Monday, April 15, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – A record performance on the golf course by Western Washington’s Ethan Casto and two more school record performances in track and field by Northwest Nazarene’s Jake Knight lead the GNAC Player of the Week selections.

Casto was named the final Men’s Golf Player of the Week for 2018-19 after he won the Mustang Intercollegiate by two strokes. His three-round score of 15-under-par 201 is the lowest shot by a GNAC player during the spring portion of the season and was one short of the all-time record of 200 shot by the Vikings’ Jake Koppenberg in 2007. His first-round score of 7-under-par 65 was just the ninth round of 65 or less shot by a GNAC golfer in the spring season.

Knight earned the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award after he re-set his own records in the shot put and discus at the NNU Open on Saturday. He won the shot put with a mark of 60 feet, 0.25 inches, a mark that is No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 4 in Division II this season. Knight also won the discus with a mark of 178 feet, 5 inches, moving him into No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 8 in Division II this season.

Also among the record-setters is Saint Martin’s junior pitcher Tanner Inouye, who was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he allowed two runs on six hits with 11 strikeouts in six innings in a 5-2 win over Central Washington on Friday. In the process, Inouye became the Saints’ all-time strikeouts leader with 66.

Western Washington freshman Karlington Anunagba is closing in on record territory in the 100 meters, earning him Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors for the second straight week. Anunagba won the event at the Jay Hammer Invitational with a time of 10.33 seconds. The performance is No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List and is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier. He is currently No. 3 in Division II this season.

Simon Fraser senior Miryam Bassett was selected as the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she took second in the 1,500 meters at the UCSD Triton Invitational. Her time of 4:38.91 ranks No. 11 in Division II this season. Central Washington senior HarLee Ortega was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the high jump and long jump at the CWU Wildcat Invitational. Her winning mark of 5 feet, 5.75 inches in the high jump is second in the GNAC this season.

Concordia senior Shantel Antonio was named the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she finished in a three-way tie for first place at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational. She carded a score of 4-over-par 148 to lead the Cavaliers to the team title by two strokes.

Montana State Billings’ sophomore Wyatt Setian earned the Baseball Player of the Week award after he batted .333 in the four-game series with Western Oregon, going 6 for 18 with six runs, seven RBI, three doubles and two home runs. He highlighted his weekend by going 3 for 5 with four RBI and a grand slam that opened scoring for MSUB in the 23-10 win on Saturday.

Central Washington junior Julia Reuble was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .571 and had a 1.286 slugging percentage in the four-game series at Montana State Billings, going 8 for 14 with four runs, six RBI, one double and three home runs. She capped her week by going 4 for 5 in Sunday’s first game, which included a solo home run and an RBI single.

Western Oregon freshman Maddie Mayer picked up the Softball Pitcher of the Week award after she picked up three of the Wolves’ four victories on the week. In 19 innings, she allowed five runs on 16 hits with five walks and 13 strikeouts. She threw a five-inning shutout against Montana State Billings on Monday and a four-hit shutout against Concordia on Saturday.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 33
BASEBALL PLAYER
Wyatt Setian (Montana State Billings, SS, 5-10, So., Post Falls, Idaho – Post Falls): Setian led the Yellowjackets in their series split over Western Oregon with a .333 batting average, going 6 for 18 with six runs, seven RBI, three doubles and two home runs. Setian hit his first home run of the series, a solo shot, in the 12-9 opening-game loss on Friday. He opened Saturday’s doubleheader by going 3 for 5 with two runs and four RBI. He opened MSUB’s scoring with a second-inning grand slam in the 23-10 victory. Setian closed by going 2 for 4 in the nightcap with a two-RBI double in the sixth. Also Nominated: Liam Knowles (Concordia), Kyle Redford (Northwest Nazarene), Aaron Reynaud (Saint Martin’s), Jared McDonald (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Tanner Inouye (Saint Martin’s, RHP, 6-0, Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii – Moanalua): Inouye allowed two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out 11 in six innings of work to lead the Saints in a 5-2 victory over Central Washington on Friday. In the process of his third win of the year, Inouye became Saint Martin’s all-time strikeout leader at 66. Also Nominated: Dylan Diaz (Concordia), Keven Mackintosh (Montana State Billings), Jalen Fuhriman (Northwest Nazarene), Connor McCord (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Julia Reuble (Central Washington, 1B, 5-8, Jr., Edmonds, Wash. – Meadowdale): Reuble led the Wildcats to a series win at Montana State Billings with a .571 batting average and 1.286 slugging percentage. She went 8 for 14 with four runs, six RBI, one double and three home runs. Reuble had an RBI single in a pinch-hitting appearance in Saturday’s opener and then went 3 for 4 in the nightcap with a pair of solo home runs. Reuble went 4 for 5 in Sunday’s first game, including another solo homer and an RBI single. Also Nominated: Marisa Stockton (Concordia), Trinity Favela (Saint Martin’s), Kennedy Coy (Western Oregon), Emily Benson (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Maddie Mayer (Western Oregon, LHP, 5-8, Fr., Portland, Ore. – Rex Putnam): Mayer earned three of the Wolves’ four wins on the week, amassing a 1.84 earned run average. She allowed five runs on 16 hits with five walks and 13 strikeouts in 19 innings. Mayer threw a two-hit, five-inning shutout in Monday’s opener against Montana State Billings, striking out five. Mayer threw a four-hit shutout with one walk and seven strikeouts in Saturday’s 5-0 second-game win over Concordia. She closed the week by allowing five runs on 10 hits with three walks and a strikeout in Sunday’s 7-5 first-game win. Also Nominated: Taylor Williams (Central Washington), Brandi Schoessler (Saint Martin’s), Anissa Zacharczuk (Simon Fraser), Makinlee Sellevold (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Karlington Anunagba (Western Washington, Fr., Lagos, Nigeria – Atlantic Hall): Anunagba earned his second consecutive award by winning the 100 meters at the Jay Hammer Invitational in a time of 10.33 seconds. The performance is the second-fastest in GNAC and WWU history and is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier that ranks third in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Bobby Widmar (Central Washington), Sam Zook (Montana State Billings), Logan Blake (Northwest Nazarene), Michael Russell (Saint Martin’s), Nathan Mah (Simon Fraser).

MEN’S FIELD
Jake Knight (Northwest Nazarene, Sr., Meridian, Idaho- Boise State Univ.): Knight won both the shot put and the discus at the NNU Open, resetting his school records in both events. He took the shot put with a mark of 60 feet, 0.25 inches, which ranks No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 4 in Division II this season. Knight won the discus with a mark of 178 feet, 5 inches, moving him to No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and No. 8 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Aidan Cain (Central Washington), Sam Nichols (Concordia), Micah Au-Haupu (Saint Martin's), Ben Malquist (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Miryam Bassett (Simon Fraser, Sr., Nanaimo, B.C. – Nanaimo District): Basset placed second in the 1,500 meters at the Triton Invitational in an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time of 4:28.91. The new personal best ranks No. 11 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Mariyah Vongsaveng (Central Washington), Macie Allen (Concordia), Ariya Kendrick (Saint Martin’s), Savannah Smith (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
HarLee Ortega(Central Washington, Sr., Payette, Idaho – Payette): Ortega won both the high jump and the long jump at the CWU Wildcat Invitational. Ortega cleared 5 feet, 5.75 inches in the high jump, winning by more than three inches. Ortega took the long jump with a mark of 18 feet, 4.25 inches, Ortega is now second in the GNAC this season in the high jump and fifth in the long jump. Also Nominated: Katrina Linenko (Concordia), Liz Larson (Saint Martin’s), Lexi Perry (Western Washington).

MEN’S GOLF
Ethan Casto (Western Washington, Jr., Snohomish, Wash. – Snohomish): Casto earned medalist honors at the Mustang Intercollegiate by two strokes, carding an impressive three-round score of 15-under-par 201. The performance produced the second-lowest three-round total in GNAC history while his first round score of 7-under-par 65 was just the ninth round of 65 or less shot by a GNAC golfer in the spring season. Casto led the Vikings to a second-place team finish, two strokes behind Colorado Mines. Also Nominated: Garrett Woodin (Montana State Billings), Max Turnquist (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Shantel Antonio (Concordia, Sr., Hilo, Hawaii – Univ. of Hawaii Hilo): Antonio finished in a three-way tie for first at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational, carding a 4-over-par 148. It was Antonio’s third victory of the season and her fourth top-10 finish. She led the Cavaliers to the team title by two strokes.