Monday, February 27, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of very strong games for Concordia guard Jarrett Gray and Montana State Billings forward Tiana Hanson in the final week of the basketball regular season leads this latest list of GNAC Players of the Week.

Gray was named the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he led the Cavaliers to two wins, which allowed Concordia to qualify for its first GNAC Championships. He scored 26 points while going 10 of 13 from the floor in a 69-67 win over Western Oregon on Tuesday and then scored 20 points on 8 of 18 from the floor in Thursday’s 79-77 win over Montana State Billings.

Hanson was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week with her two solid performances in her final games for the Yellowjackets, finishing with 53 points and 14 rebounds in the two contests. She recorded a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday’s game against Central Washington and finished with 25 points in the season finale against Northwest Nazarene. Hanson shot 61.3 percent from the field and 17 of 18 from the free throw line.

Western Oregon picked up two of the four track and field honors in the final week before the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships. Dustin Nading was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he won the mile at the SPU Final Qualifier in a time of 4:05.22. The time is No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and will likely qualify the sophomore for the national meet. Olivia Woods picked up the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won the 800 meters in Seattle in a time of 2:10.14. She broke the Western Oregon record and is now No. 9 on the GNAC all-time list and likely punched her ticket to the national meet.

Alaska Anchorage’s Tevin Gladden earned the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award after he won both the high jump and long jump at the SPU Final Qualifier. He won the high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 8.25 inches, and the long jump at 22 feet, 11.25 inches. Seattle Pacific’s Kyra Brannan was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the long jump with her first attempt of 18 feet, 5 inches.

Western Oregon also swept the softball weekly honors. Ashlee Lynch was named the Softball Player of the Week after she went 7 for 12 with three runs, six RBIs, two doubles and a home run in four games at College of Idaho. She went 3 for 5 with two runs and five RBIs and hit a grand slam in a 12-1, five-inning victory in Sunday’s finale. Sammy Cadwallader earned the softball pitching honor after she threw five innings of shutout ball in Saturday’s 9-0, five-inning win over the Coyotes. She allowed five hits and a walk while striking out one to improve to 4-0 on the season.

Saint Martin’s Steven Sordahl earned the Baseball Player of the Week award after he went 9 for 19 in the Saints’ four-game series at College of Idaho. He had four hits in Sunday’s doubleheader, which included 2 for 3 with a run in the opener. Central Washington’s Mackenzie Gaul earned the Baseball Pitcher of the Week award after he allowed four hits and four walks while striking out nine over seven innings in a 4-0 complete game shutout over Academy of Art on Saturday.

Concordia’s Phillip Kennedy earned Men’s Golf Player of the Week honors after he tied for 14th individually at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout, shooting a three-round score of 8-over-par 221. The Cavaliers’ Shantel Antonio, Simon Fraser’s Emily Leung and Northwest Nazarene’s Samantha Miller shared the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after the trio tied for 13th at the CBU Women’s Invitational with scores on 10-over-par 154.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 26
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Jarrett Gray (Concordia, G, 6-2, So., Beaverton, Ore. – Valley Catholic): Gray helped lead Concordia to its first GNAC Championships appearance as he averaged 23 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in the Cavaliers’ wins over Western Oregon and Montana State Billings. He opened the week with 26 points in a 69-67 win over Western Oregon, going 10 of 13 from the floor to go along with five rebounds. Gray then scored 20 points on 8 of 18 from the floor with four rebounds in Thursday’s 79-77 win over Montana State Billings. Also Nominated: Tanner Omlid (Western Oregon), Cole Preston (Saint Martin’s), Preston Beverly (Montana State Billings), Suki Wiggs (Alaska Anchorage), Deandre Dickson (Western Washington), Bouna N’Diaye (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Tiana Hanson (Montana State Billings, F, 6-0, Sr., Shepherd, Mont. – Sheridan Coll.): Hanson closed out her collegiate career with 53 points and 14 rebounds in the Yellowjackets’ final two games, shooting 61.3 percent from the floor and 17 of 18 from the free throw line. She finished with a double-double of 28 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday’s contest with Central Washington, going 12 of 20 from the field. Hanson finished the season with 25 points against Northwest Nazarene, which included a 14 of 15 performance from the free throw line. Hanson finished with a .867 career free throw percentage, a MSUB record and No. 4 in GNAC history. Also Nominated: Shelby Snook (Western Oregon), Elin Johansson (Saint Martin’s), Autummn Williams (Alaska Anchorage), Taylor Baird (Central Washington), Taylor Peacocke (Western Washington), Danielle Hartzog (Concordia), Ellie Logan (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S TRACK
Dustin Nading (Western Oregon, So., Longview, Wash. – Colby Coll.): Nading won the mile at Saturday’s SPU Final Qualifier in a time of 4:05.22. The performance is the second fastest in the mile in GNAC indoor history and is tied for 10th in Division II this season, likely assuring him a place at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships.

MEN’S FIELD
Tevin Gladden (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Anchorage, Alaska – Lathrop) Gladden won both the high jump and long jump at the SPU Final Qualifier. He came out on top of a three-way for first in the high jump at 6 feet, 8.25 inches (winning on fewest misses). Gladden won the long jump by three inches with a best of 22 feet, 11.25 inches. Also Nominated: Alani Troutman (Western Oregon)

WOMEN’S TRACK
Olivia Woods (Western Oregon, So., Troutdale, Ore. – Reynolds): Woods won the 800 meters at the SPU Final Qualifier with a school record time of 2:10.14. She was just ahead of teammate and former record holder Suzie Van de Grift. The time is No. 9 on the GNAC all-time list and is No. 8 in Division II this season, likely qualifying her for the Division II Indoor Championships.

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kyra Brannan (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Kennewick, Wash. – Kamiakin): Brannan was the winner in the women’s long jump at the SPU Final Qualifier, needing only her first jump to win with a mark of 18 feet, 5 inches.

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Ashlee Lynch (Western Oregon, IF, 5-6, Sr., Corona, Calif. – Santiago): Lynch led Western Oregon to three wins at College of Idaho by hitting .583 (7 for 12) with three runs, six RBIs, two doubles and a gland slam in the series finale on Sunday. She went 3 for 5 with two runs and five RBIs in the game, which WOU won 12-1 in five innings. She also went 2 for 4 with three RBIs in Saturday’s nightcap, which WOU won 9-0 in five innings. Also Nominated: Meghan Luebbert (Concordia), Madison Strickler (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Sammy Cadwallader (Western Oregon, P/IF, 5-8, Sr., Toledo, Ore. – Toledo): Cadwallader picked up her fourth win of the season in Saturday’s 9-0, five-inning victory at College of Idaho. She allowed just five hits and a walk while striking out one. Cadwallader is now 4-0 on the season and she own a 1.75 earned run average. Also Nominated: Tori Muri (Concordia), Abigail Watkins (Northwest Nazarene).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Steven Sordahl (Saint Martin’s, OF, 6-0, Jr., Kennewick, Wash. – Walla Walla CC): Sordahl went 9 for 19 in the Saints’ four-game series at College of Idaho with five runs, 2 RBIs and a pair of walks. He went 2 for 3 with a run in Sunday’s opener, a 3-2 win for the Saints, and went 2 for 4 in the nightcap. He scored the winning run in the ninth inning for the 4-3 win. Also Nominated: Caje Golden (Montana State Billings), Dylan Freyre (Central Washington),

BASEBALL PITCHER
Mackenzie Gaul (Central Washington, P, 6-0, Jr., Winlock, Wash. – Toledo): Gaul threw a complete game shutout in the Wildcats’ 4-0 win at Academy of Art on Saturday. He allowed four hits and four walks while striking out nine over seven innings. The junior improved to 1-1 on the season and dropped his earned run average to 2.00. Also Nominated: Corbin Smith (Montana State Billings),

MEN’S GOLF
Philip Kennedy (Concordia, Jr., Eagle, Idaho – Eagle): Kennedy led Concordia as he tied for 14th individually at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout in Vallejo, Calif., with a three-round score of 8-over-par 221. He shot a low round of 2-under-par 70 in the final round and led the Cavaliers to a fourth place team finish. Also Nominated: Sy Lovan (Simon Fraser).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Shantel Antonio (Concordia, So., Hilo, Hawaii – Kamehameha-Hawaii) Emily Leung (Simon Fraser, So., Richmond, B.C. – Yew Chung International School), and Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene, Sr., Hillsboro, Ore. – Liberty) The three players tied for 13th place at the CBU Women’s Invitational in Corona, Calif., with scored of 10-over-par 154. All three players had low rounds on the opening day, with Leung shooting 1-over-par 73 while Antonio and Miller shot 3-over-par 75.