Monday, January 20, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – Six GNAC athletes including Patrick Simon of Seattle Pacific, who led the Falcons to a 76-60 men’s basketball win over Western Washington last Wednesday have earned Red Lion GNAC Player of the Week honors for the Week of Jan. 13-19.

The honorees include:

Men’s Basketball: Patrick Simon, Seattle Pacific (F, 6-8, Sr., Ephrata, WA) scored 42 points, including 29 in a ROOT SPORTS regionally-televised game against Western Washington to lead the Falcons to a 76-60 win over the 19th ranked Vikings, halting WWU’s GNAC and school-record home winning streak at 36 games.  Simon shot 72.7 percent from the floor (16 of 22), missing just once (6 of 7) from the three-point line where he has the fourth best career percentage in GNAC history, converting 109 of 232 (47.0 percent).  Simon also had 12 rebounds in two contests, including a game-high seven in a 73-49 win Saturday at Simon Fraser.  He also contributed four steals to SPU’s two victories, its first two wins this season on an opponent’s home court.  Honorable Mention – Andrew Kelly, Alaska Fairbanks (F, 6-7, Sr., Gilbert, AZ – Chandler-Gilbert); JB Pillard, Central Washington (F, 6-7, Sr., Kirkland, WA – Juanita); Anye Turner, Western Washington (F, 6-7, Jr., Olympia, WA – Black Hills & South Puget Sound); Travis Thompson, Alaska Anchorage (G, 6-1, Jr., Anchorage, AK – Dimond); Austin Hudson, MSU Billings (F, 6-7, Jr., Salt Lake City, UT – Brighton & Central Wyoming); Derek Isaak, Northwest Nazarene (G, 6-2, Fr., Coulee City, WA); Ryan Rogers, Saint Martin’s (F, 6-4, Jr., Auburn, WA – Lower Columbia).

Women’s Basketball: Sarah Hill, Western Washington (F, 6-3, Sr., Richmond, VA – Maryland-Baltimore County) scored 27 points and grabbed a GNAC-high 30 rebounds to help WWU to a pair of victories that extended the Vikings’ winning streak to four games. Hill, who made 10 of 22 shots, also contributed three blocks, three steals and an assist. On Thursday, she notched a big double-double as she led all scorers and rebounders with 18 points and 16 boards in a 78-58 triumph at Western Oregon. Hill just missed a double-double on Saturday, scoring nine points and turning in a game-high 14 rebounds in WWU’s 79-73 win over first-place Saint Martin’s in Lacey. The wins propelled WWU into a four-way tie atop the GNAC standings, and Hill now ranks No. 8 in the conference in rebounds per game with 7.5. Honorable Mention – Suzanna Ohlsen, Seattle Pacific (G, 5-7, Jr., Monroe, WA – Monroe); Chelsie Luke, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-9, Sr., Meridian, ID – Meridian); Janiel Olson, Montana State Billings (F, 5-10, Jr., Billings, MT – Billings West); Jordan Wilson, Alaska Fairbanks (F, 5-11, Fr., Henderson, CO – Prairie View); Megan Wiedeman, Saint Martin’s (F, 6-0, So., Sammamish, WA – Skyline). 

Men’s Track and Field:  Track – Alex Donigian, Western Washington (Jr., Mission Viejo, CA) broke the GNAC’s longest existing indoor track record finishing third in the 60 meters at the UW Indoor Preview.  Donigian, whose previous career best was 6.85, was clocked in a provisional national qualifying time of 6.76, eclipsing the old record of 6.78 set by Mike Hinshaw of Western Oregon in 2002.  Donigian also finished fifth in the 200 in a time of 22.14.  In both races, the only runners who finished ahead of him were competing for USC.  Field – Frank Catelli, Western Washington (So., Sequim, WA) finished first in the shot at UW with a provisional national qualifying put of 55-10 ½.  Catelli’s mark ranks second on the GNAC All-Time Top 10 list.  Honorable Mention – Micah Chelimo, Alaska Anchorage (Sr., Kapkoi, Kenya – Tambach); Robert Peterson, MSU Billings (So., Billings, MT – Skyview); Kody Rhodes, Western Oregon (Sr., Wilsonville, OR).

Women’s Track and Field:  Track – Sarah Sawatzky, Simon Fraser (Sr., Chilliwack, BC) finished sixth at the UW Invitational in the 800 meters in a provisional national qualifying time 2:09.42.  That time ranks fourth in GNAC history in an event that historically has been one of the best in the conference.  She was the top collegiate finisher Saturday, finishing eight seconds faster than the second collegian from UC Irvine.  Field – Tayler Fettig, Central Washington (Jr., Olympia, WA) finished second in the high jump at the Washington State Open with a provisional national qualifying leap of 5-8, moving into a tie for fourth on the GNAC all-time indoor list.   Honorable Mention – Joyce Kipchumba, Alaska Anchorage (Jr., Kapsowar, Kenya); Annie Wade, Western Oregon (Jr., Condon, OR); Hope Reid, MSU Billings (Fr., Thompson Falls, MT); Alexis Anderson, Western Oregon (So., Manzanita, OR).