Monday, January 18, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – The majority of the top performances in the league this week came from north of the 49th parallel as Alaska Anchorage and Simon Fraser claimed six of this week’s GNAC Player of the Week selections.

The Seawolves netted four awards from men’s basketball and indoor track and field. Simon Fraser collected two honors in women’s basketball and track while GNAC newcomer Concordia netted one award in track in their first week in Division II competition in the sport.

Spencer Svejcar was tabbed as the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week as he played a key role in keeping the Seawolves as the only undefeated team in GNAC play. The junior averaged 20.5 points per game in the two contests. He netted 22 points and went 4 of 6 from three-point range, which included a game-tying trey with three seconds left in regulation and the go-ahead three in overtime, in the team’s 100-91 win on Saturday over in-state rival Alaska. For the week, Svejcar went 12 of 21 from the field and 9 of 14 from outside the arc.

Multi-event specialists Cody Thomas and Karolin Anders lead Alaska Anchorage’s three track Athlete of the Week picks. Thomas was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after placing second in the heptathlon at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. His total of 5,324 points is No. 2 in Division II and provisionally qualifies him for the NCAA Division II Championships. He also hit a provisional qualifying mark in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 8.75 inches.

Anders shares Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after she placed second in the pentathlon at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. Like Thomas, Anders finds herself leading Division II early and provisionally qualified for nationals. Her score of 3,813 points was just nine points off her personal best of 3,822 points, which is No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list. Anders also won the pentathlon long jump with a NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 18 feet, 7.75 inches.

Jamie Ashcroft was named the GNAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won both the 60 meters and the 200 meters and provisionally qualified for nationals in both events at the Jacoby Invitational. Ashcroft won the 60 meters in 7.66 seconds, finshing just .06 seconds off of her own GNAC record, and won the 200 meters in 24.82 seconds. She is currently No. 10 in Division II in the 200 and No. 15 in the 60.

Simon Fraser’s Elisa Homer was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after a record-tying performance in the Clan’s two road wins. She tied the GNAC single game record with nine three-pointers in SFU’s 84-54 victory at Saint Martin’s on Saturday in which she scored 32 points. She also contributed 15 points and four rebounds in Simon Fraser’s 76-47 win at Seattle Pacific on Thursday.

Marc-Antoine Rouleau gave Simon Fraser their first track award of the season with the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week award. Rouleau was the top non-Division I or open placer in the 3,000 meters at the UW Preview. His time of 8:11.17 was a five-second personal best and moved him into No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list. He currently sits No. 2 in Division II.

Concordia’s McKenzie Warren shares the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week award after a record performance in the Cavaliers’ first meet as Division II members. Warren shattered the GNAC record in shot put at the UW Preview, placing second with a mark of 53 feet, 3.75 inches. That well surpassed the previous record of 48 feet, 9.5 inches set by Central Washington’s Krissy Tandle in 2009. Warren currently has Division II’s best performance in the event.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 20
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Spencer Svejcar (Alaska Anchorage, G, 6-4, 190, Jr., Arvada, Colo. – Laramie County CC): Svejcar averaged 20.5 points per game as he played in key role in maintaining the Seawolves’ unblemished GNAC record. He scored 19 points on 6 of 10 from the field 5 of 8 from three-point range in Alaska Anchorage’s 81-61 win on Tuesday over Montana State Billings. Svejcar then scored 22 points on 7 of 13 from the field and 4 of 6 from three-point range, including a three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation to force overtime, in UAA’s 100-91 overtime win at Alaska. He also scored the go-ahead three-pointer in overtime. Also Nominated: Andy Avgi (Western Oregon), Gilles Dierickx (Seattle Pacific), Trey Dreschel (Western Washington), Emmanuel Johnson (Montana State Billings), Fred Jorg (Saint Martin’s), Drew Martin (Concordia), Bouna N’Diaye (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Elisa Homer (Simon Fraser, G, 5-10, So., North Vancouver, B.C. - Handsworth): Homer averaged 23.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in two wins for the Clan, hitting 14 of 32 from the field and 12 of 27 from three-point range. She scored 15 points to go along with four rebounds in SFU’s 76-47 road win over Seattle Pacific on Thursday. In Saturday’s 84-54 win at Saint Martin’s Homer poured in 32 points on 10 of 21 from the field. She went 9 of 18 from three-point range, tying the GNAC single game record for three-pointers made. Also Nominated: Alisha Breen (Montana State Billings), Jenna Buchanan (Alaska Anchorage), Ellie Logan (Northwest Nazarene), Ali Nelke (Western Oregon), Taylor Peacocke (Western Washington), Megan Wiedeman (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S TRACK
Marc-Antoine Rouleau (Simon Fraser, So., Sherbrooke, Que. – Univ. of Sherbrooke): Rouleau opened his indoor season with a five-second personal best and NCAA Championships provisional qualifier in the 3,000 meters at the UW Preview, placing seventh in 8:11.17. He was the first non Division I or open athlete to finish. The performance moves Rouleau up to No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list in the event and currently sits No. 2 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Kyle McLaughlin (Northwest Nazarene), Travis Milbrandt (Western Washington), Carlos Ortiz (Concordia), Robert Peterson (Montana State Billings), Batane Sultessa (Western Oregon).

MEN’S FIELD
Cody Thomas (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Blenheim, New Zealand – Marlborough Boy’s College): Thomas opened his indoor season by placing second in the heptathlon at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. His total of 5,324 points is a NCAA provisional qualifying mark and currently ranks No. 2 Division II. In the process, Thomas was an individual event winner in the high jump (6-8.75), earning a NCAA provisional qualifying mark, and in the long jump (22-11). Also Nominated: Nels Flanagan (Montana State Billings), Josh Koch (Concordia), Payton Lewis (Northwest Nazarene), Vlad Tsygankov (Simon Fraser).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Jamie Ashcroft (Alaska Anchorage, Jr., Shawnigan Lake, B.C. – Frances Kelsey): Ashcroft earned two NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks and won two races at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. She captured the 60 meters in 7.66 seconds, a performance just .06 seconds off her own GNAC record and currently No. 15 in Division II. She also won the 200 meters in 24.82 seconds and sits No. 10 in Division II. Also Nominated: Megan Fristoe (Concordia), Valid Kabia (Simon Fraser), Della Lyle (Montana State Billings), Lexi Tubbs (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Karolin Anders (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Berlin, Germany – Werner-Seelenbinder): Anders opened the season by placing second in the pentathlon and setting a NCAA championships provisional mark at the Ed Jacoby Invitational. Her point total of 3,813 points leads Division II and is just nine points off her personal best and No. 2 GNAC all-time total of 3,822. In the process, Anders won the long jump (18-7.75), setting a NCAA provisional mark in the process.

KcKenzie Warren (Concordia, So., Sandy, Ore. – Mt. Hood CC) – In Concordia’s first meet as a GNAC meet, Warren shattered the conference’s record in the shot put with a mark of 53 feet, 3.75 inches, placing second at the UW Preview. The performance is currently the best this season in Division II. She also went on to finish 13th in the weight throw at 50 feet, 4 inches. Also Nominated: Emmi Collier (Western Oregon), Taylor Van Valey (Northwest Nazarene), Janessa Williams (Montana State Billings).