Monday, January 14, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – It is not often that the beginning is punctuated with an exclamation mark, but Alaska Anchorage senior Caroline Kurgat did just that to lead the list of GNAC Athlete of the Week honorees.

In opening her senior season on the track, Kurgat set the NCAA Division II all-conditions record in the 3,000 meters at the UW Indoor Preview to earn selection as the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week. Kurgat placed third in the race with a time of 9:07.05, faster than the previous best divisional best of 9:09.5 run by Amy Harper of Cal Poly of 1983. It is not only the best mark in all college divisions this season, but currently ranks Kurgat fourth in the world. It was the first race in seven months for Kurgat, who exhausted her cross country eligibility in 2017.

Seattle Pacific sophomore Renick Meyer picked up the Falcons’ first event win at Dempsey Indoor since 2014, earning the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week award. Meyer won the long jump with an indoor personal-best mark of 18 feet, 10.75 inches. An NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark, Meyer moved to No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List with the eighth-best mark in Division II this season. Meyer also just missed qualifying for the finals in the 60-meter hurdles, running 8.87 seconds in the second qualifying rounds. That time is 17th-best in Division II this season.

On the men’s side, Simon Fraser junior Rowan Doherty was selected as the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the 3,000 meters. Doherty ran a time of 8:12.35 and placed 18th, making him the top Division II runner in the race. A nine-second personal best, Doherty now has the No. 3 mark in Division II this season and the No. 8 mark on the GNAC All-Time List.

Saint Martin’s freshman Tyler Cronk was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week in his first week of collegiate competition. Cronk placed second in the high jump at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Invitational in Moscow, Idaho, with a clearance of 6 feet, 10.75 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is tied for sixth-best in Division II this season and puts Cronk at No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List.

On the hardwood, Alaska Anchorage senior forward/center Hannah Wandersee was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she led the Seawolves to a pair of wins with 36 points and 11 rebounds. She led all scorers with 19 points in Tuesday’s 81-70 rivalry win over Alaska. She shot 7 of 13 from the field and 3 of 3 from three-point range. Wandersee then added 17 points to go along with eight rebounds in Thursday’s 87-42 win over Montana State Billings. For the week, Wandersee shot 54 percent from the field and 85 percent from three-point range.

Saint Martin’s senior guard Luke Chavez earned Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he led the Saints to wins over the Alaska schools. He opened by scoring 15 points in Thursday’s 70-68 win over Alaska Anchorage and then scored a game-high 25 points in Saturday’s 87-80 overtime win over Alaska. For the week, Chavez finished with 40 points and nine rebounds and shot 60 percent from the field.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 20
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Luke Chavez (Saint Martin’s, G, 6-3, Sr., Woodacre, Calif. – South Puget Sound CC): Playing in his first minutes of 2019, Chavez led the Saints to wins over the Alaska schools with 40 points and nine rebounds, shooting 60 percent from the field. Chavez opened the week with 15 points in a 70-68 win over Alaska Anchorage on Thursday. He then scored a game-high 25 points in Saturday’s 87-80 overtime win over Alaska. He connected on 10 of 15 from the field and 5 of 10 in the contest to go with seven rebounds. Also Nominated: Brennan Rymer (Alaska Anchorage), Gamaun Boykin (Central Washington), El-roi Butler (Concordia), Obi Megwa (Northwest Nazarene), Gavin Long (Seattle Pacific), Jasdeep Singh (Simon Fraser), Kaleb Warner (Western Oregon), Leif Anderson (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Hannah Wandersee (Alaska Anchorage, F/C, 6-2, Sr., Kodiak, Alaska – Kodiak): Wandersee led the Seawolves to win over Alaska and Montana State Billings with 36 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the two games, shooting 54 percent from the field and 85 percent from three-point range. Wandersee led all scorers with 19 points in Tuesday’s 81-70 win over Alaska, making 7 of 13 from the field and 3 of 3 from three-point range with three rebounds and five assists. On Thursday against Montana State Billings, Wandersee scored 17 points and had eight rebounds in the 87-42 victory. She made 6 of 11 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range. Also Nominated: Alexis Pana (Central Washington), Olivia Vezaldenos (Concordia), Hannah Collins (Montana State Billings), Carly Parker (Northwest Nazarene), Claire Dingus (Saint Martin’s), Cici West (Seattle Pacific), Natalie DeLonge (Western Oregon), Kelsey Rogers (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Rowan Doherty (Simon Fraser, Jr., West Vancouver, B.C. – West Vancouver): Doherty opened the season by running a time of 8:12.35 in the 3,000 meters at the UW Indoor Preview. He was the top Division II finisher, placing 18th. Doherty’s time was a nine-second personal best, an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, ranks No. 8 on the GNAC All-Time List and ranks No. 3 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Daniel Calderon (Central Washington), Adam Brown (Concordia), Tyler Jones (Western Oregon), Bryant Welch (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Tyler Cronk (Saint Martin’s, Fr., Kent, Wash. – Kentridge): Cronk made the most of his first collegiate meet, placing second in the high jump at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Invitational with a clearance of 6 feet, 10.75 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is tied for sixth-best in Division II this season and is No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List. Cronk also placed sixth in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 7.25 inches. Also Nominated: Josh Koch (Concordia), Mont Child (Western Oregon), Tupre Wickliff (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Eldoret, Kenya – Kapkenda): Running her first collegiate race in seven months, Kurgat set the Division II all-conditions record in the women’s 3,000 meters at the UW Indoor Preview. Kurgat placed third in the race in a time of 9:07.05. The performance is the best run by a woman in Division II history, surpassing the 9:09.5 ran by Amy Harper of Cal Poly in 1983. Kurgat’s mark is the fastest collegiate mark this season (all classifications) and fourth fastest in the world this season. Also Nominated: Mariyah Vongasveng (Central Washington), Macie Allen (Concordia), Jenna Bouyer (Seattle Pacific), Olivia Woods (Western Oregon), Savannah Smith (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Renick Meyer (Seattle Pacific, So., Gresham, Ore. – Barlow): Opening the season at the UW Indoor Preview, Meyer won the long jump with an indoor personal best of 18 feet, 10.75 inches. The NCAA provisional qualifying mark is the eighth-best in Division II this season and is No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List. It was also SPU’s first event victory at Dempsey Indoor since 2014. Meyer also ran 8.87 in the seconds-qualifying round of the 60-meter hurdles, just missing a spot in the event final. Also Nominated: Chase Stephens (Concordia), Mariah Gronbach (Western Oregon), Maddie Taylor (Western Washington).