Monday, May 6, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – With the regular-season wrapping up, Western Oregon’s Blayze Arcano and Montana State Billings’ Steen Frederickson provided a pair of solid performances to lead the final GNAC Player of the Week awards of the season.

Arcano was named the Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .615 for the Wolves in their four-game sweep of Saint Martin’s, going 8 for 13 with nine RBI. Arcano had two hits in each game. He hit RBI doubles in each of Friday’s contests and then had a two-run double in Saturday’s opener.

Frederickson was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he threw 6.2 innings to lead the Yellowjackets to a 12-9 win in Saturday’s opener over Concordia. He allowed one run on three hits and a walk while striking out eight to improve to 6-1 on the season. The win helped Montana State Billings earn the GNAC regular-season championship.

A trio of track athletes improved their NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks to earn the final set of Track Athletes of the Week for the season. Concordia senior Easton Christensen earned Men’s Field Player of the Week after he won the javelin at the Ken Shannon Invitational with a mark of 214 feet, 8 inches. The mark moves Christensen up to No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 10 in Division II this season.

Western Oregon senior Olivia Woods was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she ran a season-best 2:07.93 at the Portland Twilight. That moves Woods to No. 7 in Division II this season. She finished seventh in the 32-runner field, the best finish for a Division II athlete.

Simon Fraser’s freshman Nate St Romain was selected as the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he won the 400-meter hurdles at the Portland Twilight with a time of 53.32 seconds. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ties him for 39th in Division II this season.

Western Oregon sophomore Moana Gianotti earned the final Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the discus with a mark of 139 feet, 3 inches, and second in the shot put with a mark of 42 feet, 1.75 inches, at the Linfield Open.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 36
BASEBALL PLAYER
Blayze Arcano (Western Oregon, IF, 5-11, Jr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii – Lower Columbia CC): Arcano led the Wolves on the final week of the season by going 8 for 13 with nine RBI in a four-game sweep of Saint Martin’s. He had two hits in all four games. Arcano’s ledger included RBI doubles in both of Friday’s games, a two-run double in Saturday’s opener and an RBI single in the Saturday finale. Also Nominated: Jalen Garcia (Montana State Billings), Ben Johnson (Northwest Nazarene).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Steen Frederickson (Montana State Billings, P, 6-1, Sr., Ashland, Ore. – Ashland): Frederickson improved to 6-1 on the season in Saturday’s 12-9 victory over Concordia. In 6.2 innings, Frederickson allowed just one run on three hits and one walk while striking out eight. He faced just four batters over the minimum in the victory. Also Nominated: Alex Roth (Western Oregon).

MEN’S TRACK
Nate St Romain (Simon Fraser, Fr., Belleville, Ont. – Nicholson Catholic Coll.): St. Romain won the 400-meter hurdles at the Portland Twilight in a time of 53.32 seconds. The time is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ties him for 39th in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Rajesh Gill (Central Washington), Adam Brown (Concordia), Parker Marson (Western Oregon), Daniel Jones (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Easton Christensen (Concordia, Sr., Oregon City, Ore. – Clackamas CC): Christensen threw a lifetime best of 214 feet, 8 inches to win the javelin at the Ken Shannon Invitational. The mark moves Christensen up to No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List and ranks him No. 10 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Ethan Tonder (Central Washington), Ty Stanton (Montana State Billings), Tyler Cronk (Saint Martin’s), Chris Steffey (Western Oregon), Mason Salley (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Olivia Woods (Western Oregon, Sr., Troutdale, Ore. – Troutdale): Woods was the top Division II finisher in the 800 meters at the Portland Twilight, finishing seventh in the 32-runner field in a time of 2:07.93. The time ranks Woods seventh in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Aujanique Doss (Central Washington), Macie Allen (Concordia), Olivia Willett (Simon Fraser).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Moana Gianotti (Western Oregon, So., Riddle, Ore. – Riddle): Gianotti won the discus and placed second in the shot put at the Linfield Open. Gianotti won the discus by almost two feet with a mark of 139 feet, 3 inches. She went on to take second in the shot put with a mark of 42 feet, 1.75 inches. Also Nominated: Brittany Dodge (Central Washington), Megan Vernoy (Saint Martin’s), Lauren Fridman (Simon Fraser), Raquel Pellecer (Western Washington).