Monday, April 3, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – In a week of standout performances at the Tournament of Champions, it was a pair of Central Washington standouts that lead this week’s honor roll of GNAC Players of the Week.

Wildcats’ first baseman Kailyn Campbell was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .520 in seven games. She hit .600 in the six Tournament of Champions games, going 12 for 20 with five runs, three doubles, a home run, nine RBIs and six stole bases as Central Washington went 5-1 to tie for second place. She went 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles in Friday’s 7-0 shutout of Cal State San Bernardino and went 3 for 3 with a two-run homer in Saturday’s 9-1 win over Academy of Art.

Kiana Wood was selected as the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she went 3-0 with a 1.00 earned run average in four games. In 28 innings, Wood allowed seven runs, four earned on 21 hits. She allowed three runs, one earned, in nine innings of work to beat Stanislaus State 4-3 on Wednesday. She closed the tournament by allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits in 10 innings to beat Sonoma State on Sunday, 4-3.

Western Oregon’s Jay Leverett earned Baseball Player of the Week honors after he went 7 for 10 in the Wolves’ four-game series at Northwest Nazarene, which included two doubles, two home runs and four RBIs. He went 2 for 3 in both of Western Oregon’s wins on Saturday and scored what was be the tying run in the 9-7, 10-inning win in the second game that day.

Central Washington’s Jake Levin was recognized as the Baseball Player of the Week after he earned the complete-game 12-3 win over Montana State Billings in the series opener on Friday. He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Levin also provided a measure of offense, hitting 3 for 5 in the contest with a grand slam, a double, three runs scored and five RBIs.

David Ribich led this week’s track honorees. The Western Oregon junior was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships with a time of 3:43.77 in the 1,500 meters at the Stanford Invitational. The time is the best in Division II this season. Ribich also ran the third fastest time in the nation this season in the 800 meters at the San Francisco Distance Carnival. His time of 1:49.91 is also a NCAA provosional qualifier.

Northwest Nazarene’s Payton Lewis earned the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award after he automatically qualified for nationals in the men’s pole vault. He won the event at the Stanford Invitational with a mark of 17 feet, 0.75 inches, which ties his lifetime best. The mark is tied for the best in Division II this season.

Alaska Anchorage’s Danielle McCormick is the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won the 800 meters at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival with a school record time of 2:07.75. The time is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, ranks third in Division II this season and is eighth on the GNAC all-time list.

Western Washington’s Bethany Drake opened her 2017 season with selection as the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week. She won the javelin at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival with a throw of 156 feet, 3 inches, which is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and second best in Division II this season. She also competed in the invitational section of the javelin at the Stanford Invitational, placing fifth as the only Division II athlete in the field.

For the second straight week, Simon Fraser’s Chris Crisologo was named the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he won the Northwest Nazarene Invitational by two strokes with a three-round score of 4-under-par 212. He led SFU to the team championship. The Crusaders’ Samantha Miller earned Women’s Golf Player of the Week honors after she won the NNU Invitational by eight strokes with a score of 6-over-par 150.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 31
BASEBALL PLAYER
Jay Leverett (Western Oregon, IF, 5-9, Jr., Gold Bar, Wash. – Skagit Valley CC): Leverett batted .700, in the Wolves’ four-game series with Northwest Nazarene, going 7 for 10 with two doubles two solo home runs and four RBIs. He also scored a team-high eight runs, was walked four times and hit by pitch four times. He went 2 for 3 in both of WOU’s victories on Saturday and scored what was the tying-run in the 9-7, 10-inning win in Saturday’s nightcap. Also Nominated: Alec Hagerman (Saint Martin’s), Tanner Watson (Montana State Billings), Mitch Bevacqua (Concordia), Spencer Pollock (Northwest Nazarene).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Jake Levin (Central Washington, P, 6-5, Sr., Redmond, Wash. – Chapman Univ.): Levin went the distance to give Central Washington a 12-3 win in Friday’s series opener with Montana State Billings on Friday. He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Levin backed himself up by hitting 3 for 5 in the contest with a double, a grand slam, three runs scored and five RBIs. Also Nominated: Luke Hare (Saint Martin’s), Brady Miller (Western Oregon), Bryon Barker (Montana State Billings), Jaramy Jacobs (Northwest Nazarene), Scott Schepige (Concordia).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Kailyn Campbell (Central Washington, 1B, 6-0, Sr., Bellevue, Wash. – Lake Washington): Campbell was named to the Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team and led the tournament in hitting with a .600 average, five runs, three doubles, nine RBI and six stolen bases in the six games. Campbell led CWU to a 5-1 record in the tournament, tying for second place. She finished with a .520 average in seven games last week, going 13 for 25 with five runs, three doubles and a home run. Also Nominated: Mary Dettling (Saint Martin’s), Destiny Kuehl (Western Oregon), Heather Tracy (Montana State Billings), Shearyna Labasan (Western Washington), Meghan Luebbert (Concordia), Cassidt Fifield (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Kiana Wood (Central Washington, P/OF, 5-6, Sr., Aloha, Ore. – Aloha): Wood finished with a 3-0 record and a 1.00 ERA in four games last week, allowing seven runs, four earned, on 21 hits with seven strikeouts in 28 innings. She opened the week by allowing three runs, one earned, on eight hits as she threw nine innings in CWU’s 4-3 win over Stanislaus State on Wednesday. She won twice in the Tournament of Champions, holding Cal State San Bernardino to five hits in a 7-0 shutout on Friday and allowed four runs, three earned on seven hits in 10 innings of work to beat Sonoma State on Sunday, 4-3. Also Nominated: Kim Nelson (Saint Martin’s), Sammi Cadwallader (Western Oregon), Megan Dettling (Montana State Billings), Anna Kasner (Western Washington), Rylee Thomas (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S TRACK
David Ribich (Western Oregon, Jr., Enterprise, Ore. – Enterprise): Ribich ran a NCAA Championships automatic qualifier in the 1,500 meters at the Stanford Invitational, finishing the race’s second section in a time of 3:43.77. The time is the best in Division II this season by three seconds and just short of Ribich’s GNAC record. The junior also placed second in the 800 meters at the San Francisco Distance Carnival. His time of 1:49.91 is a NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, is third best in Division II this season and places Ribich sixth on the GNAC all-time list. Also Nominated: Jackson Hand (Saint Martin’s), Sam Zook (Montana State Billings), Ebu Camara (Northwest Nazarene), Glen Felix (Concordia).

MEN’S FIELD
Payton Lewis (Northwest Nazarene, Jr., Nampa, Idaho – Nampa Christian): Competing outdoors for the first time this season, Lewis automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships as he won the pole vault at the Stanford Invitational with a mark of 17 feet, 0.75 inches. The mark is tied for the best in Division II this season and ties his lifetime best. Also Nominated: Latrelle Swayne (Saint Martin’s), Alani Troutman (Western Oregon), Beau Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Brandon Pless (Western Washington), Caleb Bridge (Concordia).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Danielle McCormick (Alaska Anchorage, So., Soldotna, Alaska – Soldotna): McCormick broke the Alaska Anchorage school record in the 800 meters, winning the event at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival with a time of 2:07.75. She broke the previous record of 2:09.34 set by Ivy O’Gwinn in 2013. The time is a NCAA Championship provisional qualifier, ranks third in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Chase Stephens (Concordia), Lexi Tubbs (Northwest Nazarene), Brittany Grant (Western Washington), Olivia Woods (Western Oregon), Grace Hamre (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Bethany Drake (Western Washington, Sr., Sandy, Ore. - Sandy): Drake opened her 2017 seasom by provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the javelin. She won the event at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival with a mark of 156 feet, 3 inches, which is second best in Division II this season. She also placed fifth in the invitational section of the javelin at the Stanford Invitational (only Division II athlete in the field) with a mark of 151 feet, 11 inches. Also Nominated: McKenzie Warren (Concordia), Elise Snowden (Northwest Nazarene), Rachael Huffman (Western Oregon), Jona Spiller (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S GOLF
Chris Crisologo (Simon Fraser, Jr., Richmond, B.C. – Vancouver Coll.): Crisologo won the Northwest Nazarene Invitational by two strokes carding a three-round score of 4-under-par 212. He led Simon Fraser to an 11-stroke team win with a score of 9-over-par 873 Also Nominated: Chris Hatch (Western Washington), Connor Miele (Montana State Billings)

WOMEN’S GOLF
Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene, Sr., Hillsboro, Ore. – Liberty): Miller earned medalist honors at the Northwest Nazarene Invitational. She won by eight strokes with a two-round score of 6-over-par 150, which included a tournament-low round of 1-over-par 73 on the second day. Also Nominated: Sammy Walter (Montana State Billings).