Tuesday, September 6, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Alaska Anchorage sophomore Coleman Nash is used to being at the front of the pack while Seattle Pacific senior Libby Michael had yet to toe the line in a collegiate cross country meet. The two ended up as winners on Saturday and lead the GNAC Athlete of the Week selections.

Nash was selected as the Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week for the second straight week after he won the Seawolf Throwdown on Saturday in Anchorage. Nash covered the 8,000-meter course in a time of 25:22 to help led the Seawolves to the dual meet title over Alaska with a score of 18 points.

Michael, meanwhile, captured top honors at Saturday’s Puget Sound Invitational, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:57 in her first collegiate cross country meet. She finished 11 seconds ahead of teammate Matise Mulch as the Falcons won the meet with a perfect score of 15 points.

Alaska Anchorage senior right-side hitter Eve Stephens was selected as the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week. Stephens averaged 5.33 kills, 3.07 digs and 0.73 aces per set with a .406 hitting percentage to lead the Seawolves to a 3-1 record at the Denali State Bank Ice Block Invitational. Stephens had 20 kills in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Findlay and a career-high 31 kills in a five-set loss to Florida Southern on Friday. She finished with double-doubles in three of the four matches. Stephens was named the tournament’s MVP.

Central Washington sophomore middle blocker Emma Daoud-Hebert was named the Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after she averaged 1.69 blocks per set in the Wildcats’ 3-1 week at the Cal State LA Invitational. She also averaged 1.56 kills per set. Daoud-Hebert finished with eight blocks and eight kills in Thursday’s four-set win over Cal State LA, notched nine blocks in Friday’s five-set win over Chaminade and added six blocks in a Saturday four-set win over Biola.

Simon Fraser swept the men’s soccer weekly honors after scoring a pair of road shutouts over Sonoma State on Thursday and Chico State on Saturday. Junior forward Devin O’Hea was named the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after scoring goals in both matches. He had the game-winner in the 72nd minute at Chico State.

Junior goalkeeper Justyn Sandhu was named the Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week after earning the first two wins of his SFU career. Sandhu finished with four saves in both matches against a total of 26 shots.

Central Washington junior midfielder Emily Darcy was selected as the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after she scored both goals in the Wildcats’ 2-1 victory over San Francisco State on Saturday. She connected on the game-winner in the 81st minute and finished with eight total shots in the Wildcats’ opening two matches.

Seattle Pacific freshman goalkeeper Mercedes Cullen was named the Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week after she posted two shutouts in her first two career matches. Cullen made two saves in the Falcons’ 1-0 shutout of San Francisco State on Thursday and six saves in Saturday’s 1-0 shutout of Chico State on Saturday.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 3
MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Devin O’Hea (Simon Fraser, F, 6-1, Jr., North Vancouver, B.C. – Argyle): O’Hea scored goals in both of Simon Fraser’s road shutout victories late week. O’Hea contributed the insurance goal in SFU’s 2-0 victory at Sonoma State on Thursday. He then connected on the game-winning goal in the 72nd minute in Simon Fraser’s 1-0 victory at Chico State on Saturday. Also Nominated: Jake Levine (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Justyn Sandhu (Simon Fraser, GK, 6-3, Jr., Richmond, B.C. – St. Bonaventure Univ.): Sandhu finished with two shutouts in goal on Simon Fraser’s northern California road trip. Sandhu made four saves against 11 shots taken by Sonoma State in the 2-0 win over the Seawolves on Thursday. He then made four more saves against 15 shots in a 1-0 victory at Chico State on Saturday. Also Nominated: Patrick Restum (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Emily Darcy (Central Washington, M, 5-5, Jr., Maple Valley, Wash. – Tahoma): Darcy scored both goals for the Wildcats in their 2-1 victory over San Francisco State on Saturday. Her ledger included hitting the game-winning goal in the 81st minute. Darcy finished with eight shots in CWU’s first two matches. Also Nominated: Kayla Wallace (Seattle Pacific), Leeci Snyder (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Mercedes Cullen (Seattle Pacific, GK, 5-7, Fr., Spokane, Wash. – Mead): Cullen opened her SPU career by posting a pair of shutouts in goal. She opened the season with two saves against seven shots in a 1-0 shutout of San Francisco State on Thursday. Cullen then made six saves against 13 shots at the Falcons posted a 1-0 shutout of Chico State on Saturday.  Also Nominated: Peyton Vogel (Central Washington), Sarah Loewen (Simon Fraser), Olivia Holdenried (Western Oregon).

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Eve Stephens (Alaska Anchorage, RS, 6-1, Sr., Palmer, Alaska – Colony): Stephens averaged 5.33 kills, 3.07 digs and 0.73 aces per set with a .406 hitting percentage to lead UAA to a 3-1 record at the Denali State Bank Ice Block Classic. After finishing with 20 kills in Thursday’s three-set win over Findlay, Stephens posted a career-high 31 kills with 13 digs in Friday’s five-set loss to Florida Southern. She closed the tournament with two more double-doubles, compiling 10 kills and 10 digs in Friday’s three-set sweep of Black Hills State along with 19 kills 16 digs, six aces and five blocks in Saturday’s four-set win over Ark.-Fort Smith. Also Nominated: Rilee White (Alaska), Tia Andaya (Central Washington), Natalie Sullivan (Northwest Nazarene), Sarah Brachvogel (Seattle Pacific), Brooke Dexter (Simon Fraser), Madison Hornback (Western Oregon), Chloe Roetcisoender (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Emma Daoud-Hebert (Central Washington, MB, 6-0, So., Woodinville, Wash. – Woodinville): Daoud-Hebert averaged 1.69 blocks per set to go along with 1.56 kills per set as Central Washington went 3-1 at the Cal State LA Invitational. She registered an eight-block, eight-kill performance in Thursday’s four-set win over Cal State LA and added nine blocks to go with four kills in Friday’s five-set win over Chaminade. Daoud-Hebert closed the tourney with six blocks and five kills in Saturday’s four-set win over Biola and four blocks and eight kills in a four-set loss to then-No. 7 Cal State San Bernardino.  Also Nominated: Elizabeth Jackson (Alaska), Talia Leauanae (Alaska Anchorage), Olivia Wright (Northwest Nazarene), Karla Soto (Saint Martin's), Kalyn Hartmann (Simon Fraser), Calley Heilborn (Western Washington).

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Coleman Nash (Alaska Anchorage, So., Littleton, Colo. - Chatfield): Nash was a winner over Alaska for the second week in a row, winning the Seawolf Throwdown on Saturday with a time of 25:22 over 8,000 meters. Nash finished 44 seconds ahead of second-place teammate Michael Zapherson and led the Seawolves to the victory in the dual meet with 18 points.

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Libby Michael (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Nine Mile Falls, Wash. – Lakeside Nine Mile Falls): Running in her first collegiate cross country meet, Michael was the winner of the Puget Sound Invitational on Saturday, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:57. She led Seattle Pacific to the team victory with a perfect score of 15 points. Also Nominated: Riley Smith (Western Oregon).