Monday, February 22, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – The fifth baseball no-hitter in conference history is the undisputed leader of the list of GNAC Player of the Week selections.

Northwest Nazarene’s Colton Loomis was selected as the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he hurled just the fifth no-hitter in GNAC history and the fifth in Crusaders’ history. In the 4-0, seven-inning win at Azusa Pacific on Friday, Loomis allowed four walks, struck out sevent and five batters above the minimum. Loomis’ no-no was the first for NNU since Roger Evenson and Steven Schutte combined for a no-hitter against Eastern Oregon on Mar. 25, 2003.

Saint Martin’s Zach Raczok received the Baseball Player of the Week award after he went 7 for 13 with three runs, 10 RBI and two home runs as the Saints split their four games against Minot State and Dixie State. He had a pair of two three-hit performances and ended the three-game series with Minot State by going 3 for 5 with six RBI and a grand slam as the Saints won 17-12.

Western Oregon swept the softball weekly honors with a pair of outstanding performances as the Wolves went 4-2 on their Texas road trip. Destiny Kuehl was named the Softball Player of the Week after she hit .688 (11 of 16) with six runs, seven RBI, three doubles, a triple and two home runs. She went 3 for 3 with a homer in WOU’s opening 2-0 win over Newman and added a 3 for 3 performance with a triple and three RBI in a 12-1 win in the opener over Lincoln (Mo.) on Sunday.

Alyson Boytz was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 and compiling a 1.12 earned run average in three appearances. In 16 innings, Boytz allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits with three walks and 15 strikeouts. She threw a complete-game one hitter with strikeouts in WOU’s 2-0 win over Newman on Friday and allowed one hit in 3.2 innings in Sunday’s 10-1, five-inning win on Sunday over Lincoln (Mo.).

Kyle Impero of Western Washington was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he led the Vikings in their quest to claim the sixth and final spot in the GNAC Men’s Basketball Championships. Impero had a double-double in both games, finishing with 21 points and 15 rebounds in the Vikings’ loss to Central Washington on Thursday before adding 15 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday’s win over Northwest Nazarene.

Alaska Anchorage’s Megan Mullings earned Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she scored 37 points on the Seawolves’ regular season title-clinching road trip. She scored 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a 71-59 victory at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and then overcame foul trouble to pour in 18 points on 8 of 10 from the field in a 70-47 win at Seattle Pacific.

Saint Martin’s Ryan Pickthorn earned the first Men’s Golf Player of the Week of the spring and his second award of the 2015-16 season. Pickthorn won the East/West Bay Area Invitational by three strokes, carding a four-over-par 220. His performance led the Saints to a seven-stroke team championship in their first event of the spring.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 25
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Kyle Impero (Western Washington, G, 6-4, 175, Sr., Everson, Wash. – Whatcom CC): Impero had double-doubles in both games last week, averaging 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Vikings stayed in playoff contention. He led the Vikings with 21 points and 15 rebounds in Thursday’s loss to Central Washington. Impero then added a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday’s 83-66 victory over Northwest Nazarene. Impero enters the week ranked eighth in the GNAC in scoring (15.6 points per game) and fourth in rebounding (7.1 rebounds per game). Also Nominated: Preston Beverly (Montana State Billings), Trey Ingram (Saint Martin’s), Julian Nichols (Western Oregon), Detwon Rogers (Northwest Nazarene), Travante Williams (Alaska).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Megan Mullings (Alaska Anchorage, F, 6-0, Sr., Glendale, Ariz. – South Mountain CC): Mullings scored 37 points in Alaska Anchorage’s two games on 16 of 24 shooting with 15 rebounds, six steals and two blocks as the Seawolves clinched the GNAC regular season championship. She scored 19 points and nine rebounds in a 71-59 victory at Saint Martin’s on Thursday and then overcame foul trouble to pour in 18 points on 8 of 10 from the field in a 70-47 win at Seattle Pacific. The GNAC Preseason Player of the Year is averaging 16.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game). Also Nominated: Sydney Azorr (Western Oregon), Taylor Peacocke (Western Washington), Alisha Roberts (Simon Fraser), Taylor Simmons (Northwest Nazarene), Megan Wiedeman (Saint Martin’s), Jordan Wilson (Alaska).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Zach Raczok (Saint Martin’s, C, 5-11, 175, Jr., Claremont, Calif. - Claremont): Razcok went 7 for 13 with three runs, 10 RBI and two home runs as the Saints split their games against Minot State and Dixie State. He went 3 for 4 with two RBI in Friday’s 14-9 win over Minot State and went 3 for 5 with six RBI, a double and a grand slam in a 17-12 Saturday win over Minot State. Also Nominated: Tyler Davis (Northwest Nazarene), Luke Reinschmidt (Montana State Billings), Adam Taylor (Concordia).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Colton Loomis (Northwest Nazarene, RHP, 6-0, 160, Sr., Cashmere, Wash. – CC of Spokane): Loomis threw the fifth no-hitter in GNAC history and the fifth in Northwest Nazarene history (the first in 13 years), beating Azusa Pacific on Friday night 4-0. In seven innings, Loomis allowed four walks and struck out seven and faced five batters above the minimum. Also Nominated: Lee Busto (Montana State Billings), Aaron Shoup (Saint Martin’s), Kyle Wilson (Concordia).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Destiny Kuehl (Western Oregon, IF, 5-8, Jr., Portland, Ore. – David Douglas): Kuehl batted .688 in the Wolves’ six games in Texas, going 11 for 16 with six runs, seven RBI, three doubles, a triple and two home runs. She went 3 for 3 with a homer in the Wolves’ 2-0 opening win over Newman on Friday. On Sunday against Linoln (Mo.), Kuehl went 3 for 3 with a triple and three RBI in the 12-1 opening victory and hit a three-run homer in the second game. Also Nominated: Taylor Bussey (Concordia), Kim Nelson (Saint Martin’s), Nicole Ratel (Simon Fraser).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Alyson Boytz (Western Oregon, RHP, 5-9, Sr., Noti, Ore. – Clackamas CC): Boytz went 2-0 in three appearances for the Wolves on their six-game Texas trip. In 16 innings, she allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits with three walks and 15 strikeouts. Boytz threw a complete-game one-hitter and had six strikeouts in WOU’s 2-0 win over Newman on Friday and allowed one hit in 3.2 innings in Sunday’s 10-1, five-inning win over Lincoln (Mo.). Boytz also had eight strikeouts in a no decision against No. 22 West Texas A&M. Also Nominated: Karlie Merritt (Concordia), Loryn Williams (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S GOLF
Ryan Pickthorn (Saint Martin’s, Sr., Damascus, Ore. - Clackamas): Pickthorn won the East/West Bay Area Invitational by three strokes, carding a four-over-par 220 to lead Saint Martin’s to the team title. He shot even par 72 in the first and third rounds and finished at four-over-par 76 in the second round. The performance led the Saints to a seven-stroke team victory over Division III Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.