Monday, September 30, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – For the second week in a row, Seattle Pacific sophomore Kaylee Mitchell was a race winner. And for the second week in a row, that makes her one of the honorees for the GNAC’s Athlete of the Week awards.

Mitchell was named the Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week for her victory over 300 runners at the Capital Cross Challenge in Sacramento, California. Competing in the women’s invitational race, Mitchell covered the 6,000-meter course in a time of 20:30.2 to finish three seconds ahead of Jenny Sandoval of San Jose State. The victory is the third of Mitchell’s collegiate career and helped lead the Falcons to an eighth-place team finish.

The Capital Cross Challenge also yielded the Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week in Alaska Anchorage junior Wesley Kirui. He finished second in the men’s college invitational race, covering the 8,000-meter course in 24:07.1. He was just three seconds behind the winner, Jake Ritter of Cal Poly.

Western Oregon picked up two of the three football weekly awards after picking up a 36-26 win at Central Washington, the program’s first in Ellensburg since 1998. Senior quarterback Ty Currie was named the Offensive Player of the Week after he amassed 233 all-purpose yards and played a role in all five WOU touchdowns. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also carrying the ball 16 times for 62 yards and three touchdowns.

Junior defensive back Curtis Anderson earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after he snared a GNAC single-game season-high two interceptions, both of which the Wolves converted into touchdowns. He also had four tackles and a pass break-up.

The game also yielded the third award winner in Central Washington junior running back Eric Wilkes. He was named the Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned five kickoffs for a total of 104 yards.

Also joining Mitchell as a back-to-back weekly award winner is Western Washington senior Ethan Casto, who was named the Men’s Golf Player of the Week again for his victory at the Western Washington Invitational. Casto tied with Simon Fraser’s Isaac Lee for first with a three-round score of 10-under-par 206 and proceeded to earn medalist honors by beating Lee in a two-hole playoff. Of Casto’s six rounds this season, all have been below par and four have been under 70.

Seattle Pacific completed a sweep of the women’s soccer awards after opening GNAC play with a pair of road shutouts. Junior forward Sophia Chilczuk was named the Offensive Player of the Week after she scored goals in both matches. She notched an insurance goal in Thursday’s 3-0 shutout of Northwest Nazarene and netted the game-winner in Saturday’s 2-0 blanking of Saint Martin’s.

Senior defender Mason Minder was named the Defensive Player of the Week for her role in limiting the Falcons’ opponents scoreless. She played all but six minutes of both matches as the Falcons allowed just two shots on goal to Northwest Nazarene and one shot overall to Saint Martin’s.

On the men’s pitch, Northwest Nazarene junior forward Jake Levine was named the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after he scored two goals, including the game-winner, in the Nighthawks’ 3-0 win over Mary on Friday. Western Washington junior defender Camron Miller earned defensive honors as the Vikings allowed just four shots on goal in two matches. He also had goals in both matches, including a game-tying header with 30 seconds left in regulation of Thursday’s match with No. 3 Azusa Pacific.

Alaska junior setter Cate Whiting was named the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after she finished with 77 assists, 11 kills, eight aces, 21 digs and five blocks in a pair of come-from-behind victories. She finished with eight kills, 32 assists, four aces, nine digs and a block Tuesday against Alaska Anchorage and added three kills, 45 assists, four aces, 12 digs and four blocks on Thursday against Montana State Billings.

Western Washington senior middle blocker Kayleigh Harper was named the Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after she finished with 14 blocks and 17 kills in two road wins. She had a four-kill, four-block performance on Thursday at Western Oregon and then notched a double-double of 13 kills and 10 blocks at Concordia. In the process, Harper became the second player in WWU and GNAC history to compile 1,000 career kills and 500 career blocks.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 5
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Ty Currie (Western Oregon, QB, 6-2, 205, Sr., Yreka, Calif. – Yreka): Currie played a role in all five touchdowns and finished with 233 all-purpose yards in Western Oregon’s 36-26 win at Central Washington, the Wolves’ first win in Ellensburg since 1998. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also rushing 16 times for 62 yards and three more touchdowns. The offensive effort helped Western Oregon jump out to a 2-0 GNAC record. Also Nominated: Dante Davis (Azusa Pacific), Michael Roots (Central Washington), Rysen John (Simon Fraser).

Defensive: Curtis Anderson (Western Oregon, DB, 6-2, 205, Jr., Klamath Falls, Ore. – Mazama): Anderson posted a GNAC single-game high of two interceptions, both of which Western Oregon converted into touchdowns in a 36-26 win at Central Washington. Anderson also finished with four tackles and a pass breakup. On special teams, Anderson had two kickoff returns for a total of 24 yards. Also Nominated: Ben Sakut (Azusa Pacific), Hamilton Hunt (Central Washington), Isaac Evans (Simon Fraser).

Special Teams: Eric Wilkes (Central Washington, RB, 5-6, 195, Jr., Las Vegas, Nev. – Weber State Univ.): Wilkes led the Wildcats with five kickoff returns for a total of 104 yards. His ledger included a long return of 25 yards in the third quarter. Also Nominated: Andrew Gross (Western Oregon).

MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Jake Levine (Northwest Nazarene, F, 5-10, Jr., Green Acres, Wash. – Central Valley): Levine scored two goals, including the game-winner in the sixth minute, to lead the Nighthawks in a 3-0 shutout over Mary in NNU’s final non-conference match of the season. Also Nominated: Theo Lemare (Montana State Billings), Matteo Polisi (Simon Fraser), Ryan Schaefer (Western Washington).

Defensive: Camron Miller (Western Washington, D, 6-3, Jr., Snohomish, Wash. – Whatcom CC): Miller played a key role in a Western Washington defense that allowed just four shots on a goal in 131 minutes over two matches. Miller also had a goal in each match, including a header with 30 seconds left that forced overtime with No. 3 Azusa Pacific on Thursday. Miller scored the opening goal in the Vikings’ 2-1 win over Point Loma on Saturday. Also Nominated: Jessy Martin (Montana State Billings), Lorenzo Valentini (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Sophia Chilczuk (Seattle Pacific, F, 5-11, Jr., Kent, Wash. – Kentridge): Chilczuk scored two goals in two road matches as the Falcons opened GNAC play with a 2-0 record. After netting a late insurance goal in Thursday’s 3-0 shutout of Northwest Nazarene, she scored the game-winner in the 47th minute of a 2-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s on Saturday. Of Chilczuk’s 14 career goals, eight have been game-winners. Also Nominated: Peyton Vogel (Central Washington), Alexa Iacolucci (Montana State Billings), Giuliana Zaurrini (Simon Fraser), Liv Larson (Western Washington).

Defensive: Mason Minder (Seattle Pacific, D, 5-8, Sr., Camas, Wash. – Camas): Making her first starts of the season, Minder played a key role in a pair of shutouts to open GNAC play. She played all 90 minutes in Thursday’s 3-0 win at Northwest Nazarene, helping limit the Nighthawks to just two shots on goal. Minder played all but six minutes in Saturday’s 2-0 shutout at Saint Martin’s in which the Saints did not produce a shot until the final minute of the match. Also Nominated: Sydney Edwards (Central Washington), Erinn Harder (Montana State Billings), Ali Campigotto (Saint Martin’s), Emily Nelson (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Cate Whiting (Alaska, S, 5-10, Jr., Rapid City, S.D. – Rapid City Stevens): Whiting finished with 77 assists, 11 kills, eight aces, 21 digs and five blocks as Alaska improved to 4-0 in GNAC play with a pair of come-from-behind home wins. Whiting finished with eight kills, 32 assists, four aces, nine digs and a block in Tuesday’s four-set win over Alaska Anchorage. She completed the week with three kills, 45 assists, four aces, 12 digs and four blocks in Thursday’s five-set win over Montana State Billings. Also Nominated: Gabrielle Aihara (Central Washington), Jessica Wheeler (Concordia), Brooke Foster (Northwest Nazarene), Mackenzie Carter (Saint Martin’s), Kalyn Hartman (Simon Fraser), Calley Heilborn (Western Washington).

Defensive: Kayleigh Harper (Western Washington, MB, 6-3, Sr., Oak Harbor, Wash. – Oak Harbor): Harper finished with 14 blocks to go along with 17 kills as the Vikings swept the Willamette Valley road trip. Harper opened with a four-kill, four-block performance at Western Oregon on Thursday before notching a double-double of 13 kills and 10 blocks on Saturday at Concordia. During Saturday’s match, Harper became just the second player in WWU and GNAC history to reach both the 1,000-kill and 500-block career milestones. Also Nominated: Bridgette Webb (Central Washington), Callie Wilkins (Concordia), Kiana Pel (Saint Martin’s).

CROSS COUNTRY
Men: Wesley Kurui (Alaska Anchorage, Jr., Nakaru, Kenya – Hampton Univ.): Kirui was the top Division II finisher in the Capital Cross Challenge in Sacramento, California. Kirui was second out of 280 athletes in the men’s college invitational race, covering the 8,000-meter course in 24:07.1. He averaged 4:51 per mile and was just three seconds behind the winner, Jake Ritter of Cal Poly. Also Nominated: William Miller (Central Washington), Ronald Venema (Montana State Billings), Tyler Shea (Northwest Nazarene), Marcus Rice (Saint Martin’s), Carlos Vargas (Simon Fraser), Eric Hamel (Western Washington).

Women: Kaylee Mitchell (Seattle Pacific, So., Salem, Ore. – Sprague): Mitchell was a race winner for the second straight week. This time, she won the women’s college invitational race at the Capital Cross Challenge as she covered the 6,000-meter course in 20:30.2. She averaged 5:30 per mile to finish on top of the 300-athlete field and three seconds ahead of Jenny Sandoval of San Jose State for the win. Also Nominated: Emmah Chelimo (Alaska Anchorage), Zoie Mastin (Central Washington), Nikki Aiken (Montana State Billings), Julia LeMar (Northwest Nazarene), Elaina Hansen (Saint Martin’s), Olivia Willett (Simon Fraser), Talia Dreicer (Western Washington).

GOLF
Men: Ethan Casto (Western Washington, Sr., Snohomish, Wash. – Snohomish): Winning weekly honors for the second straight week, Casto tied with Isaac Lee of Simon Fraser for first place at the Western Washington Invitational with a three-round score of 10-under-par 206. He went on to earn individual medalist honors by winning a two-hole playoff over Lee. Two of Casto’s three rounds were under 70 and he now has four rounds in the 60s this season. Also Nominated: Riley Killip (Concordia), Isaac Lee (Simon Fraser).