Monday, October 2, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Two top finishes for Seattle Pacific cross country runners led a cast of five selections for the Falcons for the GNAC Player of the Week awards.

Falcons’ senior Ben Halladay was named the Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week after placing ninth at the Willamette Charles Bowles Invitational. He was the top Division II finisher in the race and his time of 25:19.2 over 8,000 meters was just 31 seconds behind the individual champion. Freshman Dania Holmberg earned the Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week award after her 12th place finish, with a time of 18:12 over 5,000 meters, led the Falcons to a second place team finish.

Seattle Pacific also picked up the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week honor. Sophomore outside hitter Gabby Oddo was recognized after she finished with 20 kills in a five-set win over Saint Martin’s and 23 kills in a five-set win at Montana State Billings. Central Washington libero Kyla Morgan earned the Defensive Player of the Week award with 48 digs in a sweep of the Alaska schools, including 27 digs and four aces in a sweep of Alaska Anchorage.

The Falcons also accomplished a sweep of the men’s soccer awards. Freshman Alex Mejia was named the Offensive Player of the Week after he scored both game-winning goals in wins at Montana State Billings on Thursday and at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Goalkeeper Kary Whitney earned Defensive Player of the Week after he made 12 saves in the two matches, which included a stop on a penalty kick against the Crusaders.

On the gridiron, Humboldt State’s Davaeon Johnson was named as the Football Defensive Player of the Week after he tied GNAC single game records with three interceptions and 112 interception return yards in the Lumberjacks’ 56-13 win over Chadron State. Johnson also had four tackles and returned one of those picks 48 yards for a touchdown.

Azusa Pacific had the other two football awards. Running back Kurt Scoby was named the Offensive Player of the Week after he rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries in the Cougars’ 48-17 win over Western Oregon. He had a 59-yard scoring run in the second quarter and put APU ahead for good with a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Kicker Jacob Hall earned the Special Teams Player of the Week for the third time this season after he went 6 for 6 on point-after attempts and 2 for 2 on field goals in the win.

Simon Fraser’s Emma Pringle earned Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring four goals in two matches, connecting for two each in victories against Saint Martin’s on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Western Washington’s Taylor Hallquist was tabbed as the Defensive Player of thre Week for anchoring a Vikings’ defense that allowed just six shots by Central Washington and Montana State Billings in a pair of shutouts.

The Clan also swept this week’s golf awards. Freshman Scott Kerr was selected as the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he won the Western Washington Invitational by two strokes, carding a three-round score of 10-under-par 206. Junior Emily Leung was named the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she tied for fifth at the Rose City Intercollegiate with a three-round score of 2-over-par 218.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 5
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Kurt Scoby (Azusa Pacific, RB, 5-8, Jr., Coppell, Texas – Univ. of Washington): Scoby carried 14 times for 161 yards and scored three touchdowns in the Cougars’ 48-17 win at home over Western Oregon. He scored on a 59-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and put APU ahead for good with his 1-yard touchdown run late in third quarter before adding a 47-yard touchdown run in the fourth. Also Nominated: Reilly Hennessey (Central Washington), Robert Webber (Humboldt State), Paul Revis (Western Oregon).

Defensive: Davaeon Johnson (Humboldt State, DB, 6-1, So., Antelope, Calif. – Antelope): Johnson tied the GNAC single game records with three interceptions and 112 interception return yards in the Lumberjacks’ 56-13 win over Chadron State to go along with four tackles. He returned his second interception 48 yards for a touchdown. Also Nominated: Adrian Shocks (Azusa Pacific), Sean Elledge (Central Washington), Bo Highburger (Western Oregon).

Special Teams: Jacob Hall (Azusa Pacific, K/P, 6-2, 195, Jr., Greenville, Ill. – Greenville): Hall earned his third selection of the season after he went 6 of 6 on point-after attempts and 2 of 2 on field goal attempts in the Cougars’ 48-17 win over Western Oregon. His two field goals were from 37 yards and 38 yards. Also Nominated: Adrian Saldana (Western Oregon).

MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Alex Mejia (Seattle Pacific, F/D, 6-2, Fr., Seattle, Wash. – Roosevelt): Mejia had both game-winning goals and also had an assist as the Falcons scored a 2-1 win at Montana State Billings on Thursday and a 4-1 win at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. He assisted in the Falcons’ opening goal and scored the game-winner in the 74th minute in the win over the Yellowjackets and tallied the game-winner in the 21st minute in the win over the Crusaders. Also Nominated: JD Hauenstein (Montana State Billings), Brandon Madsen (Saint Martin’s), Anthony Dean (Western Washington).

Defensive: Kary Whitney (Seattle Pacific, 6-0, Sr., San Diego, Calif. – Westview): Whitney made 12 saves and keyed the SPU defense in a pair of road victories. Whitney allowed only one penalty kick goal while making four saves in the 2-1 win at Montana State Billings on Thursday. He then made eight saves and stopped a penalty kick in the 78th minutes in a 4-1 win at Northwest Nazarene. Also Nominated: Aidan Raj (Montana State Billings), Sebastian Navarro (Saint Martin’s), Tyler Visen (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Emma Pringle (Simon Fraser, F, 5-8, So., North Vancouver, B.C. – Windsor): Pringle notched a pair of two-goal performances to lead the Clan to a 2-0 week. She scored just 45 seconds into the match against Saint Martin’s on Thursday and completed the brace with a 73rd minute goal in the 5-0 shutout of the Saints. Against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, Pringle scored goals in the 44th and 80th minutes en route to the 3-0 shutout at home. Also Nominated: Kyra Radliffe (Concordia), Lauren Allison (Saint Martin’s), Amber Whitmore (Western Oregon), Sophie Butterfield (Western Washington).

Defensive: Taylor Hallquist (Western Washington, D, 5-5, Jr., Vancouver, Wash. – Columbia River): Hallquist played all 180 minutes for the Western Washington defense in a pair of road shutouts. She anchored a defense that allowed Central Washington just four shots (two on goal) in a 2-0 win over the Wildcats on Thursday. She then paced a defensive effort that allowed just three shots in a 1-0 shutout at Montana State Billings on Saturday. Also Nominated: Katie Greene (Concordia), Erinn Harder (Montana State Billings), Ali Koehler (Saint Martin’s), Allyson Dickson (Simon Fraser), Kai Mahuka (Western Oregon).

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Gabby Oddo (Seattle Pacific, OH, 5-9, So., Alta Loma, Calif. – Alta Loma): Oddo turned in back-to-back 20-kill nights as the Falcons won a pair of five-set matches. In Tuesday’s win over Saint Martin’s, Oddo led the way with 20 kills, 10 digs, three blocks, two aces and a .267 hitting percentage. At Montana State Billings on Thursday, Oddo finished with 23 kills and a .293 hitting percentage. Oddo led all GNAC players last week with 4.30 kills per set. Also Nominated: Madison Weg (Central Washington), Maddi Vigil (Montana State Billings), Emily Gooding (Saint Martin’s), Tessa May (Simon Fraser), Mariella Vandenkooy (Western Oregon), Brette Boesel (Western Washington).

Defensive: Kyla Morgan (Central Washington, L, 5-4, So., Graham, Wash. – Bethel): Morgan led a home sweep of the Alaska schools with 48 digs and an average of 6.86 digs per set to go along with three aces and seven assists. She had 21 digs and three aces in Thursday’s five-set win over Alaska and added 27 digs and four aces in Saturday’s three-set sweep of the Seawolves. Also Nominated: Izela Alvarez (Montana State Billings), Kamille Langford (Saint Martin’s), Shaun Crespi (Seattle Pacific), Libbie Hoene (Western Oregon), Michaela Hall (Western Washington).

CROSS COUNTRY
Men: Ben Halladay (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Mukilteo, Wash. – Kamiak): Halladay was the top Division II finisher at the Willamette Charles Bowles Invitational, placing ninth in the 8,000-meter race in a time of 25:19.2. He was bettered by seven Division I competitors and finished 31 seconds behind winner Brad Hodkinson of Pacific Lutheran. Also Nominated: Judd Lewis (Concordia), Josh Hunt (Saint Martin’s), Sawyer Heckard (Western Oregon).

Women: Dania Holmberg (Seattle Pacific, Fr., Eagle, Idaho – Eagle): Holmberg led a second place team finish for the Falcons at the Willamette Charles Bowles Invitational, placing 12th in the 5,000-meter race in a time of 18:12. With a pace of 5:51 per miles, she finished 35 seconds behind winner Kayla Leland of Whitworth. Also Nominated: Nicole Pederson (Concordia), Yadira Lopez (Saint Martin’s), Shayla Solomon (Western Oregon).

MEN’S GOLF
Scott Kerr (Simon Fraser, Fr., Vancouver, B.C. – Kitsikano): Kerr was the medalist in his second-ever collegiate tournament, winning the Western Washington Invitational with a three-round score of 10-under-par 206. The score is the lowest by a GNAC player in the tournament since the conference added golf in 2007. He shot two rounds under 70, including a 6-under-par 66 in the final round. Also Nominated: Trevor Frisby (Saint Martin’s), Brody Bonfilio (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Emily Leung (Simon Fraser, Jr., Richmond, B.C. – Yew Chung International School): Leung was the top non-Division I player at the Rose City Collegiate, tying for fifth place with a three-score of 2-over-par 218. She tied with four other players for fifth place and carded low scores of even-par 72 in both the first and second rounds. Also Nominated: Bailee Dexter (Montana State Billings).