Monday, September 21, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – Blazing speed on the cross country course and a pair of solid season-opening performances on the links lead the list of week three honorees for the GNAC Players of the Week.

Seattle Pacific’s Anna Patti was recognized for the second time as the GNAC Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week while Simon Fraser’s Oliver Jorgensen earned his first selection as Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week. Patti was an eight-second winner in the women’s open race at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle, covering the 6,000-meter course in 21:11.82.

Jorgensen finished second in a three-man race in Sundodger’s men’s open race, covering the 8,000-meter course in 24:12.68. He was the top GNAC finisher in the race and led the Clan to a second place team finish.

In the first week of honorees in the fall golf season, Simon Fraser’s Chris Crisologo and Montana State Billings’ Anna DeMars posted the week’s top performances. Crisologo, a sophomore, won the Saint Martin’s Invitational with a seven-under-par 206, the lowest three-round total ever shot in the tournament by a GNAC golfer. His third round of eight-under-par 63 was not only the lowest ever shot by a Simon Fraser golfer, but tied for the second lowest 18-hole round in GNAC history.

This week’s honor roll includes a third straight Football Offensive Player of the Week selection for Humboldt State, a pair of soccer goalkeepers honored for shutout performances and a second consecutive selection for Western Washington’s Rachel Roeder as the Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 3
FOOTBALL
Offensive: Robert Webber (Humboldt State, QB, 5-10, 180, So., Corona, Calif. – Corona Centennial): Webber led a solid Humboldt State air attack in the Lumberjacks’ 66-7 rout of Dixie State. He completed 15 of 18 passes for 299 yards threw for three touchdowns. In three games, Webber is averaging 205.5 passing yards per game and has a pass efficiency rating of 213.1, which leads Division II. Also Nominated: Blake Barney (Dixie State), Trent McKinney (South Dakota Mines), Kurt Scoby (Azusa Pacific), Jordan Todd (Central Washington).

Defensive: Errik Manning (Azusa Pacific, LB, 6-1, 240, Sr., Necedah, Wis. – Coll. Of the Desert): Manning led Azusa Pacific in their defensive-minded 16-10 win at Simon Fraser, finishing with 10 tackles (eight solo) with two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. The leading APU tackler, Manning is tied for eighth in the GNAC with 21 tackles. Also Nominated: Cameron Buell (Humboldt State), Cedrique Chaney (Central Washington).

Special Teams: Jesse Zalk (Central Washington, WR/KR, 5-8, 160, Jr., Battle Ground, Wash. - Prairie): Zalk finished with 200 all-purpose yards in their 40-19 win over Western Oregon. He had 186 yards on seven returns (four kickoff, three punts), including a 79-yard punt return for a touchdown that put the Wildcats up 14-6 in the first quarter. Zalk leads the GNAC and is ranked 11th in Division II in punt returns (18.8 yards per return). Also Nominated: Nick Sharpe (Humboldt State).

MEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Julio Castillo (Northwest Nazarene, M, 5-7, 140, Sr., Tijuana, Mexico – Chula Vista): Castillo finished with three assists and created the opportunity for both of the Crusaders’ game-winners. He assisted on Abraham Placito’s game-winner in a 1-0 non-conference win at Dominican and added a pair of assists, including the game-winner, in a 3-0 GNAC-opening win over Concordia. Castillo is ranked eighth in Division II in total assists and 13th with 0.83 assists per match. Also Nominated: David Loeung (Montana State Billings), Brady Ulen (Western Washington).

Defensive: Cody Lang (Seattle Pacific, GK, 6-4, 175, Jr., Spokane, Wash. – Lewis & Clark): Lang posted his fifth shutout of the season and extended his season scoreless streak to 453 minutes in a 1-0 GNAC victory at Saint Martin’s. His five saves was his most in a match this season and his diving stop in the 51st minute stopped the Saints’ best chance to preserve the shutout. Lang is tied for first in Division II in both save percentage and goals against average. Also Nominated: Cameron Lee (Montana State Billings), Abraham Placito (Northwest Nazarene), Tyler Visten (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER
Offensive: Nicole Nsa (Northwest Nazarene, F, 5-7, Sr., Lakewood, Calif. – Paradise Valley CC): Nsa finished with a the fourth goal in three matches and assisted on two others as the Crusaders closed non-conference play with a 5-0 shutout of Rocky Mountain on Thursday. Her four goals ranks 42nd in Division II and her 10 points ranks 45th. Also Nominated: Jessica Spang (Montana State Billings), Emily Webster (Western Washington).

Defensive: Priya Sandhu (Simon Fraser, GK, 5-7, So., Surrey, B.C. - Tamanawis): Sandhu made nine saves and earned her third shutout of the season as the Clan battled No. 7 Seattle Pacific to a 0-0 tie. Her tally included a pair of saves on point-blank shots in regulation time. The sophomore has allowed just one goal in four matches and her 0.31 goals against average is 14th in Division II. Also Nominated: Chloe Hopps (Montana State Billings), Mabinty Kanu (Northwest Nazarene), Sierra Shugarts (Western Washington), Molly Stinson (Seattle Pacific).

VOLLEYBALL
Offensive: Rachel Roeder (Western Washington, OH, 6-1, Sr., Sammamish, Wash. – Issaquah): Roeder earned her second straight GNAC honor after finishing with 28 kills and a .463 hitting percentage in two GNAC matches. After posting nine kills in Thursday’s sweep of Saint Martin’s, Roeder pounded 19 kills and had a .581 hitting percentage in a sweep of Seattle Pacific. Roeder ranks in the GNAC’s top-1o in both season hitting percentage (.295) and kills (3.09 per set). Also Nominated: Alisha Bettinson (Western Oregon), Kendra Bodine (Northwest Nazarene), Catie Fry (Central Washington), Christine Howlett (Simon Fraser), Leah Swiss (Alaska Anchorage), Ashlynn Ward (Montana State Billings).

Defensive: Katelynn Zanders (Alaska Anchorage, OH, 5-9, Sr., Anchorage, Alaska - South): Zanders led the No. 12 ranked Seawolves with 29 digs (4.14 digs per set) in two GNAC victories. She had a massive double-double of 17 digs and 22 kills in a four-set win over Western Oregon and added 12 kills and 10 digs in a three-set weep of Concordia. The senior leads the GNAC in kills (4.19 per set) and is 14th in digs. Also Nominated: Jenna Caywood (Northwest Nazarene), Liz Colon (Saint Martin’s), Jennica McPherson (Western Washington).

CROSS COUNTRY
Men: Oliver Jorgensen (Simon Fraser, Jr., Abbotsford, B.C. – Robert Bantem): Jorgensen finished second at the Sundodger Invitational, covering the 8,000-meter course in 24:12.15 in a race that saw the top three finishers cross the line within three seconds of each other. He led Simon Fraser to a second place team finish. Also Nominated: Isaac Derline (Western Washington), Isaac Mitchell (Northwest Nazarene), Jasper Heckman (Saint Martin’s), Robert Peterson (Montana State Billings).

Women: Anna Patti (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Renton, Wash. - Lindbergh): Patti won her third race of the season, taking top honors at the Sundodger Invitational with a time of 21:11.82 for 6,000 meters. She was the first GNAC individual winner at the Sundodger since 2010. She had an eight-second lead over the second place runner and averaged 5:41 per mile. Also Nominated: Taylor Guenther (Western Washington), Larissa Kolasinski (Saint Martin’s), Sierra Manzer (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S GOLF
Chris Crisologo (Simon Fraser, So., Richmond, B.C. – Vancouver Coll.): Crisologo earned medalist honors in the season-opening Saint Martin’s Invitational, carding a seven-under-par 206 over the three rounds, tying the GNAC three-round record for the event. He set a tournament record of eight-under-par 63 in the final round, which was also one stroke off the Olympia Country & Golf Club course record. It was also the lowest round ever carded by a Simon Fraser golfer and is tied for the second lowest round ever shot in GNAC competition. Also Nominated: Brett Johnson (Western Washington), Scott Larson (Montana State Billings), Jack Strickland (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Anna DeMars (Montana State Billings, Fr., Townsend, Mont. – Broadwater): DeMars tied for third place at the RMAC North Tournament as she competed as an individual for the Yellowjackets. She tied for third with a 12-over-par 156 and shot one of the tournament’s lowest rounds when she carded a three-over-par 75 on the second day.