Monday, April 18, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – An all-time record and one of the top times in the world this season for Simon Fraser junior Alison Andrews-Paul leads the list of GNAC Athlete of the Week recipients.

Andrews-Paul was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after setting the Division II record in the 800 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Her fourth-place time of 2:01.43 eclipsed the previous record of 2:02.39 set by Carsyn Koch-Johnson of Cedarville in 2016. The mark also ranks No. 10 in the world this season. Andrews-Paul also placed fourth in the 400 meters with a time of 54.07 seconds that ranks No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 4 in Division II this season.

Simon Fraser junior Aaron Ahl also repeated as the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after running 3:39.97 in the 1,500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The time placed 29th out of 149-athlete field, ranks No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and is the seventh-fastest time in Division II history. Ahl also placed ninth in the 800 meters at the Beach Invitational with a time of 1:51.87.

Freshman Jarrett Chong gave Simon Fraser three awards. He was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after placing second in the javelin at the Bryan Clay Invitational. His time of 217 feet, 7 inches leads the GNAC and is No. 3 in Division II this season.

Western Oregon sophomore Kaylee Wright was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she placed fourth in the javelin at Thursday’s Pacific Coast Intercollegiate. Her mark of 151 feet, 4 inches ranks second in the GNAC this season and is No. 9 in Division II.

Northwest Nazarene sophomore Sidney Booth was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she went the distance for two victories over Western Oregon. In Friday’s opener, a 4-3 nine-inning win, she allowed three runs on three hits with four walks and 14 strikeouts. She then threw a one-hitter in Saturday’s opener, walking two and striking out 13 for the 3-0 victory. In 16 innings, Booth finished with 27 strikeouts.

Saint Martin’s sophomore Vanessa Smoke earned the Softball Player of the Week award after she batted .500 in the Saints’ sweep of Montana State Billings, finishing the series with eight hits, four runs scored, two doubles, a home run and seven RBI. She went 3 for 4 in Thursday’s 5-0 opening game win with a two-run single and a two-run double. On Friday, Smoke went 3 for 5 with a RBI single and a solo home run in the opener for the 12-4 win and then went 2 for 4 with the game-winning single in the sixth for the 4-3 finale victory.

Saint Martin’s sophomore Justice Yamashita was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after earning a 2-1 complete-game victory over league-leading Northwest Nazarene on Friday. He allowed one run on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to improve to 5-3 on the season.

Western Oregon freshman John Stark earned Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .385 in the Wolves’ series victory over Central Washington. He went 5 for 13 with six runs scored, four home runs and eight RBI. Stark hit a three-run homer in Friday’s 10-9 opening-game loss. He then went a 1 for 3 with two-run homer in Saturday’s 11-4 opening-game win and went 3 for 3 with a pair of solo home runs in the 8-7 series finale win.

The Cal Poly Humboldt Varsity 4+ was named the Women’s Rowing Crew of the Week after winning its races at the Covered Bridge Regatta in Eugene, Oregon. The Lumberjacks won the first flight race in 8:14.2 and turned around to win the second flight in 9:36.3.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 34
BASEBALL PLAYER
John Stark (Western Oregon, C, 6-1, Fr., Riverside, Calif. – Martin Luther King, Jr.): Stark batted .385 to lead the Wolves to a series victory over Central Washington, going 5 for 13 with six runs scored, four home runs and eight RBI. Stark hit a three-run homer in Friday’s 10-9 opening-game loss. The rest of his production came on Saturday, going 1 for 3 with a two-run homer, two runs scored and two walks in the 11-4 opening-game win and going 3 for 3 with a pair of solo home runs and an RBI single in the 8-7 series finale win. Also Nominated: Tyler McClain (Central Washington), Duke Pahukoa (Northwest Nazarene), Aaron Renaud (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Justice Yamashita (Saint Martin’s, P, 5-10, So., Honolulu, Hawaii – Maryknoll): Yakashita threw another gem to help Saint Martin’s land a series victory over league-leading Northwest Nazarene. In Friday’s 2-1 second-game victory, he allowed one run on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in the complete-game effort. Yamashita threw 92 pitches in his fifth win of the season. Also Nominated: Brayde Hirai (Central Washington), Haden Keller (Northwest Nazarene), Parker Johnson (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Vanessa Smoke (Saint Martin’s, UT, 5-2, So., Troutdale, Ore. – Reynolds): Smoke helped lead Saint Martin’s to a four-game sweep of Montana State Billings with a .500 average, batting 8 for 16 with four runs scored, two doubles, a home run and seven RBI. She accounted for four runs in Thursday’s 5-0 opening-game shutout, going 3 for 4 with a two-run single and a two-run double. On Friday, Smoke went 3 for 5 with an RBI single and a solo home run in 12-4 opening-game victory. She then went 2 for 4 and had the game-winning single in the sixth for the 4-3 win in the finale. Also Nominated: Alyssa Benthagen (Central Washington), Skyler Jenkins (Montana State Billings), Tori Hensley (Northwest Nazarene), Dakota Brooks (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene, P/UT, 5-4, So., Puyallup, Wash. – Puyallup): Booth earned two of the Nighthawks’ four wins in their sweep of Western Oregon. In Friday’s 4-3 opening-game nine-inning victory, Booth allowed three runs on three hits with four walks and 14 strikeouts. Booth then threw a one-hitter in Saturday’s 3-0 opening-game victory, walking two and striking out 13. In 16 innings, Booth amassed a 1.32 earned run average and struck out 27. Also Nominated: Isabel Womack (Central Washington), Jenna Kister (Montana State Billings), Tia Ridings (Saint Martin’s), Kira Doan (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Aaron Ahl (Simon Fraser, Jr., Calgary, Alta. – William Aberhart): Ahl ran the second-fastest outdoor 1,500 meters in GNAC history and the seventh-fastest in Division II history at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday, running 3:39.97 to place 29th in the 149-athlete field. He also placed ninth in the 800 meters at the Beach Invitational on Saturday with a time of 1:51.87. Also Nominated: Joshua Wagner (Alaska Anchorage), Austin Albertin (Central Washington), Carson Jessop (Montana State Billings), Justin Crosswhite (Western Oregon), Mac Franks (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Jarrett Chong (Simon Fraser, Fr., Port Coquitlam, B.C. – Riverside): Chong moved up to No. 3 in Division II this season in the javelin, finishing second at the Bryan Clay Invitational with a mark of 217 feet, 7 inches. Also Nominated: Omar Young (Central Washington), Forrest Cross (Montana State Billings), Samuel Cole (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Alison Andrews-Paul (Simon Fraser, Jr., Ohope Beach, New Zealand – Baylor Univ.): Andrews-Paul set the Division II record in the 800 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational, finishing fourth in a time of 2:01.43 to break the previous record of 2:02.39 set by Carsyn Koch-Johnson of Cedarville in 2016. The time ranks No. 10 in the world this year. Andrews-Paul also placed fourth in the 400 meters in a time of 54.07 seconds that ranks No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 4 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: E'Liexis Hollis (Central Washington), Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific), Ana Popchock (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kaylee Wright (Western Oregon, So., John Day, Ore. – Grant Union): Wright placed fourth in the javelin at the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate on Thursday with a mark of 151 feet, 4 inches. The mark ranks second in the GNAC this season and improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark to No. 9. Also Nominated: McCall DeChenne (Central Washington), Sydney Kania (Simon Fraser).

WOMEN’S ROWING
Cal Poly Humboldt Varsity 4+: The Lumberjacks won both of their races at the Covered Bridge Regatta in Eugene, Oregon. They won the first-flight race in a time of 8:14.2 and took the second in a time of 9:36.3. Crew members included Kylie Speth (coxswain), Sarah Lorenzini, Chloe Pieper-Wasem, Marie-Claire Desplanchke and Amanda Roosma.