Monday, March 19, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – An exciting finish in his first tournament of the spring for Western Washington freshman Brody Bonfilio leads the selections for GNAC Players of the Week.

Bonfilio tied for first at last week’s Notre Dame de Namur Argonaut Invitational with Cal State San Bernardino’s Cody Hall, with both players carding three-round scores of 1-under-par 215. While Bonfilio would fall in a one-hole playoff to Hall, Bonfilio carded the lowest 18-hole round of the tournament, a 6-under-par 66, in the opening round on Monday.

Montana State Billings’ Bailee Dexter was selected as the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she tied for fifth place for the Yellowjackets at the Warrior Invitational. Dexter carded a two-round score of 13-over-par 157 and shot a low-round of 78 on the opening day. Dexter’s performance led MSUB to a second-place team finish in the team’s first spring tournament.

Central Washington swept the softball weekly awards after extending its current win streak to nine games with three wins at the Oregon schools. Savannah Egbert was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .545 in the three games. She went 2 for 4 in both wins at Concordia on Saturday and then went 2 for 3 with three RBIs in the Wildcats’ 7-1 win at Western Oregon on Sunday.

Lexie Strasser was selected as the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she earned two wins in three appearances, allowing one run on nine hits and struck out six. She threw a complete-game two-hitter in Saturday’s opening 3-0 win at Concordia and allowed one run on six hits and struck out three in Sunday’s 7-1 win at Western Oregon.

Simon Fraser swept the weekly track honors while Concordia swept the field awards. The Clan’s Vladislav Tsygankov was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he won the 400-meter hurdles at the Hornet Invitational with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 52.21 seconds. The time is currently No. 3 in Division II this season.

Teammate Addy Townsend was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won the 800 meters in Sacramento with a time of 2:08.55. Also an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, the time is No. 2 in Division II this season.

Concordia’s Jakob Chamberlin was selected as the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after notching nationals’ provisional qualifying marks in two events at the L&C Spring Break Open. He took second in the discus with a mark of 174 feet, 4.75 inches, which is No. 2 in Division II this season. Chamberlin also placed second in the hammer with a mark of 185 feet, 11 inches, which ranks No. 6 in Division II.

Christina MacDonald earned Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after she won the hammer at the L&C Spring Break Open with a mark of 190 feet, 5.25 inches. The performance moves MacDonald to No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and the mark leads Division II.

Montana State Billings’ Jalen Garcia was named the Baseball Player of the Week after he hit .550 to lead the Yellowjackets to a series victory at Saint Martin’s. He went 11 for 20 with five runs, seven RBIs and a .800 slugging percentage to go with three stolen bases. Garcia finished the series by going 4 for 4 in Saturday’s 15-9 second-game victory.

Western Oregon’s Jacob Fricke notched Baseball Pitcher of the Week accolades after he earned his first win of the season with seven scoreless innings in the Wolves’ 9-0 shutout of Central Washington. He allowed five hits and one walk while striking out six and did not allow a runner past first base over his final six innings.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 29
BASEBALL PLAYER
Jalen Garcia (Montana State Billings, OF/P, 6-0, Jr., Billings, Mont. – Corban Univ.): Garcia led the Yellowjackets to three wins at Saint Martin’s by hitting .550 in the four-game series. He went 11 for 20 with five runs and seven RBIs, a .800 slugging percentage and three stolen bases. Garcia opened in Friday’s 9-6 loss by going 3 for 5 with an RBI double and RBI triple and followed that by going 3 for 5 with a two-RBI single in the 9-1 win in the nightcap. After finishing with one hit in Saturday’s opener, Garcia went 4 for 4 in the 15-9 win in the nightcap, which included an RBI double and a two-RBI single. Also Nominated: Jimmy Smith (Central Washington), Cole Crosby (Concordia), Cody Dykstra (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Jacob Fricke (Western Oregon, P, 6-4, Jr., Glide, Ore. – Glide): Fricke threw seven scoreless innings to set the table for the Wolves’ 9-0 shutout of Central Washington in Sunday’s opener in Ellensburg. He allowed five hits and one walk and struck out seven to earn his first win of the season. After pitching out of a jam in the first, Fricke proceeded to retire eight straight batters and did not allow a runner past first in his final six innings. Also Nominated: Seth Pedersen (Central Washington), Adam Cox (Montana State Billings).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Savannah Egbert (Central Washington, 3B, 5-7, So., Connell, Wash. – Connell): Egbert finished with a .545 batting average in the Wildcats’ three wins in the Willamette Valley, going 6 for 11 with two runs and three RBIs. Egbert went 2 for 4 in both wins at Concordia on Saturday. She then went 2 for 3 in Sunday’s 7-1 win at Western Oregon, hitting an RBI single in the third and a two-run double in the fourth. Egbert has helped lift the Wildcats to a 7-0 GNAC mark and a nine-game win streak. Also Nominated: Alexandria Steen (Concordia), Julia Lucas (Saint Martin’s), Tyler Creach (Western Oregon), Shearyna Labasan (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Lexie Strasser (Central Washington, P, 6-2, Fr., Chehalis, Wash. – W.F. West): Strasser allowed one run on nine hits and struck out six in three appearances as she helped Central Washington extend its nine-game win streak. She threw a two-hit shutout in the Wildcats’ 3-0 win at Concordia in Saturday’s opener, allowing one walk while striking out three. She then threw one inning of scoreless relief in the nightcap. Strasser returned to earn her sixth win of the season in Sunday’s 7-1 win at Western Oregon, allowing one run on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Also Nominated: Lauren Maley (Saint Martin’s), Alia Stachoski (Simon Fraser), Lizzet Dominguez (Western Oregon), Anna Kasner (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Vladislav Tsygankov (Simon Fraser, Sr., Moscow, Russia – 1521): Tsygankov opened his outdoor season with a win in the 400-meter hurdles at the Hornet Invitational. He won the top heat in the event with a time of 52.21 seconds, which is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks third in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Codi Blodgett (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
Jakob Chamberlin (Concordia, So., Bellingham, Wash. – Bellingham): Chamberlin hit NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks in a pair of throwing events at the L&C Spring Break Open. Chamberlin placed second in the discus with a mark of 174 feet, 4.75 inches, a mark that leads the GNAC and is No. 2 in Division II this season. Chamberlin also finished second in the hammer with a mark of 185 feet, 11 inches. The mark is second in the GNAC (to teammate Jacob Slate) and is currently No. 6 in Division II. Also Nominated: Kauanoe Vanderpoel (Saint Martin’s), Alani Troutman (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Addy Townsend (Simon Fraser, Jr., Coquitlam, B.C. – Charles Best) Townsend opened her outdoor season by winning the 800 meters at the Hornet Invitational. Her time of 2:08.55 is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and is No. 2 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Yadira Lopez (Saint Martin’s), Grayson Burke (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Christina MacDonald (Concordia, Sr., Myrtle Creek, Ore. – Oregon State Univ.) MacDonald put herself on top of the Division II best list and notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the hammer at the L&C Spring Break Open. MacDonald won with a mark of 190 feet, 5.25 inches, which also moves her to No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List in the event. It is also No. 3 on Concordia’s All-Time List. Also Nominated: Liz Larson (Saint Martin’s), Sylvia Dean (Western Oregon).

MEN’S GOLF
Brody Bonfilio (Western Washington, Fr., Boise, Idaho – Bishop Kelly): Bonfilio tied for first at the NDNU Argonaut Invitational, finishing the 54-hole tournament with a score of 1-under-par 215. He eventually fell to Cal State San Bernardino’s Cody Hall in a one-hole playoff. He turned in the tournament’s lowest round of 6-under-par 66 in the opening round. Bonfilio led the Vikings to a tie for fourth place in the team standings. Also Nominated: Garrett Woodin (Montana State Billings).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Bailee Dexter (Montana State Billings, Sr., Townsend, Mont. – Broadwater): Dexter posted a top-five finish at the Warrior Invitational, helping the Yellowjackets take second place in the team’s first spring tournament. Dexter tied for fifth place with a two-round score of 13-over-par 157, which included a low-round of 78 on the opening day.