Monday, April 4, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – Two of the league’s top performers at the Stanislaus Tournament of Champions lead this week’s selections for GNAC Player of the Week.

Central Washington’s Kiana Wood was named the GNAC Softball Pitcher of the Week after she earned All-Tournament Team selection at the Tournament of Champions. Wood was the winner in all four of the Wildcats’ victories in the tourney, allowing four runs and just four extra base hits while striking out eight in 24.1 innings of work. She allowed no more than four hits in any of her appearances as the Wildcats went 4-2 in the tournamanent.

Western Washington’s Kali Patterson was named the Softball Player of the Week after she led the Vikings offensively to a 4-2 record at the Tournament of Champions. Patterson went .457 (16 of 35) in nine games played last week and batted .435 (10 for 23) in the tourament. She had multi-hit efforts in five of the Vikings’ six tournament games and currently leads WWU with 16 multi-hit games.

Western Oregon’s Cody Sullivan and Saint Martin’s Mickey Walker picked up the league’s baseball honors. Sullivan was selected as the Baseball Player of the Week after he led the Wolves by going 6 for 14 with a double, teo home runs and six RBI in their four-game sweep of Central Washington. His ledger included a 3 for 4 effort with two RBI in the series finale. Walker was named Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he limited Montana State Billings to one run on five hits and struck out seven in the series finale.

Western Washington picked up two of this week’s track and field honors. Alex Donigian was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he placed seventh in the collegiate section of the 100 meters at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with a time of 10.33 seconds. He was the only Division II athlete to make the final. Javelin thrower Bethany Drake was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. She won the event at the Texas State Bobcat Invitational with a season-best mark of 166 feet, 9 inches, and placed seventh at the Texas Relays with a throw of 165 feet.

Seattle Pacific’s Lynelle Decker and Alaska Anchorage’s Joyce Chelimo shared this week’s Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award. Decker ran a Division II-leading time of 2:08.08 in the 800 meters on Saturday at the Stanford Invitational and later that day ran the second leg on the Falcons’ 4x400 relay team that ran the fourth best time in Division II at 3:43.76. The day before, Decker ran the 1,500 meters at Stanford in 4:30.67, the ninth best time in Division II. Chelimo, meanwhile, set the GNAC record in the 10,000 meters on Friday at the Stanford Invitational. Her time of 33:14.41 is the fifth fastest in Division II history.

Concordia’s Josh Koch made it three weeks in a row for Concordia throwers as he earned the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award. Koch won the shot put at the San Francisco Distance Carnival with a career best mark of 58 feet, 1.75 inches. The mark is fifth best in Division II this season and No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list.

Northwest Nazarene’s Jack Strickland and Saint Martin’s Jennifer Liedes took home the golf weekly honors. Strickland was named the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he won in the NNU Crusader Invitational with a score of 2-over-par 218. Liedes was the top GNAC player at the Mustang Intercollegiate, carding a two-round score of 147.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 31
BASEBALL PLAYER
Cody Sullivan (Western Oregon, OF, 6-0, 190, Sr., Port Angeles, Wash. – Lower Columbia CC): Sullivan led Western Oregon in a series sweep of Central Washington by going 6 for 14 with a double, two home runs and 6 RBI, compiling a .529 on-base percentage. He had three of his RBI on a three-run opener in Saturday’s series opener and then went 3 for 4 with two RBI and a run in the series finale. Also Nominated: Brady Baker (Northwest Nazarene), Christian Heidiger (Concordia), Colter Sternhagen (Montana State Billings), Trevor Young (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Mickey Walker (Saint Martin’s, P, 5-10, 165, Fr., Keizer, Wash. – St. John Bosco): Walker limited Montana State Billings to one run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts as he threw the complete-game performance in the series finale with the Yellowjackets. Also Nominated: Austin Hadley (Concordia), Matt Hape (Montana State Billings), Ryan Nyborg (Northwest Nazarene), Gary Steindorf (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Kali Patterson (Western Washington, 2B, 5-7, Jr., Bonney Lake, Wash. – Bonney Lake): Patterson went .457 in nine games for the Vikings (16 for 35) with two doubles and four RBI. She batted .435 (10 for 23) in the six games at the Stanislaus Tournament of Champions. She had multi-hit games in five of the team’s six games at the Tournament of Champions and leads the team with 16 multi-hit games. Also Nominated: Cassidy Fifield (Northwest Nazarene), Alex Frazier (Western Oregon), Robyn Mogavero (Simon Fraser), Sam Owirka (Concordia).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Kiana Wood (Central Washington, P/OF, 5-6, Jr., Aloha, Ore. - Aloha): Wood was named to the Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team after she won all four games for the Wildcats in the tournament. In 24.1 innings pitched over the weekend, Wood allowed four runs, struck out eight and allowed just four extra base hits. She allowed no more than four hits in any one of her appearances. Also Nominated: Kendall Goodwin (Northwest Nazarene), Makinlee Sellevold (Western Washington), McKenzie Smith (Concordia), Alia Stachoski (Simon Fraser).

MEN’S TRACK
Alex Donigian (Western Washington, Sr., Mission Viego, Calif. – Univ. of Northern Colorado): Donigian was the only Division II competitor to make the finals of the collegiate 100 meters at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, placing seventh in a time of 10.33 seconds. The time currently ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division II. Also Nominated: Josh Dempsey (Western Oregon), Kyle McLaughlin (Northwest Nazarene), Benari Sternen (Central Washington), Paris Speidel (Concordia), Latrelle Swayne (Saint Martin’s), Turner Wiley (Seattle Pacific),

MEN’S FIELD
Josh Koch (Concordia, So., Dayton, Nev. - Dayton): Koch set the meet record in the shot put at the San Francisco Distance Carnival, winning with a career best of 58 feet, 1.75 inches. The performance is No. 5 in Division II this season, is No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 4 on Concordia’s all-time list. The mark also leads the GNAC by three feet. Also Nominated: Alex Barry (Western Washington), Nels Flanagan (Montana State Billings), Cole Hoberg (Northwest Nazarene), Mikel Smith (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Lynelle Decker (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Vancouver, Wash – Mountain View): Decker ran three Division II top-10 performances over the weekend. At the Stanford Invitational, Decker ran a Division II best time of 2:08.08 in the 800 meters and then later that day ran the second leg on the Falcons’ 4x400 relay team which ran the No. 4 fastest time in Division II at 3:43.76. On Friday, Decker ran 4:30.67 in the 1,500 meters at Stanford, currently No. 9 in Division II.

Joyce Chelimo (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Kapsowar, Kenya – American International): Chelimo set the GNAC record in the 10,000 meters with a time of 33:14.41 on Friday at the Stanford Invitational. The time is also the fifth fastest in Division II history. Also Nominated: Elana Hampton (Concordia), Shannon Porter (Saint Martin’s), Shawna Troupe (Western Washington), Lexi Tubbs (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Bethany Drake (Western Washington, Jr., Sandy, Ore. - Sandy): Drake performed well in two Division I meets last week. She won the javelin at the Texas State Bobcat Invitational with a season best mark of 166 feet, 9 inches, and placed seventh in the event at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with a mark of 165 feet. She is currently No. 2 on the Division II best list. Also Nominated: Ella Brown (Simon Fraser), Emmi Collier (Western Oregon), Taylor Fettig (Central Washington), Emma Hill (Concordia), Ellie Logan (Northwest Nazarene), Kirby Neale (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S GOLF
Jack Strickland (Northwest Nazarene, Jr., Sammamish, Wash. – East Lake): Strickland was the medalist at the NNU Crusader Invitational, winning by five strokes with a three-round score of 2-over-par 218. His ledger included a 1-under-par 71 in the third round of play. Also Nominated: Michael Butler (Western Washington), Tanner Huddleston (Concordia), Michael Porter (Montana State Billings).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Jennifer Liedes (Saint Martin’s, Sr., Olympia, Wash. – Univ. of Washington): Liedes finished 11th at the Mustang Intercollegiate with a two-round score of 147. She posted a best of 1-under-par 71 in the final round. Also Nominated: Lynsey Furuya (Concordia), Haley Gochnour (Northwest Nazarene), Kristen Hansen (Western Washington), Kortney McNeil (Montana State Billings).