Monday, April 19, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – Any baseball win over NAIA power Lewis-Clark State is a good win and the effort of Saint Martin’s sophomore Aaron Renaud leads the list of GNAC Player of the Week awards.

Renaud was named the Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .556 in the Friday doubleheader. After registering one hit in the opener, he went 4 for 5 with a double and the game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth for the 7-5 win over the Warriors. It was just Lewis-Clark State’s fourth loss of the season against 31 wins.

Northwest Nazarene freshman Kyle Ethridge earned Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors as he improved to 4-1 on the season after reaching the 10-strikeout mark for the third time this season in the Nighthawks’ 6-2 win at Montana State Billings on Friday. He allowed two unearned runs on just three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in seven innings.

Western Washington swept the volleyball awards after the Vikings went 3-0 in their opening weekend of the season against Western Oregon. Sophomore Calley Heilborn was selected as the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after she averaged four kills and 4.44 digs per set in the three matches with a .371 hitting percentage. She had a double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs on Friday before adding nine kills in Saturday’s opener and another double-double of 14 kills and 22 digs in the nightcap.

Junior Olivia Fairchild was named the Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week after she had 20 blocks to go with 19 kills and a .345 hitting percentage. She had three blocks and nine kills in Friday’s match before registering seven kills in each of Saturday’s matches. Her ledger included five kills in Saturday’s first match and eight kills in the second.

The Vikings also swept the men’s soccer awards after a 1-0 overtime win over Saint Martin’s on Wednesday. Junior Iakov Shmelev was named the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after he notched the golden goal in the 100th minute against the Saints. It was his only shot of the match. Freshman Mitchell Hutter earned defensive honors after he played 80 minutes, anchoring a Viking defense that held the Saints to just three shots on goal.

The Seattle Pacific women’s soccer team has scored 22 goals in its first five matches of the spring. Senior Claire Neder was named the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after she scored four goals in a pair of shutouts over Western Oregon. She scored two goals in each game as the Falcons won 5-0 on Friday and 4-0 on Saturday.

Northwest Nazarene junior goalkeeper Alexis Montoya earned Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third time this season after securing her fifth shutout in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Saint Martin’s. She also made two saves in Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Saints. Montoya is 9-0-0 on the season as the Nighthawks remain undefeated at 10-0-0.

Western Washington freshman Sophia Schmidt and Montana State Billings junior Avery Gill were named Women’s Golf Co-Players of the Week after they both won their respective tournaments. Schmidt earned medalist honors at the Western Washington Spring Invitational with a score of 156, finishing five strokes ahead of second-place Kathryn Crimp of Saint Martin’s to lead the Vikings to the team title. Gill tied for first place at the Hardrocker Spring Classic at 163 but lost to Rianna Garland of South Dakota Mines on a one-hole playoff. Her performance included an 8-over-par 80 in the first round.

Western Oregon freshman Keola Yadao was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning the 100 meters in his first collegiate meet, the Titan Invitational. Yadao won with a time of 10.62 seconds. It is the fastest time in the GNAC this season, is No. 5 in Western Oregon history and is No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Central Washington senior Andrew Harris earned Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after he broke the CWU record in the hammer throw with a mark of 188 feet, 8 inches at the CWU Wildcat Invitational. The mark is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, is 17th in Division II this season and is No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Seattle Pacific senior Renick Meyer was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after winning the women’s heptathlon at the CWU Wildcat Invitational. Meyer won the 100-meter hurdles in a GNAC-leading time of 14.55 seconds and the long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 3 inches. Meyer closed day two by placing third in the 800 meters at 2:30.74.

Northwest Nazarene senior Lauren Wuertz placed second at the Bengal Invitational to earn Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. Her personal-best time of 56.68 seconds in the 400 meters ranks No. 3 all-time in NNU history.

The Seattle Pacific varsity 4+ won by 27 seconds at the Viking Regatta on Lake Samish to earn Crew of the Week honors. The Falcons, including Roxy Ruther (coxswain), Danielle Johnson, Natalie Korolenko, Hannah Miller and Anna Serven, finished in a time of 8:15.91.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 15
BASEBALL PLAYER
Aaron Renaud (Saint Martin’s, IF, 5-10, So., Lihue, Hawaii – St. Louis): Renaud batted .556 in the Saints’ two-game series with Lewis-Clark State. He batted 1 for 4 in the opener on Friday. In the second game, Renaud went 4 for 5 with a double and the game-winning two-run homer in the ninth to give the Saints the 7-5 upset of the 31-3 Warriors. Also Nominated: Will Riley (Montana State Billings), Alex Salsman (Northwest Nazarene).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Kyle Ethridge (Northwest Nazarene, P,6-0, Fr., Alta Loma, Calif. – Los Osos): Etheridge improved to 4-1 on the season with a 6-2 win over Montana State Billings on Friday. In seven innings, Ethridge allowed two unearned runs on three hits and struck out 10. Ethridge threw 113 pitches in the outing, 71 for strikes. Also Nominated: Matthew Houlihan (Montana State Billings), Finnley Butler (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S TRACK
Keola Yadao (Western Oregon, Fr., Honolulu, Hawaii – St. Louis): In his first collegiate meet, Yadao won the 100 meters at the Titan Invitational in Eugene with a time of 10.62 seconds. The time is the fastest in the GNAC this season, fifth-fastest in Western Oregon history and is No. 10 on the GNAC All-Time List. Also Nominated: Gunner Vallatini (Central Washington), Tyler Shea (Northwest Nazarene), Koby Okezie (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Andrew Harris (Central Washington, Sr., North Bend, Wash. – Mount Si): Harris broke the Central Washington school record in the hammer, winning with a mark of 188 feet, 8 inches at the CWU Wildcat Invitational. It is the furthest throw in the event in the GNAC since 2018, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier, ranks 17th in Division II this season and is No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List. Also Nominated: Turner Nye (Northwest Nazarene), Jalon Fields (Western Oregon), Ben Malquist (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Lauren Wuertz (Northwest Nazarene, Sr., Eagle, Idaho – The Ambrose School): Wuertz finished in second place in the 400 meters at the Bengal Invitational in Pocatello, Idaho, with a time of 56.68. The personal-best mark ranks No. 3 in Northwest Nazarene history. Also Nominated: Molly Matson (Central Washington), Ana Popchock (Western Oregon), Aliyah Dawkins (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Renick Meyer (Seattle Pacific, Jr., Gresham, Ore. – Barlow): Meyer was the winner of the heptathlon at the CWU Wildcat Invitational with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying score of 4,629 points. Meyer won the 100-meter hurdles in a GNAC-leading time of 14.55 seconds and then opened day two by winning the long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 3 inches. Meyer closed the day by finishing third in the 800 meters in a time of 2:30.74 that allowed her to pass Western Oregon’s Jenelle Hurley for the victory. Also Nominated: Avery Fisk (Central Washington), Kinsey Langin (Northwest Nazarene), Moana Gianotti (Western Oregon), Aliyah Dawkins (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Sophia Schmidt (Western Washington, Fr., Bellingham, Wash. – Bellingham): Schmidt was the medalist at the Western Washington Invitational, carding a two-round score of 156 to finish five strokes ahead of Saint Martin’s Kathryn Crimp. She carded a low score of 5-over-par 77 to lead the Vikings to the team title.

Avery Gill (Montana State Billings, Jr., West Linn, Ore. – Southwestern Oregon CC): Gill tied for medalist honors at the Hardrocker Spring Classic with a two-round score of 163. She eventually lost to South Dakota Mines’ Rianna Garland on a one-hole playoff. Her scorecard included a low-round of 80 on the opening day. Also Nominated: Ragan McGilvery (Northwest Nazarene), Kathryn Crimp (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S ROWING
Seattle Pacific Varsity 4+: The Seattle Pacific varsity 4+ rowed to a convincing 27-second victory in a dual with Western Washington at the Viking Regatta on Lake Samish. The crew finished the 2,000-meter course in a time 8:15.91. Crew members include Roxy Ruther (coxswain), Danielle Johnson, Natalie Korolenko, Hannah Miller and Anna Serven.

MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Iakov Shmelev (Western Washington, D, 6-1, Jr., Togilatti, Russia – Eastlake): Shmelev scored the golden-goal game-winner in the 100th minute on Wednesday to give Western Washington a 1-0 overtime victory over Saint Martin’s. It was Shmelev’s only shot of the match.

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Mitchell Hutter (Western Washington, D, 6-1, Fr., Buckley, Wash. – Sumner): Hutter anchored a Western Washington defense that held Saint Martin’s scoreless on 17 shots and six shots on goal in 100 minutes of action of a 1-0 overtime win over Saint Martin’s. Hutter played 79 minutes of the match and had a long pass that set up the game-winner.

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Claire Neder (Seattle Pacific, M, 5-7, Sr., Spokane, Wash. – Mead): Neder scored two goals in both victories over Western Oregon last week. In Friday’s 5-0 rout, Neder scored the game-winner in the ninth minute and added an insurance goal a little over a minute later. Neder netted a pair of insurance goals in Saturday’s 4-0 shutout, connecting in the 26th and 71st minutes. Also Nominated: Ashley Parton (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Alexis Montoya (Northwest Nazarene, GK, 5-6, Jr., West Jordan, Utah – Northern State Univ.): Montoya anchored a Northwest Nazarene defense that beat Saint Martin’s twice on the road to allow the Nighthawks to improve to 10-0-0 on the season. On Wednesday, Montoya had two saves in the 3-2 victory. On Saturday, Montoya earned her fifth shutout of the season with the 2-0 win.

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Calley Heilborn (Western Washington, MB, 6-1, So., Auburn, Wash. – Auburn Riverside): Heilborn led the Vikings to a season-opening 3-0 week over Western Oregon as she averaged four kills and 4.44 digs per set with a .371 hitting percentage. Heilborn notched a double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs with a .364 hitting percentage on Friday. She finished with nine kills with a .471 hitting percentage in Saturday’s opener before ending the weekend with 14 kills and 22 digs in the nightcap. Also Nominated: Ellen Floyd (Alaska Anchorage), Isabel Hurliman (Western Oregon).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Olivia Fairchild (Western Washington, MB, 6-2 Jr., Olympia, Wash. – North Thurston): Fairchild finished with 20 blocks to go with 19 kills and a .345 hitting percentage as the Vikings swept three matches from Western Oregon. Fairchild had three blocks to go with six kills and two digs in Friday’s win. She had seven blocks in each of Saturday’s matches to go with five kills in the opener and eight kills in the nightcap. Also Nominated: Talia Leauanae (Alaska Anchorage), Allie Spear (Western Oregon).