Monday, November 8, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – A career night in the freshman season of Central Washington quarterback Quincy Glasper leads this week’s GNAC Player of the Week selections.

Glasper was named the GNAC Football Offensive Player of the Week after he threw for 452 yards and five touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 54-29 win at Western New Mexico. Glasper also rushed nine times for 46 yards to finish with 498 yards of total offense. His passing performance is the 13th-best in GNAC history and the second-best for a CWU quarterback in the GNAC era.

Wildcats senior defensive lineman Zach Stecklein earned the Defensive Player of the Week award after finishing with six tackles in the contest, including three tackles for loss for 17 yards, two sacks for 14 yards and a forced fumble.

Western Oregon senior defensive back Curtis Anderson was named the Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned three kickoffs for 65 yards, including a long return of 30 yards, in the Wolves’ 45-7 loss at Chadron State.

On the pitch, Simon Fraser sophomore Giuliana Zaurrini was named the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for her penalty-kick goal that sent SFU into the postseason. Zaurrini scored in the 105th minute in the final match of the regular season on Saturday, lifting SFU past Western Oregon 1-0 in double overtime.

Western Washington senior goalkeeper Natalie Dierickx was named the Defensive Player of the Week after she made 11 saves in a 1-0-1 week for the Vikings. Dierickx made seven saves in Thursday’s 1-1 tie with Western Oregon and finished with four more saves in Saturday’s 1-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s.

Saint Martin’s sophomore forward Jason Fairhurst netted the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after he scored both goals in the Saints’ 2-1 victory over Northwest Nazarene. Montana State Billings senior defender Luca Battistotti earned the Defensive Player of the Week award for leading the Yellowjackets to a 1-1 tie of Western Washington on Thursday and a 3-0 shutout of Simon Fraser on Saturday.

Simon Fraser senior setter Julia Tays averaged 11.62 assists, 2.25 digs and one service ace per set to earn the Volleyball Player of the Week award. Tays had a double-double of 46 assists and 10 digs in Thursday’s four-set win over Western Oregon. She fell just short of a triple-double in Saturday’s four-set win over Saint Martin’s with 47 assists, seven aces and eight digs.

Central Washington senior middle blocker Leanna Shymanski was named the Defensive Player of the Week for her 12 blocks and 13 kills in a sweep of the Alaska schools. Shymanski finished with seven blocks and seven kills in Thursday’s win over Alaska and then had five blocks and six kills in CWU’s sweep of Alaska Anchorage.

Montana State Billings senior forward Taryn Shelley earned the first Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award after she averaged 18.7 points and nine rebounds per game in the D2CCA Tip Off at the Trailhead tournament in Billings. Shelley finished with 25 points and nine rebounds in Friday’s win over Minot State. She then had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday’s 71-67 loss to No. 1 Lubbock Christian before closing with 17 points in Sunday’s 66-55 win over Kutztown. The performance also earned Shelley selection to the All-Tournament Team.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 11
FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE
Quincy Glasper (Central Washington, QB, 6-3, Fr., Stockton, Calif. – Bear Creek): Glasper passed for a career-high 452 yards and threw five touchdowns in Central Washington’s 54-29 win at Western New Mexico. He also ran nine times for 46 yards to finish with 498 yards of total offense. It was the 13th best passing performance in GNAC history and the second-best for a CWU quarterback in the GNAC era. Also Nominated: Thomas Wright (Western Oregon).

FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE
Zach Stecklein (Central Washington, DL, 6-6, Sr., Mt. Horeb, Wis. – St. Cloud State Univ.): Stecklein finished with six tackles, including three tackles for loss for 17 yards, two sacks for 14 yards and a forced fumble in Central Washington’s 54-29 win at Western New Mexico. Also Nominated: Jaylin Parnell (Western Oregon).

FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS
Curtis Anderson (Western Oregon, DB, 6-2, Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore. – Mazama): Anderson returned three kickoffs for 65 yards, including a long return of 30 yards, in the Wolves’ 45-7 loss at Chadron State. Defensively, Anderson also finished with six tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.

MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Jason Fairhurst (Saint Martin’s, F, 6-0, Sr., Snohomish, Wash. – Snohomish): Fairhurst tallied both goals for the Saints in the 39th and 71st minutes in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Northwest Nazarene. Fairhurst played all 90 minutes and finished with six shots. Also Nominated: Marvin Putu (Montana State Billings), Alex Mejia (Seattle Pacific), Bjorn Borren (Simon Fraser), Alex Whiting (Western Washington).

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Luca Battistotti (Montana State Billings, D, 5-10, Sr., San Rocco al Porto, Italy – Liceo Scientifico Melchiorre Giola): Battistotti led a Montana State Billings’ defense that allowed just one goal in a 1-0-1 week. The Yellowjackets held WWU to just one goal in the 84th minute in a 1-1 tie on Thursday. The team then held Simon Fraser scoreless against 15 shots in a 3-0 shutout on Saturday. Also Nominated: Hunter Askland (Saint Martin’s), Brandon Locke (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Giuliana Zaurrini (Simon Fraser, F, 5-5, So., Burnaby, B.C. – Alpha): Zaurrini provided the goal that sent Simon Fraser to the postseason, scoring a penalty kick in the 105th minute in SFU’s 1-0 double-overtime victory at Western Oregon. Zaurrini had 12 shots in the contest, seven on goal, and the goal clinched the No. 4 seed in the GNAC Championships. Also Nominated: Sophia Keenan (Central Washington), Haylee Gunter (Montana State Billings), Madison Grande (Northwest Nazarene), Rebecca Garrison (Saint Martin’s), Sophia Chilczuk (Seattle Pacific), Hannah Rispler (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Natalie Dierickx (Western Washington, GK, 5-7, Sr., Kirkland, Wash. – Colorado State Univ.): Dierickx made 11 saves in two matches as the Vikings secured the No. 2 seed in the GNAC Championships. Dierickx made seven saves in Western Washington’s 1-1 tie with Western Oregon on Thursday and then finished with four saves in Saturday’s 1-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s. Also Nominated: Ali Campigotto (Saint Martin’s), Nicole Anderson (Simon Fraser), Olivia Holdenried (Western Oregon).

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Julia Tays (Simon Fraser, S, 5-10, Sr., Winnipeg, Man. – St. Mary’s Academy): Tays averaged 11.62 assists, 2.25 digs and one service ace per set as Simon Fraser moved into second place in the GNAC standings. Tays registered a double-double of 46 assists and 10 digs with an ace in Thursday’s four-set win over Western Oregon. On Saturday, Tays was close to a triple-double with totals of 47 assists, seven aces and eight digs in the four-set win over Saint Martin’s. Also Nominated: Cate Whiting (Alaska), Ashley Kaufman (Central Washington), Emily Gooding (Saint Martin’s), Lauren Smith (Western Oregon), Chloe Roetcisoender (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Leanna Shymanski (Central Washington, MB, 6-0, Sr., Kennewick, Wash. – Kamiakan): Shymanski averaged two blocks per set to go with 2.17 kills per set and a .688 hitting percentage to help lead the Wildcats to a sweep of the Alaska schools at home. Shymanski finished with seven blocks and seven kills in Thursday’s three-set win over Alaska. She then finished with five blocks and six kills in Saturday’s three-set sweep of Alaska Anchorage. Also Nominated: Sophie Schilling (Alaska), Caroline McMahon (Northwest Nazarene), Kylie Alos (Saint Martin’s), Bianca Te (Simon Fraser), Aubrey Stanton (Western Oregon), Kasey Woodruff (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings, F, 6-3, Sr., Shoreline, Wash. – Washington State Univ.): Shelley averaged 18.7 points and nine rebounds per game as she was named to the All-Tournament Team at the D2CCA Tip Off Classic at the Trailhead. Shelley led all scorers with 25 points on 12 of 22 from the field to go with nine rebounds and three blocks in Friday’s 72-66 win over Minot State. She notched a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday’s 67-61 loss to defending national champion Lubbock Christian and then finished with 17 points and seven rebounds on 7 of 10 from the field in Sunday’s 66-55 win over Kutztown. Also Nominated: Jessica Wisotzki (Simon Fraser).