Monday, May 3, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – A set of three record-setting performances in track and field, softball and baseball headline the list for GNAC Player of the Week selections.

Seattle Pacific senior Scout Cai was selected as the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she broke the GNAC record in the women’s pole vault at the Buc Scoring Meet in Spokane on Friday. Cai won with a mark of 13 feet, 3 inches, surpassing the previous record of 13 feet, 1.75 inches set by Anna Paradee of Western Washington in 2017. The clearance improves Cai’s NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark and ranks her No. 9 in Division II this season.

Western Washington senior Anna Kasner was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she broke the conference’s all-time record for strikeouts. She had 17 in two games against Central Washington to bring her career total to 513, moving past the 511 by Northwest Nazarene’s Adrian Herman from 2003 to 2006. Kasner allowed one run on five hits and struck out six in Sunday’s finale to earn the win. She took the loss in Saturday’s second game despite allowing just one hit, a two-run double, while striking out 11.

Western Oregon senior Blayze Arcano was named the Baseball Player of the Week after hitting .550 in a four-game sweep of Montana State Billings where he went 11 for 21 with five home runs, 21 RBI, two triples and 10 runs with a .571 on-base percentage and a 1.500 slugging percentage. Arcano tied GNAC single-game records with nine RBI and five runs scored in the Wolves’ 28-13 opening-game win on Friday. In that game, Arcano had three of the Wolves’ GNAC record eight home runs.

The Wolves swept the baseball awards with senior Seth Kuykendall earning the Pitcher of the Week award. In Friday’s series finale at MSUB, Kuykendall allowed one run on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in the 10-1 victory. It was Kuykendall’s fifth win and first shutout of the season.

Seattle Pacific senior Dania Holmberg joined Cai in the weekly honors, earning the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award. Holmberg won the 1,500 meters by eight seconds at the Buc Scoring Meet. Her time of 4:29.73 leads the GNAC, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark and is No. 22 in Division II this season.

Western Washington swept the men’s track awards thanks to a pair of winning performances at their own Ralph Vernacchia Meet on Saturday. Freshman Jeret Gillingham was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning the steeplechase in a GNAC-leading time of 9:03.33. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks No. 19 in Division II this season.

Senior David Tran was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he won the long jump with a GNAC-leading mark of 23 feet, 5.25 inches. The mark is No. 6 on the WWU all-time list and was just short of an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark.

Northwest Nazarene junior Ivy Hommel was named the final Softball Player of the Week of the season after she batted .533 in a four-game series at Montana State Billings that clinched the regular-season title. Hommel went 8 for 15 with five runs, six RBI, three doubles and three home runs. Her series was topped by a 5 for 5 effort in Friday’s opener with five RBI, three runs and a pair of two-run homers.

Western Washington swept both the men’s soccer and volleyball weekly awards. Junior Teagan Eldridge was named the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after he scored the opening goal in the Vikings’ 2-1 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday. Senior Camron Miller earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after he anchored the defense and assisted on the opening goal in the match.

Sophomore Anna Maracich was named the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after she averaged 2.50 kills per set, amassed a .625 hitting percentage and did not have an attack error in the Vikings’ two wins over Central Washington on Saturday. Sophomore Kasey Woodruff collected Defensive Player of the Week honors after averaging 3.88 digs per set in the two matches.

Vikings’ sophomore Katie Watt was named the Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week after anchoring a Western Washington defense that allowed just four shots on goal in a 3-0 shutout of Western Oregon on Wednesday in Vancouver, Washington.

Seattle Pacific freshman Sophie Beadle earned the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week award after she had two goals and two assists in the Falcons’ two wins. She had an assist in Thursday’s 4-0 win over Saint Martin’s and then scored two goals, including the game-winner, and added an assist in Saturday’s 5-2 win over Central Washington.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 17
BASEBALL PLAYER
Blayze Arcano (Western Oregon, OF, 5-11, Sr., Ewa Beach, Hawaii – Lower Columbia CC): Arcano batted .550 in the Wolves’ four-game sweep of Montana State Billings, going 11 for 21 with five home runs, 21 RBI, two triples and 10 runs with a .571 on-base percentage and a 1.500 slugging percentage. In Friday’s opener, a 28-13 victory, Arcano went 4 for 6 as he tied GNAC single-game records with nine RBI and five runs scored. He had three of the Wolves’ GNAC record eight home runs in the contest. Arcano went 3 for 5 with two runs and three RBI in Thursday’s opener and added a three-run homer in the nightcap. He closed the series on Friday by going 3 for 4 with six RBI and another three-run homer. Also Nominated: Haden Keller (Northwest Nazarene), Dakota Hill (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Seth Kuykendall (Western Oregon, P, 6-3, Sr., Spokane, Wash. – Spokane Prep): In a weekend where offense was King, Kuykendall pitched a sterling complete-game performance for a 10-1 win in Friday’s series finale against Montana State Billings. He allowed one run on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts to improve to 5-2 on the season. It was Kuykendall’s first complete game of the season and the second for the Wolves in 2021. Also Nominated: Tyler Tan (Northwest Nazarene), Tanner Inouye (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Ivy Hommel (Northwest Nazarene, UT, 5-5, Jr., Kuna, Idaho – Kuna): Hommel batted .533 in the Nighthawks’ four games at Montana State Billings, going 8 for 15 with five runs, six RBI, three doubles and three home runs to lead NNU in clinching the GNAC regular-season title. Hommel went 5 for 5 in Friday’s opener with five RBI and three runs, which included an RBI single and a pair of two-run homers. She went 2 for 3 in Friday’s nightcap before hitting a solo homer in Saturday’s opener, which ignited a five-run sixth inning that led NNU to the win. Also Nominated: Sydney Brown (Central Washington), Britney Patrick (Saint Martin’s), Chandler Bishop (Western Oregon), Lauren Lo (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Anna Kasner (Western Washington, P, 5-8, Sr., Milton, Wash. – Fife): Kasner became the GNAC’s all-time strikeout leader on Sunday, earning the win in the second game over Central Washington. In the complete game 5-1 win, Kasner allowed one run on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts. She now has 513 career strikeouts, moving past the previous record of 511 set by Adrian Herman of Northwest Nazarene (2003-06). Kasner took the loss in Saturday’s 2-1 second game, allowing just two runs (a two-run double), one earned, on one hit while walking four and striking out 11. Also Nominated: Samantha Stanfield (Central Washington), Jenna Kister (Montana State Billings), Tori Hensley (Northwest Nazarene), Maddie Mayer (Western Oregon).

MEN’S TRACK
Jeret Gillingham (Western Washington, Fr., Sandy, Ore. – Sandy): Gillingham won the steeplechase at the Ralph Vernacchia Meet in a time of 9:03.33. The time is tops in the GNAC this season and No. 2 on Western Washington’s all-time list. The performance is also an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks No. 19 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Joshua Wagner (Alaska Anchorage), Doc Porter (Central Washington), Jared Putney (Seattle Pacific), Hunter Hutton (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
David Tran (Western Washington, Sr., Vancouver, Wash. – Clark CC): Tran was the winner in the long jump at the Ralph Vernacchia Meet on Saturday with a leap of 23 feet, 5.25 inches. The mark leads the GNAC, is No. 6 on WWU’s all-time list and is just short of an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark. Also Nominated: Andrew Harris (Central Washington), David Njeri (Seattle Pacific), Jalon Fields (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Dania Holmberg (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Eagle, Idaho - Eagle): Holmberg won the 1,500 meters at the Buc Scoring Meet on Friday by eight seconds, winning with a GNAC-leading time of 4:29.73. The time is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks No. 22 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Dani Taylor (Central Washington), Caitlin Heldt (Western Oregon), Aliyah Dawkins (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Scout Cai (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Colfax, Wash. – Colfax): Cai broke the GNAC record in the pole vault at the Buc Scoring Meet in Spokane on Friday. Cai won the event with a clearance of 13 feet, 3 inches, which surpasses the previous record of 13 feet, 1.75 inches, set by Anna Paradee of Western Washington in 2017. Cai has won all nine pole vault competitions she has entered this season. Also Nominated: Carlotta Duenninger (Alaska Anchorage), Meagan Smallbeck (Central Washington), Jenelle Hurley (Western Oregon), Natalie Vetto (Western Washington).

MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Teagan Eldridge (Western Washington, D, 5-11, Jr. Enumclaw, Wash. – Enumclaw): Eldridge scored the opening goal In the 17th minute in the Vikings’ 2-1 road win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday. He played 66 minutes in the match and had two shots. Also Nominated: Cole Mattson (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Camron Miller (Western Washington, D, 6-4, Sr., Snohomish, Wash. – Whatcom CC): Miller played the full 90 minutes and helped anchor the defense in Western Washington’s 2-1 win over Saint Martin’s on Saturday. He also assisted on the opening goal of the match. Also Nominated: Nick Phillips (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Sophie Beadle (Seattle Pacific, F, 5-3, Fr., Rainier, Ore. – Rainier): Beadle had two goals and two assists in two wins last week. On Thursday, Beadle assisted on Sophia Chilczuk’s goal in the 15th minute in a 4-0 win over Saint Martin’s. On Saturday, Beadle notched goals in the sixth minute and 49th minute and contributed an assist to lead the Falcons in a 5-2 win over Central Washington. Also Nominated: Zola Carbone (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Katie Watt (Western Washington, D, 5-7, So., Seattle, Wash. – Bishop Blanchet): Watt anchored a Western Washington defense that allowed Western Oregon just four shots on goal in a 3-0 shutout of the Wolves on Wednesday. Watt played 70 minutes in the match. Also Nominated: Mariah Alexander (Seattle Pacific).

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Anna Maracich (Western Washington, MB, 6-0, So., Auburn, Wash. – Auburn Riverside): Maracich averaged 2.50 kills per set with a .625 hitting percentage and did not have an attack error in the Vikings’ Saturday two-match sweep of Central Washington. In the five-set opener, Maracich finished with six kills, a .750 hitting percentage and three blocks. In the nightcap, a three-set sweep, Maracich finished with nine kills, a .562 hitting percentage, two digs and four blocks. Also Nominated: Kylie Thorne (Central Washington).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Kasey Woodruff (Western Washington, DS/L, 5-6, So., University Place, Wash. – Curtis): Woodruff averaged 3.88 digs per set in the Vikings two wins over Central Washington on Saturday. Woodruff tallied 17 digs to go with three aces in the five-set win in the opener. She came back in the nightcap to finish with 14 digs and three assists in the three-set sweep. Also Nominated: Hannah Stires (Central Washington).