Monday, January 20, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – It was a record week for Saint Martin’s senior forward Bria Thames and Montana State Billings senior guard Tyler Green, who lead the latest list of GNAC Player of the Week honorees.

Thames was selected as the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she set the GNAC single-game record for rebounds in Saturday’s 53-47 win over Concordia. She pulled down 29 boards, smashing the previous record of 24 by Simon Fraser’s Nayo Raincock-Eknuwe in 2012. It is the third-biggest rebound total in all divisions of NCAA women’s basketball this season. Thames also scored 14 points to make it a double-double performance.

In Thursday’s 71-64 win over Western Oregon, Thames had another impressive double-double as she finished with 14 points and 19 rebounds. For the week, Thames finished with 28 points and 48 rebounds, making 10 of 22 from the field and 8 of 12 from the free-throw line.

Green earned the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award after he tied the GNAC single-game record for three-pointers made with 12 in Thursday’s 96-67 rout of Saint Martin’s. The 12 ties the mark set by Alaska Anchorage’s Kyle Fossman in 2014 and is the most three-pointers made this season in all divisions of NCAA men’s basketball. Green finished with a total of 38 points in the game, shooting 13 of 18 from the field and 12 of 17 from beyond the arc.

Green turned around to finish with 19 points in Saturday’s 83-72 loss at league-leading Seattle Pacific. For the week, Green finished with 57 points, shooting 19 of 33 from the field and 16 of 28 from three-point range.

The track at the Dempsey Indoor Center in Seattle provided all four Track & Field Athlete of the Week awards as eight GNAC teams competed at the UW Preview. Western Oregon junior Derek Holdsworth was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning the 800 meters in a time of 1:50.02. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 6 this season across all collegiate divisions. Holdsworth also ran the anchor leg on the Wolves’ 4x400-meter relay team, which placed fourth in a time of 3:19.47.

Simon Fraser senior Addy Townsend earned Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after she placed eighth in the mile, clocking a time of 4:49.03. An NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time, it ranks Townsend third in Division II so far this season. She finished third among all college competitors in the race.

Concordia swept the Field Athlete of the Week awards in the Cavaliers’ opening competition of the indoor season. Junior Jakob Chamberlin earned the men’s award after he finished fourth in the shot put with a lifetime best mark of 55 feet, 0.75 inches. An NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark, Chamberlin ranks 15th in Division II this season while also ranking No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Senior Kori Sprague was selected for the women’s honor after she finished third in the weight throw with a mark of 59 feet, 11.75 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying performance ranks No. 2 on the GNAC All-Time List and currently ranks No. 7 in Division II this season. Sprague trailed just two Division I competitors in the event.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 21
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Tyler Green (Montana State Billings, G, 5-10, Sr., Redding, Calif. – Humboldt State): Green led the Yellowjackets to a split at the Puget Sound schools with 57 points and six assists. Green tied the GNAC single-game record with 12 three-pointers made in Thursday’s 96-67 rout of Saint Martin’s. He matched the mark set by Kyle Fossman of Alaska Anchorage in 2014. It is also the most by an NCAA player this season in all divisions. Green scored 38 points in the win, shooting 13 of 18 from the field and 12 of 17 from outside. Green then added 19 points in Saturday’s 83-72 loss at Seattle Pacific. For the week, Green shot 57.6 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point range. Also Nominated: Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska), Hunter Sweet (Concordia), Ezekiel Alley (Northwest Nazarene), Demonte Malloy (Saint Martin’s), Harry Cavell (Seattle Pacific), Othniel Spence (Simon Fraser), Jalen Green (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Bria Thames (Saint Martin’s, F, 6-0, Sr., Beaverton, Ore. – Umpqua CC): Thames led the Saints to a two-win week with 28 points and 48 rebounds. She set a GNAC single-game record with 29 rebounds in Saturday 53-47 win over Concordia, breaking the previous record of 24 set by Simon Fraser’s Nayo Raincock-Eknuwe in 2012, and is the third-most by an NCAA player this season in all divisions. Thames also scored 14 points for a double-double. Thames also had a double-double of 14 points and 19 rebounds in Thursday’s 71-64 win over Western Oregon. Also Nominated: Nakiyah LeSure (Concordia), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), Erin Jenkins (Northwest Nazarene), Ashlynn Burgess (Seattle Pacific), Jessica Jones (Simon Fraser), Amber Winkler (Western Oregon), Anna Schwecke (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Derek Holdsworth (Western Oregon, Jr., Williamsburg, Va. – Trinidad CC): Holdsworth opened his Western Oregon career in big fashion, winning the 800 meters at the UW Preview in a time of 1:50.02. He finished just ahead of 2018 IAAF World Championships silver medalist Drew Windle for the win. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time is the best in Division II this season, is No. 3 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 6 in the nation this season across all college divisions. Holdsworth also ran the anchor leg on the Wolves’ fourth-place 4x400-meter relay team. Also Nominated: Daniel Calderon-Hernandez (Central Washington), Jordan Gloden (Concordia), Logan Blake (Northwest Nazarene), Michael Russell (Saint Martin’s), Jeremiah Lauzon (Simon Fraser), Drew Weber (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Jakob Chamberlin (Concordia, Jr., Bellingham, Wash. – Bellingham): Chamberlin returned from a redshirt season with a solid performance at the UW Preview. The junior finished fourth in the shot put with a lifetime best of 55 feet, 0.75 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is 15th in Division II this season and is No. 5 on the GNAC All-Time List. Chamberlin also placed seventh in the weight throw with a mark of 58 feet, 5.25 inches. He was the top Division II competitor in both events. Also Nominated: Ethan Tonder (Central Washington), Colton Sedlack (Northwest Nazarene), Tyler Cronk (Saint Martin’s), Devin Hasher (Western Oregon), Bryan Lee (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Addy Townsend (Simon Fraser, Sr., Coquitlam, B.C. – Charles Best): Townsend opened her season by placing eighth in the mile at the UW Preview, clocking a time of 4:49.03. She was third among collegiate competitors in the event and was the top Division II competitor by 10 seconds. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifier ranks third in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Erykah Weems (Central Washington), Paige Johnson (Concordia), Bethany Danner (Northwest Nazarene), Dania Holmberg (Seattle Pacific), Maya Hopwood (Western Oregon), Hannah Bradley (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kori Sprague (Concordia, Sr., Wildomar, Calif. – Riverside CC): Sprague opened the season with the second-best mark in GNAC history in the weight throw at the UW Preview. Sprague placed third in the event with a mark of 59 feet, 11.75 inches and trailed just two Division I competitors. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark ranks seventh in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Samantha La Rue (Central Washington), Brenna Beckett (Montana State Billings), Emma Clark (Northwest Nazarene), Keshara Romain (Saint Martin’s), Kalulusno Ngaida (Western Oregon), Lexi Perry (Western Washington).