Monday, February 6, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – For the second week in a row, Alaska Anchorage collected both basketball awards to lead the selections for GNAC Player of the Week.

The Seawolves’ Sekou “Suki” Wiggs was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the second week in a row after he finished with back-to-back 30-plus point scoring performances for the second week in a row. The guard scored 32 points and shot 12 of 17 from the field and 6 of 8 from the free throw line in UAA’s 87-79 win over Western Washington on Thursday. He then added a 34-point performance in the Seawolves’ 73-45 win over Simon Fraser on Saturday, shooting 8 of 15 from the field and 13 of 15 from the free throw line.

Forward Autummn Williams was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she scored 55 points in two wins over Concordia and Western Oregon, extending Alaska Anchorage’s win streak to 17 games. She scored 28 points in Thursday’s 91-60 win over the Cavaliers, making 10 of 20 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free throw line with five rebounds and seven assists. Williams then scored 27 in Saturday’s 91-50 win over the Wolves, maing 8 of 18 from the field and 9 of 10 from the free throw line.

Simon Fraser picked up a pair of track and field awards. Daniel Kelloway was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he won the 400 meters at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic in a meet record time of 48.71 seconds. The mark leads the GNAC and is 10th on the league’s all-time list. After conversion to 47.95 seconds for track size, Kelloway’s time ranks No. 10 in Division II and improved his provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships. He also ran the anchor leg on the Clan’s 4x400-meter relay team, which won and hit a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 3:18.94.

Addy Townsend earned Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after she won the 800 meters at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic in a time of 2:11.77. After conversion to 2:10.27 for track size, Townsend’s time leads the GNAC, is eighth best in Division II and is a provisional qualifier for the NCAA Championships. Townsend also ran the third leg on SFU’s 4x400-meter relay team, which finished sixth in 3:59.46.

Montana State Billings’ Nels Flanagan earned the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award after he broke the Yellowjackets’ school record in the weight throw for the second time this season. He placed second in the event at the Conglomerate Open with a mark of 53 feet, 11.25 inches, which is fourth best in the GNAC this season. Central Washington’s McKenna Emmert was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she improved her NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault with a clearance of 12 feet, 5.5 inches. The mark is tops in the GNAC this season, seventh in Division II and is tied for fifth on the GNAC all-time list.

Saint Martin’s Mary Dettling and Western Washington’s Anna Kasner earned the league’s first softball weekly awards of the year. Dettling was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .615 in four games for the Saints, going 6 for 10 with five doubles and six RBIs. Both of her top performances came against Dominican (Calif.), with Dettling going 3 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs against the Penguins on Saturday and 3 for 3 with a run, a double and two RBIs in Sunday’s contest.

Kasner opened her collegiate career by allowing one hit and one walk and striking out 19 in 10 innings in the Vikings’ doubleheader at Chaminade on Sunday. She threw a one-hit shutout in the opener with 13 strikeouts, the most by a GNAC pitcher since 2012. She then threw three innings of no-hit relief in a 7-4 loss in the nightcap.

The GNAC Player of the Week awards honored eight athletes from six GNAC schools. Alaska Anchorage and Simon Fraser led the way with two selections each.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 23
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Sekou “Suki” Wiggs (Alaska Anchorage, G, 6-4, Sr., Seattle, Wash. – Univ. of Idaho): Wiggs earned the honor for the second straight week after posting back-to-back 30-point scoring performances for the second straight week. He scored 32 points on 12 of 17 from the field and 6 of 8 from the free throw line in the Seawolves’ 87-79 win over Western Washington. Wiggs backed that up with 34 points on 8 of 15 from the field and 13 of 15 from the free throw line to go along with seven rebounds in Saturday’s 73-45 win over Simon Fraser. Wiggs finished the week with 66 points, shooting 20 of 32 from the field, 7 of 13 from three-point range and 19 of 23 from the free throw line. Also Nominated: Jarrett Gray (Concordia), Tyler Copp (Saint Martin’s), Taylor Stafford (Western Washington), Nahjee Matlock (Alaska), Preston Beverly (Montana State Billings), Tony Miller (Seattle Pacific), Tanner Omlid (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Autummn Williams (Alaska Anchorage, F, 5-10, Sr., Rochester, N.Y. – Univ. of Little Rock): Williams led the Seawolves with 55 points in two wins, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 88.2 percent from the free throw line. She opened the week with 28 points in Thursday’s 91-60 win over Concordia, connecting on 10 of 20 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free throw line with five rebounds and seven assists. Williams then added 27 points in Saturday’s 91-50 win over Western Oregon, making 8 of 18 from the field and 9 of 10 from the free throw stripe. Also Nominated: Elin Johnasson (Saint Martin’s), Kiana Gandy (Western Washington), Kailee Skjold (Alaska), Meg Wilson (Simon Fraser), Kaylie Boschma (Western Oregon).

MEN’S TRACK
Daniel Kelloway (Simon Fraser, Sr., Mount Bearl, N.L. – O’Donel): Kelloway set the meet record in the 400 meters at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic in Michigan, winning the event in a time of 48.71 seconds. The mark leads the GNAC and is 10th on the GNAC all-time list. When converted for track size to 47.95 seconds, the performance ranks No. 10 in Division II. Kelloway also ran the anchor leg on the Clan’s 4x400-meter relay that won with a NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 3:18.94. When converted to 3:15.82 for track size, the mark is not only a NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark, but leads the GNAC and is 13th in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Austin Lindquist (Montana State Billings), Payton Lewis (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S FIELD
Nels Flanagan (Montana State Billings, Jr., Big Timber, Mont. – Sweet Grass County): Flanagan reset his own school record for the second time this season at the Conglomerate Open, placing second with a mark of 53 feet, 11.25 inches. The performance is fourth best in the GNAC this season. Also Nominated: Micah Tranch (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Addy Townsend (Simon Fraser, So., Coquitlam, B.C. – Charles Best): Townsend notched a NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the 800 meters at the Hillsdale Wide Track Classic, winning the event in 2:11.77. After conversion to 2:10.27 for track size, Townsend leads the GNAC and has the eight best time in Division II this season. Townsend also ran the third leg of the Clan’s 4x400-meter relay team, which finished sixth in 3:59.46. Also Nominated: Macie Allen (Western Washington), Taylor Deskins (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S FIELD
McKenna Emmert (Central Washington, Sr., Kelso, Wash. – Kelso): Emmert improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the pole vault. She placed fourth in the event at the Jackson’s/New Balance Invitational with a mark of 12 feet, 5.5 inches. The mark leads the GNAC, is seventh in Division II and is tied for fifth on the GNAC all-time list. Also Nominated: Janessa Williams (Montana State Billings), Anna Paradee (Montana State Billings), Jackie Mahowald (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Mary Dettling (Saint Martin’s, OF, 5-0, Sr., Sparks, Nev. – Edward C Reed): Dettling batted .615 in four games, going 6 for 10 with five doubles, six RBIs and two runs at the Saints split their weekend openers. She went 3 for 4 with a run, two doubles and three RBIs in Saturday’s 11-6 win over Dominican (Calif.) and went 3 for 3 with a run, a double and two RBIs in Sunday’s matchup with the Penguins. Also Nominated: Emily Benson (Western Washington), Jacie McDaniels (Central Washington), Meghan Luebbert (Concordia), Kylie Orr (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Anna Kasner (Western Washington, P, 5-8, Fr., Milton, Wash. – Fife): Kasner opened her collegiate career by allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out 19 in 10 innings of work. She opened Sunday’s doubleheader with Chaminade by throwing a one-hit shutout with one walk and 13 strikeouts, the most by a GNAC pitcher since 2012. She then threw three no-hit innings of relief as the Vikings dropped the nightcap 7-4. Also Nominated: Sammi Cadwallader (Western Oregon), Kim Nelson (Saint Martin’s), Brooke Bonsen (Northwest Nazarene).