fastest in Western Oregon indoor history. Also Nominated: Daniel Calderon-Hernandez (Central Washington), Jordan Gloden (Concordia), Ase Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Landon Armstrong (Saint Martin’s), Ed Kiolbasa (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Andrew Harris (Central Washington, Sr., North Bend, Wash. – Mount Si): Harris posted a win in the men’s weight throw at the Nike Indoor Invite in Nampa, Idaho. His mark of 58 feet, 8.75 inches was over three feet better than second-place Oran Wasserman of Utah State and ranks 10th on the GNAC All-Time List. Also Nominated: Seth Bridge (Concordia), Forrest Cross (Montana State Billings), Tyler Cronk (Saint Martin’s), Nick Sieber (Western Oregon), Tupre Wickliff (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Peace Igbonagwam (Seattle Pacific, So., Fairview, Ore. – Reynolds): Igbonagwam had one of her best SPU meets on the track at the Nike Indoor Invite. She won the 60 meters in a time of 7.78 seconds, narrowing beating out a cadre of Division I and open competitors. She ran a 7.70 in the preliminary heats, ranking her third in the GNAC this season. Igbonagwam added a seventh-place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 25.34 seconds. In addition, Igbonagwam was second in the triple jump (38-2.25) and third in the long jump (17-11.75). Also Nominated: Molly Mattson (Central Washington), Paige Johnson (Concordia), Nikki Aiken (Montana State Billings), Makiya Worthy (Saint Martin’s), Maya Hopwood (Western Oregon), Annika Taylor (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Renick Meyer (Seattle Pacific, Jr., Gresham, Ore. – Barlow): Meyer was a winner in the long jump at the Nike Boise Indoor, posting a season-best by over a foot with a mark of 18 feet, 9.25 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks second in the GNAC and is tied for 20th in Division II this season. Meyer also placed fourth in the 60-meter hurdles (8.99), 13th in the 60 meters and 15th in the 200. Also Nominated: Samantha La Rue (Central Washington), Sasha Korolenko (Concordia), Moana Gianotti (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Justin Hampson (Central Washington, OF, 6-8, Sr., Mill Creek, Wash. – Jackson): Hampson batted .500 as the Wildcats split a four-game series at Academy of Art, going 8 for 16 with four runs, two RBI and a double while also drawing three walks. In Friday’s 5-4 second-game victory, Hampson went 2 for 3 and scored what proved to be the winning run in the eighth. On Saturday, Hampson went 3 for 5 with two runs scored and an RBI single in the 7-4 first-game win and closed by going 3 for 4 with a double and another RBI single in the 17-16 slugfest loss. Also Nominated: Quentin Ayers (Northwest Nazarene), Aaron Renaud (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Kyle Ethridge (Northwest Nazarene, P, 6-0, Fr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. – Los Osos): Ethridge pitched Northwest Nazarene to a 6-0 shutout win over Cal State LA on Saturday. Throwing a six-inning start, he allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out one on 81 pitches as the staff combined to limit the Golden Eagles to just four hits. Also Nominated: Tyler Houfer (Central Washington), Harrison Goebel (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Brittany Genuardi (Northwest Nazarene, C, 5-6, Sr., Spanaway, Wash. – Bethel): Genuardi led the Nighthawks to a 3-2 record at the Courtyard Classic in St. George, Utah, with a .571 batting average, going 8 for 14 with seven runs, seven RBI, two doubles, a home run and four walks in the tournament. Genuardi had single hits in each of the first three games of the tournament before going 2 for 3 with an RBI double and two runs scored in Saturday’s 9-8 loss to MSU Denver. She then closed the tourney out by going 3 for 3 with a two-run double in the first and a grand slam in the third of an 11-0, five-inning win over Fort Lewis. Also Nominated: Sydney Brown (Central Washington), Abby Fischer (Concordia), Marin Penney (Montana State Billings), Tyler Creach (Western Oregon), Dakota Brooks (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Anna Kasner (Western Washington, P, 5-8, Jr., Milton, Wash. – Fife): Kasner went 2-1 for the Vikings at the Courtyard Classic and amassed a 1.05 earned run average. In 20 innings, she allowed four runs, three earned, on 12 hits and nine walks with 31 strikeouts. Kasner earned the complete-game 1-0 win over Fort Lewis on Thursday, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks while striking out 15. She then threw a three-hit shutout in Friday’s 10-0, five-inning win over Hawaii Hilo. Kasner closed with a tough 2-1 loss to Dixie State on Saturday, allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Also Nominated: Samantha Stanfield (Central Washington), Kate Gillum (Concordia), Maddie Mayer (Western Oregon).