Monday, February 26, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of key efforts in the final week of the regular season for Northwest Nazarene’s Lexi Tubbs and Alaska Anchorage’s DJ Ursery lead this week’s honor roll of GNAC Player of the Week winners.

Tubbs was recognized as the GNAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her two 20-plus point efforts that led the Nighthawks to a share of the GNAC regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in this week’s GNAC Championships. The senior guard scored 26 points, shooting 8 of 16 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range, to go with six rebounds, four assists and two steals in the Nighthawks’ 104-78 win over Alaska Anchorage. Tubbs then scored 27 points and had six rebounds in Saturday’s 89-66 win over Alaska.

Ursery was selected as Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his scoring efforts that led Alaska Anchorage to a pair of road wins that notched the Seawolves a GNAC Championships berth. The senior guard had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three steals in a close 44-43 win at Alaska on Tuesday. Ursery then finished with 16 points to go with five rebounds and two steals in Saturday’s 59-52 win at Montana State Billings.

In the last week of indoor track and field before championships selection, a pair of athletes made edits to their spots in the record books. Concordia senior Christina MacDonald was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she reset her own GNAC record in the weight throw at the SPU Final Qualifier with a mark of 64 feet, 0.5 inches. She also placed second in the shot put with a lifetime best of 48 feet, 3.25 inches.

Western Oregon senior Kennedy Rufener was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she dropped nine seconds from her WOU record in the 3,000 meters at the SPU Final Qualifier with a time of 9:46.27.

Alaska Anchorage senior Darrion Gray was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for his efforts at the Boston University Last Chance Meet on Saturday. He was third among Division II athletes in the 200 meters with a time of 21.73 seconds and then ran the second leg on the Seawolves’ 4x400-meter relay team that ran 3:13.02, the second-fastest time in GNAC history and tied for 10th in Division II this season.

Western Washington junior J.T. Konrad earned Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after he cleared a lifetime best of 15 feet, 11.75 inches, in the pole vault at the SPU Final Qualifier. Konrad is now No. 5 on the WWU All-Time List, No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List and tied for 27th in Division II this season.

Montana State Billings junior Steen Fredrickson was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he earned the win in the Yellowjackets’ first-ever victory over a Division I opponent. At Northern Colorado on Sunday, Fredrickson allowed one run on one hit (a fifth-inning home run) and struck out 10 in five innings for the 9-5 victory. Concordia junior Isaiah Hatch was named the Baseball Player of the Week after he hit .333 in the Cavaliers’ three-game series at Holy Names.

Western Oregon swept the softball weekly honors. Redshirt freshman Ayanna Arceneaux was named the Softball Player of the Week after she went 5 for 8 with two runs, three RBIs and a home run in three games at the Cavalier Classic. She went 2 for 3 with two runs, two RBIs and a two-run homer in Saturday’s 6-0 shutout of Eastern Oregon. Junior Haley Fabian was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she allowed one unearned run on six hits in nine innings. She earned the win over Northwest (Wash.) on Saturday and earned the save on Sunday over Eastern Oregon.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 26
MEN’S BASKETBALL
DJ Ursery (Alaska Anchorage, G, 6-4, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif. – Univ. of the Pacific): Ursery led Alaska Anchorage to two road wins to qualify the Seawolves for the GNAC Championships as he averaged 15 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He led the Seawolves with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three steals in Tuesday’s 44-43 win at Alaska. Ursery then led UAA with 16 points and added five rebounds and two steals in the 59-52 win on Saturday at Montana State Billings. Also Nominated: Christopher Edward (Concordia), Kendall Denham (Montana State Billings), Matt Dahlen (Saint Martin’s), Kedar Salam (Simon Fraser), Malik Morgan (Western Oregon), Daulton Hommes (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Lexi Tubbs (Northwest Nazarene, G, 5-11, Sr., Turlock, Calif. – Modesto Christian): Tubbs had a pair of 20-plus point performances to lead the Nighthawks to a share of their first GNAC regular-season championship. She registered 26 points on 8 of 16 from the field and 5 of 9 from three-point range to go with six rebounds, four assists and two steals in Thursday’s big 104-78 victory over Alaska Anchorage. Tubbs then closed the regular season with 27 points and six rebounds in an 89-66 win over Alaska. Tubbs went 11 of 19 in the game. Also Nominated: Sadie Mensing (Central Washington), Kizzah Maltezo (Concordia), Makenna Schultz (Saint Martin’s), Sophie Swant (Simon Fraser), Shelby Snook (Western Oregon), Anna Schwecke (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Darrion Gray (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Anchorage, Alaska – Dimond): Gray was the second leg of Alaska Anchorage’s 4x400-meter relay which competed at the Boston University Last Chance Meet on Saturday and improved its NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark with a time 3:13.02, second best in GNAC history. The time ties the Seawolves for 10th in Division II this season, all but assuring a trip to nationals. Gray also competed in the 200 meters, clocking a time of 21.73 seconds that was third place among the meet’s Division II runners. Also Nominated: Justin Crosswhite (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
J.T. Konrad (Western Washington, Jr., Mead, Wash. – Mount Spokane): Konrad improved his personal best and hit an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the pole vault at the SPU Final Qualifier, finishing third with a clearance of 15 feet, 11.75 inches. The mark is No. 5 on WWU All-Time List, is No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List and is tied for 27th in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Brandon Nicholson (Alaska Anchorage).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Kennedy Rufener (Western Oregon, Sr., Clackamas, Ore. – Clackamas CC): Rufener blew away her own school record in the 3,000 meters by nine seconds at the SPU Final Qualifier, winning the race by three seconds in a time of 9:46.27. The time is third best in the GNAC this season and No. 19 in Division II. Also Nominated: Tamara Perez (Alaska Anchorage).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Christina MacDonald (Concordia, Sr., Myrtle Creek, Ore. – Oregon State Univ.): MacDonald reset her own GNAC record in the weight throw by over three feet at the SPU Final Qualifier, placing second behind a Division I competitor with a mark of 64 feet, 0.5 inches. The mark all but assures her a trip to the national meet as it ranks ninth in Division II. MacDonald also improved her lifetime best in the shot put, placing second with a mark of 48 feet, 3.25 inches. That improves her No. 4 mark on the GNAC All-Time List and is 13th in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Mariah Gronbach (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Isaiah Hatch (Concordia, OF, 5-8, Jr., Auburn, Wash. – Lower Columbia CC): Hatch finished the Cavaliers’ three-game series at Holy Names with a .333 batting average, a .385 on-base percentage and a .667 slugging percentage. Hatch went 2 for 6 with an RBI double in the fourth in Saturday’s 10-9 victory and then went 2 for 4 with a two-RBI triple in Sunday’s 6-4 loss. Also Nominated: Jalen Garcia (Montana State Billings).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Steen Fredrickson (Montana State Billings, P, 6-1, Jr., Ashland, Ore. – Ashland): Fredrickson was the winning pitcher as Montana State Billings won its first-ever game over a Division I opponent, a 9-5 victory at Northern Colorado on Sunday. In five innings, Fredrickson allowed one run on one hit (a fifth-inning home run) and struck out 10. Also Nominated: Andrew Wilmon (Concordia).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Ayanna Arceneaux (Western Oregon, OF. 5-4, R-Fr., Puyallup, Wash. – Emerald Ridge): Arceneaux led the Wolves in their three wins at the Cavalier Classic by going 5 for 8 with two runs, three RBIs and a home run. She singled home the Wolves’ winning run in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Northwest (Wash.) and then went 2 for 3 with two runs, two RBIs and a two-run homer in Saturday’s 6-0 shutout of Eastern Oregon. Arceneaux then went 2 for 3 in the rematch with the Mountaineers on Sunday, which the Wolves won 4-2. Also Nominated: Macy Besuyen (Concordia), Lauren Maley (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Haley Fabian (Western Oregon, P, 5-9, Jr., East Wenatchee, Wash. – Eastmont): Fabian allowed one unearned run in nine innings and earned a win and a save in the Wolves’ games at the Cavalier Classic. The one unearned run came in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Northwest (Wash.) where she allowed three hits and struck out seven in the complete-game effort. Fabian then picked up the save in Sunday’s 4-2 win over Eastern Oregon, allowing three hits over the final two innings. Also Nominated: Mckenzie Smith (Concordia), Macy Uyehara (Saint Martin’s).