Monday, February 12, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of high-scoring performances by Lexi Tubbs that helped Northwest Nazarene clinch a spot in the GNAC Women’s Basketball Championships leads the list of honorees for GNAC Player of the Week.

Tubbs was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she averaged 29 points per game as the Nighthawks scored wins over Central Washington and Montana State Billings to secure the team’s spot in Anchorage. She led all scorers with 31 points in Tuesday’s 74-71 win at CWU, shooting 10 of 19 from the field, 4 of 6 from three-point range and 7 of 9 from the free throw line. On Saturday, Tubbs led the way with a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds in an 85-71 win over MSUB. Tubbs shot 54 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range for the week.

Western Oregon guard Ali Faruq-Bey earned the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award as he averaged 24.5 points per game to lead the Wolves to their 15th and 16th wins in a row. The senior scored 25 points in Thursday’s 95-81 win over Seattle Pacific, which included 12 of 12 from the free throw line. He then led all scorers with 24 points on 9 of 16 from the field and 4 of 8 from three-point range in Thursday’s 86-73 win over Saint Martin’s. For the week, Faruq-Bey shot 51.9 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and went a perfect 14 of 14 from the free throw line.

The Wolves’ David Ribich led the track weekly honorees for another breakout performance at the Husky Classic in Seattle. Ribich was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he set the GNAC record and ran the fastest time in Division II history in the 3,000 meters at 7:50.81. The time is a second faster than the previous Division II best of 7:51.68 run by Aaron Braun of Adams State in 2010, but is not a Division II record with the race run on Dempsey Indoor’s oversized track. The mark gave Ribich his second automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships.

Alaska Anchorage’s Danielle McCormick was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she earned an automatic qualifying mark and broke her own UAA school record in the 800 meters at Sunday’s UW Indoor Open. McCormick won the race in a time of 2:07.13, which bettered her own indoor best by two seconds and ranks third in Division II this season. She also ran on the UAA distance medley relay team that automatically qualified for nationals with a time of 11:32.96 at the Husky Classic on Saturday.

Concordia’s Josh Koch was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he improved to No. 11 in Division II this season in the shot put. His sixth-place mark of 58 feet, 5.75 inches, at the Husky Classic is also No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List. Central Washington’s Halle Irvine earned Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after she placed 10th at the UW Indoor Open in the pole vault with a GNAC-leading mark of 12 feet, 1.25 inches.

On the diamond, Northwest Nazarene’s Anna Williams collected Softball Player of the Week honors after she hit .529 in six games at the Dixie State Easton Classic. She went 11 for 19 with nine runs, three doubles and 12 RBIs, which was topped by a 3 for 4 effort in Thursday’s win over UC Colorado Springs that included a double and three RBIs. Montana State Billings’ Megan Dettling was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she went 2-0 last week and struck out a GNAC single-game record 18 batters in the Yellowjackets’ 1-0 win over Chadron State on Thursday.

The Yellowjackets also swept the baseball weekly honors. Andrew Schleusner was named the Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .462 over three games, which included seven RBIs and three walks. The bulk of his offense came in a 4 for 5 effort in MSUB’s 15-7 win on Friday over No. 15 Dixie State. Steen Fredrickson was selected as the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he threw seven innings to earn a 12-5 win over Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 24
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Ali Faruq-Bey (Western Oregon, G, 6-2, Sr., Chicago, Ill. – Idaho State Univ.): Faruq-Bey led Western Oregon to its 15th and 16th straight wins on the season by averaging 24.5 points per game, shooting 51.9 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and went a perfect 14 of 14 from the free throw line. Faruq-Bey opened the week by scoring 25 in Thursday’s 95-81 win over Seattle Pacific, which included a 12 for 12 effort from the free throw line. He then led all scorers with 24 points on 9 of 16 from the field and 4 of 8 from three-point range in the Wolves’ 86-73 win over Saint Martin’s. Also Nominated: Josiah Wood (Alaska Anchorage), Jarrett Gray (Concordia), Hafeez Abdul (Montana State Billings), Maurice Jones (Northwest Nazarene), Tavian Henderson (Saint Martin’s), Kedar Salam (Simon Fraser), Deandre Dickson (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Lexi Tubbs (Northwest Nazarene, G, 5-11, Sr., Turlock, Calif. – Modesto Christian): Tubbs averaged 29 points per game to lead the Nighthawks to wins over Central Washington and Montana State Billings that helped NNU clinch a GNAC Championships berth. In Thursday’s 74-71 victory at CWU, Tubbs led all scorers with 31 points on 10 of 19 from the field, 4 of 6 from three-point range and 7 of 9 from the free throw line to go along with nine rebounds and four assists. In Saturday’s 85-71 home win over MSUB, Tubbs led the way with 27 points and 11 rebounds on 9 of 16 from the field, 5 of 9 from three-point range and 4 of 6 from the free throw line. For the week, Tubbs shot 54 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range. Also Nominated: Hannah Wandersee (Alaska Anchorage), Bailey Cartwright (Concordia), Vanessa Stavish (Montana State Billings), Mercedes Victor (Saint Martin’s), Jordan McPhee (Seattle Pacific), Tayla Jackson (Simon Fraser), Sydney Azorr (Western Oregon), Gracie Casteneda (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
David Ribich (Western Oregon, Sr., Enterprise, Ore. - Enterprise) Ribich ran the fastest time in Division II history in the men’s indoor 3,000 meters at the Husky Classic. Ribich placed fourth and was just over a second behind the winner with his time of 7:50.81. The performance smashed the WOU and GNAC records and is faster than the previous Division II best of 7:51.68 run by Aaron Braun of Adams State in 2010 (the mark is not a Division II record due to being run on an oversized track). The time is 14th best in the U.S. this season and within the top-50 in the world. The time also gave Ribich his second automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships. Also Nominated: Carlos Ortiz (Concordia), Mark Mikulak (Saint Martin’s), Brant Welch (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Josh Koch (Concordia, Jr., Dayton, Nev. – Dayton): Koch improved his NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the shot put at the Husky Classic. His sixth-place mark of 58 feet, 5.75 inches moves him up to No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List in the event and 11th in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Armando Tafoya (Central Washington), Josh Schulz (Saint Martin’s), Nick Sieber (Western Oregon), J.T. Konrad (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Danielle McCormick (Alaska Anchorage, Jr., Soldotna, Alaska – Soldotna): McCormick broke the UAA record and notched an NCAA Championships automatic qualifying mark in the 800 meters at Sunday’s UW Open. She won the event with a time of 2:07.13, breaking her own UAA indoor record by two seconds and bettering her outdoor best by a half-second. The time is No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and third best in Division II this season. On Saturday, McCormick also ran on the Seawolves’ distance medley relay team, which ran 11:32.96 to automatically qualify for nationals. Also Nominated: Yadira Lopez (Saint Martin’s), Alana Mussatto (Simon Fraser), Kennedy Rufener (Western Oregon), Claire Hansen (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Halle Irvine (Central Washington, So., Yakima, Wash. – West Valley): Irvine took the GNAC lead in the pole vault entering the GNAC Championships. She cleared a personal best of 12 feet, 1.25 inches to place 10th at the UW Indoor Open. She is the GNAC leader in the event by over six inches. Also Nominated: Liz Larson (Saint Martin’s), Mariah Gronbach (Western Oregon), Hannah Dodson (Western Washington).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Andrew Schleusner (Montana State Billings, C/IF, 5-11, So., Kalispell, Mont. – Kalispell): Schleusner led the Yellowjackets in their 3-1 opening week by hitting .462 in three games. He went 6 for 13 with seven RBIs and drew three walks. Schleusner went 4 for 5 in Friday’s 15-7 win over No. 15 Dixie State, which included a home run and six RBIs. Schleusner also caught three games for the Yellowjackets and threw out two of three would-be base steals against him. Also Nominated: Andrew Barrera (Concordia), Kyle Redford (Northwest Nazarene), Brian Nakawaga (Saint Martin’s), Jared McDonald (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Steen Fredrickson (Montana State Billings, P, 6-1, Jr., Ashland, Ore. – Ashland): Fredrickson threw a collegiate career-high seven innings to earn MSUB’s 12-5 win over Cal State San Bernardino on Friday. He allowed one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts as the victory started a three-game win streak for the Yellowjackets. Also Nominated: Tyler Charlton (Concordia), Tanner Inouye (Saint Martin’s), Alex Roth (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Anna Williams (Northwest Nazarene, UT, 5-6, Jr., Filer, Idaho – Walla Walla CC): Williams finished the week batting .529 in six games, going 11 for 19 with nine runs, three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs to lead the Nighthawks to a 3-3 record at the Dixie State Easton Classic. She went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs in Thursday’s 9-1 win over UC Colorado Springs and followed that up with a 2 for 2 effort and a home run in a 7-3 win over Chadron State. Williams finished the week by going 2 for 3 with a two-RBI double and a two-RBI home run in Sunday’s 9-8 win over CSU-Pueblo. Also Nominated: Elena Cook (Concordia), Heather Tracy (Montana State Billings), Lindsay Miller (Saint Martin’s), Nicole Miller (Western Oregon), Shearyna Labasan (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Megan Dettling (Montana State Billings, RHP, 5-8 Sr., Sparks, Nev. – Edward C. Reed): Dettling went 2-0 as Montana State Billings won three games in Nevada and Utah last week. Her week was highlighted in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Chadron State, striking out a GNAC single-game record 18 strikeouts while allowing two runs and two walks. She also earned the win in Tuesday’s second game over Hawaii Hilo, allowing three runs on five hits and struck out seven in six innings. Also Nominated: Mckenzie Smith (Concordia), Kim Nelson (Saint Martin’s), Maddie McClelland (Western Oregon).