Monday, January 22, 2024
by Evan O'Kelly, Assistant Commissioner For Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of hardwood standouts propelled their respective teams to a pair of victories, and Central Washington swept the four indoor track and field awards as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its latest Players of the Week on Monday.

Western Washington’s Kai Johnson was a scoring machine with 29 points in each of the Vikings’ victories, while Alaska Anchorage’s Tori Hollingshead put up monster numbers off the bench to help her team win both of its games. CWU’s Johan Correa broke his own school record in the mile while teammate Drew Klein earned GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week for the second week in a row. The Wildcats’ E’lexis Hollis and Emy Ntekpere each also claimed their second GNAC weekly award of the 2023-24 indoor season.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Player of the Week – Kai Johnson, Western Washington

Third-career player of the week, second this season.

Leading the Vikings to a pair of victories, Johnson put his elite scoring ability on display with 29 points in each of WWU’s games last week. Johnson made 9 of 15 shots including 4 of 6 threes in the Vikings’ 92-83 win over Alaska Anchorage, while adding seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. The junior kept his hot hand in his team’s 119-92 triumph over Alaska two days later, making 11 of 15 shots including three more treys on his way to another 29-point performance. Johnson was one off his season high with three steals against the Nanooks, while adding three assists, two boards and a block. Overall in the two-game set, Johnson shot 66.7% (20-for-30) while averaging 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals to go along with his 29.0 points per game.

Also Nominated: Tyson Gilbert, UAA; Jaycson Bereal, UAF; Anjaylo Lloyd, CWU; Jalen Tot, MSUB; Tyke Thompson, SMU; Jadin Penigar, SPU; David Penney, SFU; Kris Cook, WOU.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Player of the Week – Tori Hollingshead, Alaska Anchorage

First-career player of the week.

The Seawolves extended their winning streak to nine games last week, thanks in large part to the key contributions by Hollingshead off the bench. She kicked off the week with an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double in the Seawolves’ 68-62 road win over Central Washington, while adding four blocks and matching her season high with four steals. The junior followed with 17 points and eight boards in UAA’s 79-63 triumph over Northwest Nazarene, adding two more blocks and two more steals. Overall on the week Hollingshead made 15 of 26 shots (57.7%) while averaging 17.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 3.0 steals. Hollingshead’s production and efficiency was off the charts, as she filled the stat sheet in both games despite playing just 48 total minutes on the week.

Also Nominated: Kayla Johnson, UAF; Asher Cai, CWU; Kola Bad Bear, MSUB; Madeline Gebers, NNU; Sarah Lamet, SMU; Jessica Wisotzki, SFU; Cali McClave, WOU; Brooke Walling, WWU.

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Women’s Track Athlete of the Week – E’lexis Hollis, Central Washington

Second-career athlete of the week, second this season.

Hollis won the 60-meters at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial, beating five Washington State runners with a time of 7.46 seconds. She followed that by putting up the top 200-meters time of the season by a GNAC runner, clocking a PR time of 25.19 seconds to win her heat and finish fifth overall in the 42-runner field.

Also Nominated: Amelia Merritt, WOU.

Women’s Field Athlete of the Week – Emy Ntekpere, Central Washington

Second-career athlete of the week, second this season.

Ntekpere put forth an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in her first-ever triple jump, clearing a distance of 38’ 8.25” (11.79m) at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial. It was the top triple jump by a GNAC athlete this season, slotted her 25th nationally and was the third-best triple jump in CWU history.

Also Nominated: Macy Clemens, WOU.

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD

Men’s Track Athlete of the Week – Johan Correa, Central Washington

Second-career athlete of the week, first this season.

Correa broke the CWU school record in the mile at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial, checking in with a time of 4:09.92. That topped his own record, which he set last year, by seven seconds as he finished third in the race. Correa’s mile time was the fastest by a GNAC runner thus far in 2023-24. Correa finished just 0.4 seconds behind second-place Tim Stevens of Idaho and just 2.0 seconds back from Idaho’s Lorenz Herman’s winning time.

Also Nominated: Logan Parker, WOU.

Men’s Field Athlete of the Week – Drew Klein, Central Washington

Second-career athlete of the week, second this season.

Klein made it consecutive weeks garnering the honor, after turning in the seventh-highest heptathlon score in GNAC history. The multi-event standout racked up 5,198 points at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial, earning himself a provisional qualifying mark in the event with the ninth-best point total in Division II this year. Klein’s heptathlon included a provisional mark in the pole vault, as he topped his personal best with a clearance of 15’ 9.75” (4.82m) to stay atop the GNAC performance list. Klein won more than half of the events, topping the field of competitors in the 60-meters, long jump, 60-meter hurdles and pole vault.

Also Nominated: Gabe Burchfield, WOU.