Monday, March 2, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – Concordia’s Sasha Jabusch was simply dominant in the Cavaliers’ conference opener against Saint Martin’s to headline the GNAC Player of the Week awards.

The senior was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he picked up the complete-game 1-0 win over the Saints in the series opener on Saturday. Jabusch allowed just three hits and one walk. His 15 strikeouts tied the GNAC single-game record, tying six other hurlers to have accomplished the feat. The victory was Jabusch’s first of the season and helped propel the Cavaliers to taking three of four games on the weekend.

Northwest Nazarene senior Shawn Grandmont was named the Baseball Player of the Week after batting .412 in four games as the Nighthawks took three of four games at Central Washington. He went 7 for 17 with six runs, eight RBI and four home runs. Grandmont had solo homers in both wins on Friday and then hit two home runs in Saturday’s opener, including a grand slam.

Western Oregon swept the softball awards after going 3-3 in the PFX Athletics Tournament in Florida. Junior utility player Tyler Creach was named the Softball Player of the Week after she went .455 in the six games with 10 hits, four runs, six RBI, three doubles and a home run. She went 3 for 4 in games against Saint Rose on Friday and Davenport on Saturday.

Sophomore Maddie Mayer was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after winning two games and compiling a 1.17 earned run average in three appearances. She earned the 10-8 win over Saint Rose on Friday in relief, allowing two hits and striking out five over three innings. She went the distance in Sunday’s 3-2, eight-inning win over Wilmington as she allowed two unearned runs on 11 hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

Concordia senior Xavier Smith was named the last Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the season after he led the Cavaliers to two wins with 47 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. He finished with 21 points in a 78-73 win over Alaska on Thursday and then led all scorers with 26 points in Saturday’s 72-69 win over Alaska Anchorage in the Cavaliers’ last-ever game.

Western Washington junior Emma Duff earned the last Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award of the season after she led the Vikings to two wins with 39 points, 24 rebounds, seven assists and four steals. She notched a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds in Tuesday’s 95-66 win over Simon Fraser and then finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in Thursday’s 76-72 win at Montana State Billings.

Cavaliers’ freshman Viktor Olund earned the Men’s Golf Player of the Week award after taking medalist honors at the Bay Area Invitational. Playing as an individual, Olund shot a three-round score of 4-under-par 212. His low-round of 7-under-par 65, in the second round, is tied for the fourth-lowest spring round in GNAC history.

Western Washington swept the final men’s track and field awards of the indoor season. Junior Ed Kiolbasa was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning the 3,000 meters at the SPU Final Qualifier. His time of 8:16.73 set the Western Washington school record and ranks 27th in Division II this season.

Sophomore Ethan Sterkel was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he improved his school record in the long jump at the SPU Final Qualifier. He won with a mark of 23 feet, 9.5 inches, which ranks No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time and 25th in Division II this season.

Western Oregon senior Grace Knapp took the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award after placing fifth in the 3,000 meters at the SPU Final Qualifier in a time of 9:55.04. The time is No. 2 on the WOU all-time list and 39th in Division II this season.

Concordia senior Karlie Hurley was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after winning the triple jump at the SPU Final Qualifier. Her mark of 39 feet, 4.5 inches is No. 7 on the GNAC All-Time List and 27th in Division II this season.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 27
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Xavier Smith (Concordia, G, 6-0, Sr., Kansas City, Mo. – Colby CC): Smith led the Cavaliers to a 2-0 week in the program’s final two games with 47 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. He shot 48.5 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and a perfect 9 of 9 from the free-throw line. Smith led the way with 21 points in Thursday’s 78-73 win over Alaska, connecting on 8 of 16 from the field, to go with five rebounds and two assists. Smith then led all scorers with 26 points on 8 of 17 from the field, 4 of 6 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line in the 72-69 win over Alaska Anchorage. Also Nominated: Marqus Gilson (Central Washington), Marky Adams (Saint Martin’s), Divant’e Moffitt (Seattle Pacific), Wilfried Balata (Simon Fraser), Siaan Rojas (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Emma Duff (Western Washington, G, 6-0, Jr., Tumwater, Wash. – Black Hills): Duff led the Vikings to a pair of wins with 39 points, 24 rebounds, seven assists and four steals, shooting 64 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. Duff notched a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds in Tuesday’s 95-66 win over Simon Fraser. She also had six assists while shooting 7 of 12 from the field. Duff just missed another double-double with her 21 points and nine rebounds in Thursday’s 76-72 win at Montana State Billings, shooting 9 of 13 from the field. Also Nominated: Alexis Pana (Central Washington), Tamika Etherly (Concordia), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), Marina Valles (Northwest Nazarene), Bria Thames (Saint Martin’s), Claudia Hart (Simon Fraser), Tresai McCarver (Western Oregon).

MEN’S TRACK
Ed Kiolbasa (Western Washington, Jr., Stillwater, Minn. – Univ. of North Dakota): Kiolbasa set the Western Washington school record in the 3,000 meters at the SPU Final Qualifier. His winning time of 8:16.73 is the top time in the GNAC this season and ranks 27th in Division II this year. Also Nominated: Josh Scheetz (Concordia), Max Carmona (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
Ethan Sterkel (Western Washington, So., Longview, Wash. – RA Long): Sterkel improved his own Western Washington record in the long jump at the SPU Final Qualifier. His winning leap of 23 feet, 9.5 inches moved Sterkel to No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List and up to No. 25 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Chris Brake (Alaska Anchorage), Caleb Bridge (Concordia).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Grace Knapp (Western Oregon, Sr. Sandy, Ore. – Sandy): Knapp placed fifth in the 3,000 meters at the SPU Final Qualifier. Her time of 9:55.04 improved her to No. 2 on the Western Oregon all-time list and is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier. She ranks 39th in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Amelia Maguin (Concordia), Rebecca Lehman (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Karlie Hurley (Concordia, Sr., North Bend, Wash. – Mount Si): Hurley won the triple jump at the SPU Final Qualifier with a leap of 39 feet, 4.5 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifier is the second-best mark in the GNAC this season, ranks No. 7 on the GNAC All-Time List and is 27th in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Jenelle Hurley (Western Oregon), Aliyah Dawkins (Western Washington).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Shawn Grandmont (Northwest Nazarene, IF, 6-1, Sr., Lethbridge, Alta. – Coll. of Southern Idaho): Grandmont batted .412 in four games as the Nighthawks opened GNAC play by taking three of four games from Central Washington. He went 7 for 17 with six runs, eight RBI and four home runs. Grandmont had solo home runs in games on Friday, which the Nighthawks swept 10-4 and 6-4. He then went 3 for 5 with five RBI in Saturday’s 10-9 opening-game loss, which included two home runs, one of which was a grand slam. In the nightcap, Grandmont went 2 for 3 with a run scored. Also Nominated: Jaden Hassell (Central Washington), Max Ramirez (Concordia), Nathan Bloxham (Montana State Billings), Aaron Renaud (Saint Martin’s), Connor McCord (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Sasha Jabusch (Concordia, P, 5-9, Sr., Kelso, Wash. – Concordia Univ., Neb.): Jabusch threw a complete-game gem in Saturday’s 1-0 series-opening victory over Saint Martin’s. Jabusch allowed just three hits and one walk and tied the GNAC single-game record with 15 strikeouts. He tied six other pitchers to accomplish the feat, the most recent being Western Oregon’s Alex Roth last year. The win propelled Concordia to a series victory. Also Nominated: Hunter French (Central Washington), Kyle Ethridge (Northwest Nazarene), Tanner Inouye (Saint Martin’s), Mike Peterson (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Tyler Creach (Western Oregon, UT, 5-3, Jr., Bend, Ore. – Rex Putnam): Creach led Western Oregon to a 3-3 record at the PFX Athletics Tournament with a .455 batting average, going 10 for 22 with four runs, six RBI, three doubles and a home run. Creach opened with a 2 for 4 performance in Friday’s 9-0, five-inning win over Concordia (N.Y.) and then went 3 for 4 with a three-run homer and an RBI single in a 10-8 win over Saint Rose. On Saturday, Creach went 3 for 4 with an RBI double in a 4-3 loss on Saturday to Davenport. Creach finished with a .455 on-base percentage and a .727 slugging percentage. Also Nominated: Kennedy Jantzi (Concordia), Amanda Janes (Simon Fraser), Dakota Brooks (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Maddie Mayer (Western Oregon, P, 5-8, So., Portland, Ore. – Rex Putnam): Mayer went 2-1 for the Wolves with a 1.17 earned run average at the PFX Athletics Tournament. In 18 innings, she allowed seven runs, three earned, on 23 hits with 14 strikeouts. Mayer earned the win in Friday’s 10-8 win over Saint Rose in relief, allowing two hits and striking out five in three innings. Mayer went the distance in extra innings in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Wilmington. She allowed two unearned runs on 11 hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Also Nominated: Sally Bowles (Concordia), Anissa Zacharczuk (Simon Fraser), Anna Kasner (Western Washington).

MEN’S GOLF
Viktor Olund (Concordia, Fr., Danderyd, Sweden – Osterakers Gymnasium): Competing as an individual, Olund earned medalist honors at the Bay Area Invitational in Pleasanton, California. Olund turned in a three-round score of 4-under-par 212 to beat Chico State’s Nicholas Caputo by two strokes. Olund carded a tournament-low round of 7-under-par 65 in the second round, tying for the fourth-lowest spring round in GNAC history. Also Nominated: Max Turnquist (Saint Martin’s), Ethan Casto (Western Washington).