Monday, February 24, 2020

PORTLAND, Ore. – Scott Kerr was aiming to open the spring season with a win but he didn’t plan on playing six extra holes to do it.

The Simon Fraser senior headlines this week’s GNAC weekly honors with his selection as the first Men’s Golf Player of the Week for the spring season. Kerr tied with Cal State San Marco’s Justin Vrzich with a 3-over-par 216. The two dueled through six playoff holes with Kerr finally prevailing for his second career individual title.

On the hardwood, Western Washington senior forward Trevor Jasinsky earned the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award for his 21.5 points per game in two wins that clinched a GNAC Championships berth. Jasinsky finished with 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in Thursday’s 71-61 win over Saint Martin’s. He then led WWU with 22 points in the 73-68 win over Seattle Pacific on Saturday, just the Falcons’ second GNAC loss of the season.

Alaska Anchorage senior Yazmeen Goo was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she turned in back-to-back career-high 16-point performances in wins over Simon Fraser and Western Washington. In Thursday’s 85-61 win over Simon Fraser, Goo finished with 16 points and six assists. She missed just one free throw while going 4 for 4 from the field and 2 of 2 from three-point range. She repeated the 16 points in Saturday’s 83-76 win over the Vikings and added six assists and five steals.

Concordia swept the softball weekly awards. Senior Karley Yoshioka repeated as the Softball Player of the Week after she went 4 for 5 with four runs, two doubles and two RBI in the Cavaliers’ doubleheader sweep of Northwest Christian on Wednesday. Senior Sally Bowles collected the Softball Pitcher of the Week award after throwing a five-hit shutout in the 8-0 opening win over the Beacons, walking one and striking out one.

Cavaliers’ senior Ryan Gibson was honored as the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after earning the win in Sunday’s 2-0 shutout of No. 16 Dixie State. Gibson allowed three hits and three walks while striking out four over six innings for his first win of the season.

Montana State Billings senior Daniel Cipriano repeated as the Baseball Player of the Week after he hit .545 in the Yellowjackets’ three-game home sweep of Colorado Mines. He went 6 for 11 with eight runs, 10 RBI, a double and three home runs. His week included going 2 for 4 with a grand slam and a two-run double in Saturday’s 21-11 rout and a 2 for 3 performance in the nightcap with a pair of home runs.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 26
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Trevor Jasinsky (Western Washington, F, 6-8, Sr., Camas, Wash. – Camas): Jasinsky averaged 21.5 points and six rebounds per game in two wins as the Vikings clinched a GNAC Championships berth. Jasinsky finished with 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in Thursday’s 71-61 win over Saint Martin’s, connecting on 8 of 13 from the field. He then led the Vikings with 22 points on 8 of 15 from the field to go with two assists in Saturday’s 73-68 victory over league-leading Seattle Pacific, handing the Falcons just their second GNAC loss of the season. For the week, Jasinsky shot 57.1 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range. Also Nominated: Shadeed Shabazz (Alaska), Tyrus Hosley (Alaska Anchorage), Dakota Ayala (Concordia), Adalberto Diaz (Northwest Nazarene), CJ Jennings (Saint Martin’s), Othniel Spence (Simon Fraser), Dalven Brushier (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Yazmeen Goo (Alaska Anchorage, G, 5-10, Sr., Daly City, Calif. – Westmoor): Goo led Alaska Anchorage to two wins to clinch at least a share of the conference title, scoring a career-high of 16 points in both games to go with 12 assists and six steals. She shot 72.7 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from three-point range and 73.7 percent from the free-throw line. Goo finished with 13 points, three rebounds and six assists in Thursday’s 85-61 win over Simon Fraser, keying a defensive effort that limited SFU to 30 percent shooting. Goo then finished with 16 points, two rebounds, six assists and five steals in Saturday’s 83-76 win over Western Washington. Also Nominated: Jocelyn Gandara (Alaska), Dorcas Wu (Concordia), Jeanann Lemelin (Montana State Billings), Marina Valles (Northwest Nazarene), Bria Thames (Saint Martin’s), Jessica Jones (Simon Fraser), Shariah Green (Western Oregon), Kelsey Rogers (Western Washington).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Daniel Cipriano (Montana State Billings, IF, 6-3, Sr., Agoura Hills, Calif. – Moorpark Coll.): Cipriano repeated as the Player of the Week after batting .545 in a three-game home series with Colorado Mines, going 6 for 11 with eight runs, 10 RBI, a double and three home runs with a 1.455 slugging percentage. Cipriano opened by going 2 for 4 with a second-inning grand slam and a two-run double in Saturday’s 21-11 first-game rout and then went 2 for 3 with three runs, a two-run homer and a solo homer in the 11-8 nightcap victory. Cipriano capped the weekend by going 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI single in Sunday’s 10-3 win. Also Nominated: Matt Bergevin (Concordia), Aaron Renaud (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Ryan Gibson (Concordia, P, 6-0, Sr., Fremont, Calif. – Laney Coll.): Gibson earned his first win of the season in the Cavalier’s 2-0 shutout of No. 16 Dixie State on Sunday. In the start, Gibson allowed three hits and three walks while striking out four. He threw 95 pitches in the victory, 60 for strikes. Also Nominated: Dylan Barkley (Montana State Billings), Kyle Ethridge (Northwest Nazarene), Harrison Goebel (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Karley Yoshioka (Concordia, IF, 5-2, Sr., Honolulu, Hawaii – Clark CC): Yoshioka repeats as the Player of the Week after she went 4 for 5 with four runs, two doubles and two RBI in Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep of Northwest Christian. Yoshioka went 2 for 2 with one RBI on a first-inning double that opened scoring in the 8-0, first game win. She then went 2 for 3 in the nightcap, including a two-run double in the first and an RBI single in the fourth. Also Nominated: Mikayla Kopacz (Central Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Sally Bowles (Concordia, P, 5-9, Sr., Atascadero, Calif. – Atascadero): Bowles was the winner in the Cavaliers’ 8-0, five-inning shutout of Northwest Christian in the first game with the Beacons on Wednesday. She allowed five hits and one walk while striking out one. She needed just 67 pitches for the win, 47 of which were for strikes. Also Nominated: Samantha Stanfield (Central Washington).

MEN’S GOLF
Scott Kerr (Simon Fraser, Sr., Vancouver, B.C. – Kitsilano): Kerr earned his first win of the year, taking medalist honors at the CSUSB Coyote Classic with a three-round score of 3-over-par 216. Kerr tied with Justin Vrzich of Cal State San Marcos and then outlasted Vrzich in a six-hole playoff for the victory. Kerr led Simon Fraser to a sixth-place team finish in the team’s first spring tournament. Also Nominated: Brody Bonfilio (Western Washington).