Monday, March 25, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – Nine-inning shutouts are a rarity in baseball at the Division II level, but that is what Montana State Billings’ senior Jarrod Molnaa did to land the GNAC’s Baseball Pitcher of the Week award.

Molnaa threw just the first shutout for the Yellowjackets since 2015 in a 6-0 win over Saint Martin’s on Sunday, which clinched a series victory over the Saints. Molnaa allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out nine batters to improve to 2-1 on the season.

Northwest Nazarene junior Shawn Grandmont earned Baseball Player of the Week honors after he led the Nighthawks in a series win over Western Oregon. Grandmont went 7 for 15 in the four games with three runs, five RBI, four doubles and four stolen bases. He had two hits in each of NNU’s wins and scored the tying run in Friday’s second game, which the Nighthawks won 11-10.

Concordia swept both softball weekly awards after taking all four road games last week, including a doubleheader sweep of Central Washington in Ellensburg. Junior Hannah Self was named the Softball Player of the Week after she hit .533 in the four games, going 8 for 15 with eight runs, seven RBI and three home runs. She went 3 for 4 in Saturday’s opening-game win over Saint Martin’s and had home runs in each game at Central Washington. That included a solo shot that proved to be the game-winning run in the opener.

Senior Mckenzie Smith was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she won three of the Cavaliers’ four games. She allowed three runs, two earned, on nine hits and struck out six in 16 innings. She earned the complete-game win in Saturday’s second game with Saint Martin’s and both wins at Central Washington. In her complete-game effort in the nightcap at Ellensburg, she allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Simon Fraser swept the weekly track awards. Junior Nathan Mah was selected as the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he won both the 100 meters in 10.97 seconds and the 200 meters in 21.98 seconds at the Willamette Invitational. Both times lead the GNAC. Junior Chelsea Ribeiro earned the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won the steeplechase at the Willamette Invitational in a time of 10:38.40. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time leads Division II.

Northwest Nazarene senior Jake Knight was honored as the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he won both the shot put and discus at the NNU Invitational. Knight won the discus with a mark of 177 feet, 10 inches, ranking third in Division II. His winning mark of 57 feet, 10.5 inches, in the shot put is seventh in Division II. Both marks rank No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Alaska Anchorage senior Chrisalyn Johnson and Seattle Pacific junior Scout Cai shared the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week award. Johnson set the UAA record in the triple jump at the Willamette Invitational with a winning mark of 39 feet, 11.5 inches. That ranks fifth in Division II this season and fourth on the GNAC All-Time List. Johnson also won the long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 2.25 inches.

Cai finished third in her section of the heptathlon at the Division I-laden Aztec Invitational in San Diego, scoring 5,001 points. That ranks Cai No. 3 in Division II this season. She won the final event of the competition, the 800 meters, placed fourth in the high jump and shot put and fifth in the 200 meters and javelin.

Simon Fraser junior Sy Lovan was named the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he led the Clan at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout. He tied for 28th place with a score of 8-over-par 224, shooting a pair of 75 rounds and a third-round score of 74.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 30
BASEBALL PLAYER
Shawn Grandmont (Northwest Nazarene, IF, 6-1, Jr., Lethbridge, Alta. – Coll. Of Southern Idaho): Grandmont led Northwest Nazarene to a series win over Western Oregon by batting .467 in the four games, going 7 for 15 with three runs, five RBI, four doubles and four stolen bases. He had a .529 on-base percentage and .733 slugging percentage. Grandmont went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI single and scored the tying run in Friday’s 11-10 second-game win. Grandmont opened Saturday by going 2 for 5 with a pair of doubles, including a two-RBI double, in the 9-6 opening-game win then went 2 for 3 with two RBI and a double in the 8-7 nightcap victory. Also Nominated: Liam Knowles (Concordia), Jalen Garcia (Montana State Billings), Austin Feist (Saint Martin’s), Griffey Halle (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Jarrod Molnaa (Montana State Billings, RHP, 6-3, Sr., Kennewick, Wash. – Bellevue Univ.): Molnaa threw the first nine-inning complete-game in the GNAC this season to take a 6-0 win over Saint Martin’s on Sunday. He allowed three hits and one walk while striking out nine. The victory clinched a series win over the Saints and is the first shutout for a MSUB player since 2015. Also Nominated: Trevor Huddleston (Concordia), Aaron Shoup (Saint Martin’s), Alex Roth (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Hannah Self (Concordia, OF/C, 5-11, Jr., Tigard, Ore. – Portland State Univ.): Self paced the Cavaliers in a weekend sweep of Saint Martin’s and Central Washington by hitting .533 in four games, going 8 for 15 with eight runs, seven RBI and three home runs. She finished the week with a .562 on-base percentage and 1.267 slugging percentage. Self went 3 for 4 with two RBI in both wins over Saint Martin’s on Saturday, scoring three runs in the opener and a double short of the cycle in the second game. Self hit a solo home run for what proved to be the winning run in Sunday’s 6-4 opening-game win over Central Washington on Sunday and had a two-run shot in the nightcap. Also Nominated: Lauren Diuco (Saint Martin’s), Amanda Janes (Simon Fraser), Ryanne Whitaker (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Mckenzie Smith (Concordia, UT, 6-2, Sr., Victoria, B.C. – Lambrick Academy): Smith was a winner in all three of her appearances, allowing three runs, two earned, on nine hits with six strikeouts. Smith allowed just one hit, walked three and struck out three in the complete-game, 7-0 victory over Saint Martin’s on Saturday. She entered in relief in the first game at Central Washington on Sunday and allowed one run on two hits and struck out one in two innings in the 6-4 victory. Smith capped the week with a complete-game win in the nightcap, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in the 7-2 victory. Also Nominated: Taylor Williams (Central Washington), Brandi Schoessler (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S TRACK
Nathan Mah (Simon Fraser, Jr., Burnaby, B.C. – Burnaby Central): Mah won both of his events at the Willamette Invitational in season-best times, taking the 100 meters in 10.97 seconds and the 200 meters in 21.98 seconds. He also ran the anchor leg on the Clan’s 4x100-meter relay team, which finished second in 42.71 seconds. Also Nominated: Adam Brown (Concordia), Logan Blake (Northwest Nazarene), Justin Crosswhite (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
Jake Knight (Northwest Nazarene, Sr., Meridian, Idaho – Boise State Univ.): Knight won both of his events with NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks at the NNU Invitational. Knight won the discus with a mark of 177 feet, 10 inches, which ranks No. 3 in Division II this season. He went on to win the shot put with a mark of 57 feet, 10.5 inches, that ranks seventh in Division II this season. Both marks rank Knight at No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List in both disciplines. Also Nominated: Sam Nichols (Concordia), Isaiah Girard (Montana State Billings), Timothy Hatton (Simon Fraser), Owen Collins (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Chelsea Ribeiro (Simon Fraser, Jr., Surrey, B.C. – Semiahmoo): Ribeiro was the winner of the steeplechase at the Willamette Invitational by 18 seconds. Her time of 10:38.40 is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and leads Division II this season. Also Nominated: Danielle McCormick (Alaska Anchorage), Sidney Trinidad (Central Washington), Kaylin Cantu (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Chrisalyn Johnson (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Anchorage, Alaska – Dimond): Johnson won both the long jump and triple jump at the Willamette Invitational. Johnson set a UAA school record in the triple jump with a mark of 39 feet, 11.5 inches, provisionally qualifying her for the NCAA Championships. She ranks fifth in Division II and No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List. Johnson won the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 2.25 inches.

Scout Cai (Seattle Pacific, Jr., Colfax, Wash. – Colfax): Cai opened her outdoor season by placing third in her section of the heptathlon at the Division I-heavy Aztec Invitational. Her score of 5,001 points ranks No. 3 in Division II this season. During the competition, Cai won the 800 meters, placed fourth in the high jump and shot put and fifth in the 200 meters and javelin. Also Nominated: HarLee Ortega (Central Washington), Katrina Linenko (Concordia), Hannah Nessan (Montana State Billings), Ellie Logan (Northwest Nazarene), Darian Wilson (Western Oregon).

MEN’S GOLF
Sy Lovan (Simon Fraser, Jr., Surrey, B.C. – Johnston Heights): Lovan led the Clan at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout, tying for 29th place with a three-round score of 8-over-par 224. Lovan shot two rounds of 3-over-par 75 on the opening day and closed with a 2-over-par 74. Also Nominated: Riley Kaercher (Montana State Billings).