Monday, September 26, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – The first major golf tournament of the 2022-23 season brought together all five GNAC men’s and women’s golf teams and also provided for a pair of GNAC Player of the Week selections.

Simon Fraser senior Aidan Goodfellow earned the first Men’s Golf Player of the Week award for the season after he earned medalist honors at the Saint Martin’s Bishop Invitational. Goodfellow carded a two-round score of 6-under-par 138 to finish one stroke ahead of two other conference competitors. He led the Red Leafs to the team title with a score of 569.

Western Washington senior Megan Billeter earned the Women’s Golf Player of the Week honor for her four-stroke win at the SMU Bishop Invitational. Billeter carded a two-round score of 1-under-par 143, which included a tournament-low round of 2-under-par 70 in the final 18 holes. She led Western Washington to the team title with a score of 603.

The Vikings also picked up the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week in freshman Albin Jonsson, who scored three goals in the Vikings’ first two GNAC matches. Jonsson scored the final two goals and assisted on the first goal in Thursday’s 5-2 win over Saint Martin’s. He then scored the game-winner in Saturday’s 2-0 shutout of Western Oregon.

Seattle Pacific junior Jacqueline Blakeley was named the Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for her two-goal, one-assist performance in two victories. Blakeley contributed the game-winner in the 15th minute and assisted on the first goal in Thursday’s 2-1 win over Western Oregon. She was responsible for an insurance goal in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Saint Martin’s.

Northwest Nazarene swept the soccer defensive honors. Junior goalkeeper Sawyer Price was named the Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for his three saves in Saturday’s 3-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s. Junior defender Makayla Roggow is the Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for her role in anchoring the Nighthawks’ defense in a pair of shutouts, a 3-0 win over Simon Fraser on Thursday and a 0-0 tie with Western Washington on Saturday.

Alaska Anchorage senior right-side hitter Eve Stephens earned her fourth Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week award of the season after she averaged 4.72 kills, 2.43 digs and 0.57 blocks per set in two wins. Stephens finished with 21 kills, three assists, seven digs and a block in Thursday’s three-set sweep of No. 10 Western Washington. She then finished with a double-double of 12 kills and 10 digs with three blocks in a four-set win over Simon Fraser on Saturday.

Alaska senior libero Jessa Long averaged 7.75 digs per set in eight sets to earn Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week honors. Long finished with 28 digs, seven assists and three aces in Thursday’s four-set win over Simon Fraser. She added totals of 34 digs and two assists in Saturday’s four-set loss to Western Washington.

The WWU Bill Roe Classic yielded both cross country honorees. Alaska Anchorage sophomore Coleman Nash was named the Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week for his second-place finish as he covered the 8,000-meter course in a time of 24:25.8. Western Washington sophomore Mia Crocker earned Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors for her fourth-place finish, covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 22:02.1.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 6
MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Albin Jonsson (Western Washington, F, 6-0, Fr., Skellefteå, Sweden – Baldergymnasiet): Jonsson scored three goals to help lead the Vikings to two wins to open GNAC play. Jonsson contributed WWU’s two final goals and assisted on the opening goal in a 5-2 road win over Saint Martin’s on Thursday. He then scored the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 2-0 shutout of Western Oregon. Also Nominated: Jake Levine (Northwest Nazarene), Alex Brown (Seattle Pacific), Devin O’Hea (Simon Fraser).

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Sawyer Price (Northwest Nazarene, GK, 6-3, Jr., Olympia, Wash. – Olympia): In the Nighthawks’ first match in two weeks, Price made three saves to help lead NNU to a 3-0 shutout of Saint Martin’s on Saturday to open conference play. Also Nominated: Lars Helleren (Seattle Pacific), Justyn Sandhu (Simon Fraser), Gus Diehl (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Jacqueline Blakeley (Seattle Pacific, F, 5-10, Jr., Portland, Ore. - LaSalle): Blakeley scored the game-winning goal in the 15th minute and assisted on the opening goal in the sixth minute of Thursday’s 2-1 home win over Western Oregon. She added an insurance goal in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Saint Martin’s. Blakeley finished the week with seven shots, four of which were on goal. Also Nominated: Alejandro Jaramillo (Northwest Nazarene), Kaylese Callender (Simon Fraser), Tera Ziemer (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Makayla Roggow (Northwest Nazarene, D, 5-8, Jr., Kelso, Wash. – Kelso): Roggow anchored a Northwest Nazarene defense that posted a pair of shutouts. On Thursday, the Nighthawks held Simon Fraser to three shots on goal in a 3-0 shutout of Simon Fraser. Western Washington also had four shots on goal on Saturday but could not break through the NNU backline in a 0-0 tie. Roggow played all 180 minutes last week. Also Nominated: Kathryn Nyone (Seattle Pacific), Claire Henninger (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Eve Stephens (Alaska Anchorage, RS, 6-1, Sr., Palmer, Alaska – Colony): Stephens averaged 4.71 kills, 2.43 digs and 0.57 blocks per set to lead the Seawolves to two more GNAC victories. Stephens came up with 21 kills, three assists, seven digs and a block in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Western Washington, the Vikings’ first three-set loss in conference play since 2015. Stephens ended the week with a double-double of 12 kills and 10 digs with three blocks in a four-set win over Simon Fraser. Also Nominated: Karli Nielson (Alaska), Ashley Kaufman (Central Washington), Olivia Wright (Northwest Nazarene), Brooke Dexter (Simon Fraser), Olivia Fairchild (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Jessa Long (Alaska, L, 5-4, Sr., Dixon, Ill. – Florida A&M Univ.): Long averaged 7.75 digs per set in a pair of four-set efforts for the Nanooks. On Thursday, Long finished with 28 digs to go with seven assists and three aces in the victory over Simon Fraser. She returned on Saturday for 34 digs and two assists in a loss to No. 10 Western Washington.  Also Nominated: Ellen Floyd (Alaska Anchorage), Hannah Stires (Central Washington), Caroline McMahon (Northwest Nazarene), Allison Wilks (Seattle Pacific), Ava Khademi (Simon Fraser), Kasey Woodruff (Western Washington).

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Coleman Nash (Alaska Anchorage, So., Littleton, Colo. – Chatfield): Nash finished second at the WWU Bill Roe Classicon Saturday, covering the 8,000-meter course in a time of 24:25.8. The top collegiate finisher in the race, Nash averaged 4 minutes, 55 seconds per mile and finished 12 seconds ahead of third-place Kevin McDermott on Western Washington. Nash’s victory led the Seawolves to a sixth-place team finish. Also Nominated: Charlie Dannatt (Simon Fraser), Kevin McDermott (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Mia Crocker (Western Washington, So., Sammamish, Wash.- Skyline): Crocker was the top collegiate finisher at the WWU Bill Roe Classic on Saturday. She placed fourth, covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 22:02.1 and was 18 seconds ahead of the next collegiate competitor. She averaged 5 minutes, 55 seconds per mile. Crocker led the Vikings to the team title with a score of 53 points. Also Nominated: Grace Chalk (Simon Fraser).

MEN’S GOLF
Aidan Goodfellow (Simon Fraser, Sr., Parksville, B.C. – Kwalilkum): Goodfellow opened his senior season by earning medalist honors at the SMU Bishop Invitational. Goodfellow carded a two-round score of 6-under-par 138 to finish one stroke ahead of Western Washington’s Ryan Ho and Montana State Billings’ Dawson Strobel. His tournament included a round of 4-under-par 68 in the opening round. Goodfellow led Simon Fraser to the team victory with a team score of 569. Also Nominated: Dawson Strobel (Montana State Billings), Grayson Giboney (Northwest Nazarene), Ryan Ho (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Megan Billeter (Western Washington, Sr., Spokane, Wash. – Mount Spokane): Billeter was the medalist at the SMU Bishop Invitational by four strokes, carding a two-round score of 1-under-par 143. Her scorecard included a tournament-low 2-under-par 70 in the final round. Billeter led the Vikings to the team title with a score of 603, five strokes ahead of Simon Fraser. Also Nominated: Elle McCord (Northwest Nazarene), Izzy Ferguson (Simon Fraser).