Monday, February 13, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – Boston is Simon Fraser’s kind of town.

Red Leafs sophomore Marie-Éloïse Leclair and junior Charlie Dannatt put together another pair of historic performances at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University over the weekend to lead the GNAC Athlete of the Week awards.

Leclair was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she broke her third conference record of the season, placing second in the 400 meters in 53.82 seconds. The effort smashed the previous record of 54.87 seconds set by Seattle Pacific’s Jahzelle Ambus in 2016 and ranks as the third-fastest time in Division II this season. Leclair also placed second in the preliminaries of the 60 meters, clocking a time of 7.53 seconds.

Dannatt was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he became just the third athlete in conference history to break the four-minute barrier in the mile, running a time of 3:58.34 that ranks No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 2 in Division II this season. Dannatt placed 34th in a field that saw an amazing 52 athletes run under four minutes.

Central Washington senior Braydon Maier earned his second Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award of the season after he won the heptathlon at the Whitworth Invitational. His score of 5,128 points ranks No. 17 in Division II this season. Maier won all three of the second-day events, capturing the 60-meter hurdles (8.59 seconds), the pole vault (14 feet, 11 inches) and the 1,000 meters (2:44.58) and earned top-three finishes in five of the seven events.

Western Oregon junior Ujunwa Nwokoma collected Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after she broke her own school record in the long jump at the Husky Classic in Seattle. Her third-place mark of 18 feet, 7 inches leads the conference entering the GNAC Championships.

The Wolves also collected the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award with senior guard Cameron Cranston honored after he averaged 29.5 points per game in a 1-1 week. Cranston led all scorers with 32 points on 14 of 28 from the field and 4 of 9 from three-point range in Thursday’s 91-88 triple-overtime loss to Montana State Billings. He rebounded to score 27 points in Saturday’s 80-74 win over Seattle Pacific as he made 6 of 13 from the field 3 of 5 from three-point range and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line.

Central Washington senior center Samantha Bowman turned in back-to-back 33-point performances and averaged 15.5 rebounds per game to earn her fourth Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award of the season. Bowman finished with 33 points and 13 rebounds in Thursday’s 88-63 win over Alaska, shooting 50% from the field with five assists, four steals and two blocks. She added a 33-point, 18-rebound performance in Saturday’s 87-56 win over Alaska Anchorage, shooting 57% from the field with five assists, a block and a steal.

Northwest Nazarene swept the softball weekly honors with a pair of solid performances on its six-game road trip in Southern California following the Concordia Kickoff Classic. Senior outfielder Maia McNicoll was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .375 with six hits, a double, three home runs and five RBIs in the six games. Her week included a pair of solo home runs in Wednesday’s 8-1 win at Concordia and a three-run shot in Thursday’s 6-3 first-game loss to Colorado Christian.

Senior Tori Hensley was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after amassing a 1.26 ERA in three starts. She earned the complete-game win over Concordia on Wednesday, allowing one unearned run on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts. She took a no-decision in Thursday’s 2-1, eight-inning loss to Colorado Christian as she allowed one unearned run on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work.

Montana State Billings senior outfielder Hayden Foltz was named the Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .391 with nine hits, eight runs, four doubles, a home run and five RBIs in a 3-3 week for the Yellowjackets. He had three hits in both victories over Cal State LA on Tuesday and Wednesday, finishing with a home run and three RBIs on Tuesday, and also had a 3 for 3 performance in Thursday’s 10-3 loss to Cal St. San Marcos.

Central Washington senior Brayde Hirai was selected as the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he threw eight shutout innings in the Wildcats’ 2-0 win at Cal State East Bay on Sunday. He allowed six hits and one walk and struck out two for his first win of the season.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 25
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Cameron Cranston (Western Oregon, G, 6-6, Sr., Vancouver, Wash. – Union): Cranston averaged 29.5 points per game, shooting 48.8% from the field, 50% from three-point range and 92.3% from the free-throw line to lead the Wolves to a 1-1 week. Cranston led all scorers with 32 points in Thursday’s 91-88 triple-overtime loss to Montana State Billings. He connected on 14 of 28 from the field and 4 of 9 from three-point range to go with four rebounds, two assists and a block. Cranston then scored 27 points in Saturday’s 80-74 victory over Seattle Pacific. He made 6 of 13 from the field, 3 of 5 from three-point range and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line to go with five rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal. Also Nominated: Nick Hopkins (Alaska), Sawyer Storms (Alaska Anchorage), Samaad Hector (Central Washington), Bilal Shabazz (Montana State Billings), Tru Allen (Northwest Nazarene), Jaden Nielsen-Skinner (Saint Martin’s), Jahmal Wright (Simon Fraser), D’Angelo Minnis (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Samantha Bowman (Central Washington, C, 6-3, Sr., Zillah, Wash. – Zillah): Bowman turned in a pair of 33-point performances and averaged 15.5 rebounds per game in a pair of victories. Bowman opened the week with 33 points and 13 rebounds in Thursday’s 88-63 win over Alaska, shooting 11 of 22 from the field, 3 of 7 from three-point range and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. She also registered five assists, four steals and two blocks. Bowman added 33 points and 18 rebounds in Saturday’s 87-56 victory over Alaska Anchorage. She made 12 of 21 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line while adding five assists, a block and a steal. For the week, Bowman finished shooting 53.5% from the field and 94.1% from the free-throw line. Also Nominated: Sam Tolliver (Alaska), Vishe’ Rabb (Alaska Anchorage), Dyauni Boyce (Montana State Billings), Clare Eubanks (Northwest Nazarene), Jessica Wisotzki (Simon Fraser), Cali McClave (Western Oregon), Brooke Walling (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Charlie Dannatt (Simon Fraser, Jr., North Vancouver, B.C. – Univ. of British Columbia): Dannatt became just the third GNAC athlete to break four minutes in the mile on Saturday, running a time of 3:58.54 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. Dannatt placed 34th in the event and was one of an impressive 52 athletes to break four minutes in the meet. Dannatt now ranks No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and is No. 2 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Coleman Nash (Alaska Anchorage), Aiden Wise (Central Washington), Ase Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Brayden Durfee (Northwest Nazarene), Isaiah Archer (Seattle Pacific), Hunter Hutton (Western Oregon), Drew Weber (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Braydon Maier (Central Washington, Sr., Selah, Wash. – Selah): Maier won the heptathlon at the Whitworth Invitational with a score of 5,128 points which moves him to No. 17 in Division II this season. Maier won all three second-day events: the 60-meter hurdles (8.59), the pole vault (14-11) and the 1,000 meters (2:44.58) and was top-three or better in five of the seven events. Also Nominated: Bryce Olson (Montana State Billings), Dylan Hendry (Northwest Nazarene), Blake Furtado (Simon Fraser), Dayne Gordien (Western Oregon), Miller Campbell (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Marie-Éloïse Leclair (Simon Fraser, So., Candiac, Que. – College Durocher): Leclair set her third GNAC record of the season Friday at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational, placing second in the 400 meters in a time of 53.82 seconds. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks No. 3 in Division II this season. Leclair also placed second in the preliminaries of the 60 meters in 7.53 seconds and ran a leg on the Red Leafs’ ninth-place distance medley relay team. Also Nominated: E’lexis Hollis (Central Washington), Tatum Hull (Montana State Billings), Abbey Wood (Northwest Nazarene), Vanessa Aniteye (Seattle Pacific), Ila Davis (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Ujunwa Nwokoma (Western Oregon, Jr., Clackamas, Ore. – Mt. Hood CC): Nwokoma reset her own Western Oregon record in the long jump at the Husky Classic in Seattle. Her mark of 18 feet, 7 inches placed third and leads the conference entering the GNAC Championships. Also Nominated: Ellie DeGroot (Central Washington), Grace Jones (Montana State Billings), Destany Herbert (Northwest Nazarene), Kennedy Primrose (Simon Fraser), Mara Parks (Western Washington).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Hayden Foltz (Montana State Billings, OF, 6-0, Sr., Pocatello, Idaho – Coll. of Southern Idaho): Foltz batted .391 for the Yellowjackets in a 3-3 start to the season with nine hits, eight runs, five RBIs, four doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Foltz opened the year going 3 for 4 in Tuesday’s 11-3 win at Cal State LA, including an RBI double and a two-run homer. He went 3 for 4 on Wednesday against Cal State LA with two doubles and an RBI single in the 12-11 win. Foltz added a 3 for 3 performance in Thursday’s 10-3 loss to Cal St. San Marcos with two runs and a double. Also Nominated: Trevor Tripoli (Central Washington), Shane Jamison (Northwest Nazarene), Brady Bean (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Brayde Hirai (Central Washington, P, 5-11, Sr., Pasco, Wash. – Walla Walla CC): Hirai threw eight strong innings in Sunday’s 2-0 shutout at Cal State East Bay. He allowed six hits and walk and struck out two. He threw 105 pitches, 70 for strikes. Also Nominated: Cy Miller (Montana State Billings), Ty Pohlmann (Northwest Nazarene), Connor Mendez (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Maia McNicoll (Northwest Nazarene, OF, 5-5, Sr., Kaneohe, Hawaii – Maryknoll): McNicoll led the Nighthawks in six games in Southern California last week with a .375 batting average, finishing with six hits, five runs, a double, three home runs and five RBI. She has a .524 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage in the games. McNicoll went 2 for 4 with an RBI double in Monday’s 9-3 win over Azusa Pacific. Two home runs came in Wednesday’s 8-1 win at Concordia, solo shots in the first and third as she went 2 for 3 with two runs. McNicoll’s last home run was a three-run homer that accounted for all of the runs in Thursday’s 6-3 first-game loss to Colorado Christian. Also Nominated: Marin Penney (Montana State Billings), Kanilehua Pitoy (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Tori Hensley (Northwest Nazarene, P, 5-0, Sr., Kirkland, Wash. – Boise State Univ.): Hensley amassed a 1.26 ERA in three starts last week. She earned the complete-game win in Wednesday’s 8-1 victory at Concordia, allowing one unearned run on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts. She took a no-decision Thursday’s 2-1, eight-inning loss to Colorado Christian. She went 5.1 innings in the start, allowing one unearned run on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Also Nominated: Mareena Ramirez (Western Washington).