Monday, March 6, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – A solid hitting week in the Rocky Mountain State for Montana State Billings sophomore Bodee Wright and a lockdown complete-game performance for Saint Martin’s junior Justice Yamashita leads the GNAC Player of the Week awards.

Wright was selected as the Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .500 in four games, including three multi-hit performances against CSU-Pueblo and Colorado Mesa. He went 9 for 18 with four runs, a double and four RBIs. On Monday, Wright batted 3 for 6 with an RBI double and two runs scored in a 19-10 win at CSU-Pueblo. He opened the Colorado Mesa series going 2 for 3 with a run scored in Thursday’s 19-8 loss and then went 3 for 5 with a pair of RBI singles in Saturday’s 16-6 loss.

Yamashita was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he went the distance in the Saints’ 1-0 win over Central Washington on Sunday. In the seven-inning effort, Yamashita allowed three hits and two walks while striking out eight to earn his first win of the season.

Central Washington swept the Softball Player of the Week awards after amassing a 5-1 week against Northwest Nazarene and Montana State Billings. Senior Harlee Carpenter was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .545 with eight runs, a double, a triple and seven RBIs. Carpenter had multi-hit performances in four of the six games. She went 2 for 3 with an RBI triple in Monday’s 14-8 win over NNU. She then went 2 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs in Friday’s 7-0 shutout of MSUB and 4 for 5 with an RBI and two runs in Saturday’s 12-7 win.

Senior Ashlee Laver earned Softball Pitcher of the Week honors after she picked up two wins and a save in a week where she allowed just two hits in 15 innings. The save came on Monday when Laver held NNU without a hit in the seventh inning of Monday’s 5-4 win. She allowed just one hit apiece in her two starts against Montana State Billings, allowing one hit with six strikeouts in Friday’s 7-0 victory and one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts in Saturday’s 3-0 win.

In the first week of the outdoor season, the Ed Boitano Invitational in Tacoma yielded all four Track Athlete of the Week award winners. Western Washington sophomore Andrew Oslin leads the list, earning Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after he won the 10,000 meters on Friday. His school record time of 29:41.91 ranks No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list and leads Division II after the first week of the season.

Central Washington freshman Isaiah Webster received Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after he won the long jump in his first collegiate outdoor meet, winning by 11 inches with a leap of 21 feet, 10.25 inches.

Seattle Pacific swept the women’s track and field honors. Junior Aniya Green was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won the 200 meters in a time of 26.43 seconds and then ran the leadoff leg on the Falcons 4x400-meter relay team, which won in a time of 4:02.29.

Junior Lizzy Daugherty was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after taking first in the pole vault with a clearance of 11 feet, 9.75 inches. Daugherty tied at the height with Pacific Lutheran’s Lily Luksich but was awarded first place based on fewer misses at the previous height. The effort ranks Daugherty No. 2 in Division II this season.

Seattle Pacific also received the first Women’s Rowing Crew of the Week award of the season after the Falcons’ varsity 8+ won two races at the PLU Invitational. The crew was a six-second winner over Western Washington in the first session, clocking a time of 7:06.43. The winning margin was 22 seconds in the second session over Puget Sound with a time of 7:02.81.

Western Washington senior Jordan Lee was named the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he led GNAC golfers at the Battle In the Desert in La Quinta, California. Lee placed sixth with a three-round score of even-par 216, which included a low round of 2-under-par 70 on the opening day.

Simon Fraser freshman Sueah Park was selected as the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after leading the conference in a Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout that was shortened due to inclement weather. Park was the top GNAC golfer, tying for 13th place with a score of 6-over-par 78.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 28
BASEBALL PLAYER
Bodee Wright (Montana State Billings, IF, 5-9, So., Morgan, Utah – Northridge): Wright batted .500 as he played in four of the Yellowjackets’ five games in Colorado last week, going 9 for 18 with four runs, a double and four RBIs. Wright opened the week by going 3 for 6 with an RBI double and two runs scored in Monday’s 19-10 win at CSU-Pueblo. He opened the Colorado Mesa series by going 2 for 3 with a run scored in Thursday’s 19-8 loss and went 3 for 5 with a pair of RBI singles in Saturday’s 16-6 loss. Wright then went 1 for 4 in Saturday’s 9-6 win. Also Nominated: Charlie Larson (Central Washington), Mason Leavitt (Northwest Nazarene), Derek Maiben (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Justice Yamashita (Saint Martin’s, P, 5-10, Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii – Maryknoll): Yamashita picked up the complete-game victory over Central Washington on Sunday, winning 1-0. Throwing all seven innings, Yamashita allowed three hits and two walks while striking out eight to earn his first win of the season. Also Nominated: Daniel Charron (Central Washington), Andy Evans (Montana State Billings), Brock Moffitt (Northwest Nazarene), Bryce Bond (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Harlee Carpenter (Central Washington, IF, 5-2, Sr., Snohomish, Wash. – Glacier Peak): Carpenter batted .545 in six games as the Wildcats went 5-1 on the week. She went 12 for 22 with eight runs, a double, a triple, seven RBIs and three stolen bases. Carpenter went 2 for 3 with an RBI triple that opened scoring in Monday’s 14-8 victory over Northwest Nazarene. She had multiple hits in three of four games with Montana State Billings, going 2 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs in Friday’s 7-0 victory and 4 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday’s 12-7 win. Also Nominated: Clarissa Moreno (Northwest Nazarene), Britney Patrick (Saint Martin’s), Abby McGlynn (Simon Fraser), Maddie Doig (Western Oregon), Amaya Davis (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Ashlee Laver (Central Washington, P, 5-7, Sr., Irvine, Calif. – Hawaii Pacific Univ.): Laver picked up two wins and a save in three appearances, allowing just two hits and two walks in 15 innings of work. The save came on Monday where Laver worked one inning in the seventh inning of the 5-4 win at Northwest Nazarene. Carpenter then threw a pair of one-hit shutouts against Montana State Billings. On Friday, she allowed one hit and struck out six in the 7-0 shutout. She then allowed one hit and two walks and struck out seven in Saturday’s 3-0 shutout. Also Nominated: Alyssa Etheridge (Montana State Billings), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Chloe Leverington (Saint Martin’s), Julia Hansen (Simon Fraser), Mareena Ramirez (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Andrew Oslin (Western Washington, So., Puyallup, Wash. – Saint Martin’s Univ.): Oslin opened the outdoor season with a victory in the 10,000 meters at the Ed Boitano Invitational on Friday. His winning time of 29:41.91 ranks No. 6 on the GNAC all-time and is the best time in Division II in the young season. Also Nominated: Logan Easley (Central Washington), Brody Kemble (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S FIELD
Isaiah Webster (Central Washington, Fr., Bellevue, Wash. – Sammamish): Running in his first collegiate outdoor meet, Webster won the long jump by 11 inches at the Ed Boitano Invitational on Saturday with a mark of 21 feet, 10.25 inches. Also Nominated: Jaydon Tryon (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Aniya Green (Seattle Pacific, Jr., Dupont, Wash. – Curtis): Green opened the outdoor season by winning the 200 meters and running the leadoff leg on the Falcons’ winning 4x400-meter relay team at the Ed Boitano Invitational. Green cruised to the win in the 200 meters with a time of 26.43 seconds. She then started the Falcons off well as they won the 4x4000-meter relay by 12 seconds in a time of 4:02.29. Also Nominated: Ellie DeGroot (Central Washington), Morgan Erler (Northwest Nazarene), Meaera Shannon (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Lizzy Daugherty (Seattle Pacific, Jr., Lake Stevens, Wash. – Lake Stevens): Daugherty won the pole vault at the Ed Boitano Invitational with a clearance of 11 feet, 9.75 inches. She tied at the height with Pacific Lutheran’s Lily Luksich and was awarded first based on fewer misses at the previous height. The mark ranks second in Division II in the young outdoor season. Also Nominated: Payton Elenbaas (Central Washington).

MEN’S GOLF
Jordan Lee (Western Washington, Sr., Tacoma, Wash. – Bellarmine Prep): Lee led all GNAC golfers at the Battle In The Desert, finishing in sixth place with a three-round score of even-par 216. He turned in his best round on the opening day, a 2-under-par 70. Lee led Western Washington to a tie for eighth place in the team standings.

WOMEN’S GOLF
Sueah Park (Simon Fraser, Fr., Langley, B.C. – Walnut Grove): Park was the conference’s top golfer at the weather-shortened Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout. Park tied for 13th place as she carded a 6-over-par 78 and helped lead Simon Fraser to a seventh-place team finish.

WOMEN’S ROWING
Seattle Pacific Varsity 8+: The Seattle Pacific varsity 8+ opened the season by picking up two of the Falcons’ six victories at the PLU Invitational. In the first session of races, SPU was a six-second winner over Western Washington, winning in a time of 7:06.73. In the second session, the Falcons put 22 seconds of space between their boat and second-place Puget Sound, winning in 7:02.81. The crew is comprised of coxswain Moxie McCandless and rowers Jacinta Samuelson, Macie Leach, Anna Botman, Audrey Rekedal, Emma Ely, Megan Popielak and Hannah Miller.