Tuesday, September 7, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – It could not have been a bigger weekend on the volleyball court for Simon Fraser and Saint Martin’s, whose team leaders headline the GNAC Player of the Week awards.

Simon Fraser freshman opposite Brooke Dexter was named the GNAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week after she led her team to a 4-0 record at the Seaside Invitational, which included a four-set upset over then-No. 3 ranked Cal State San Bernardino on Friday. Dexter led the way in that win with 24 kills, nine digs and two blocks. She also had a 20-kill performance in a five-set win over Cal State LA later that day. For the week, Dexter averaged 4.62 kills and 2.88 digs per set.

Saint Martin’s junior libero Kylie Alos earned Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week accolades after averaging 5.56 digs per set as the Saints went 4-0 at The Yellowjacket Invitational. It is the team’s best start since 2016. Alos had 20 or more digs in three of the four matches, led by her 28 digs in a four-set win over Bemidji State on Saturday.

The Saints also earned their first Cross Country Athlete of the Week award since 2016. Freshman Kainalu Pagente received the men’s award after he won the Puget Sound Invitational with a time of 19:03 over 6,000 meters, a pace of 5:07 per mile. Pagente won the race by two seconds over Cayan Dibble of Green River Community College. It is the first time since 2013 that a Saint Martin’s men’s runner has earned the conference’s weekly honor.

Freshman Naomi Bailey made it two Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week awards for Alaska in as many races. Running at Saturday’s Seawolf Throwdown, Bailey cruised to a 53-second victory over teammate Rosie Fordham with a time of 22:37.8 over 6,000 meters, averaging 6:04 per mile. The performance helped lead the Nanooks to their second team victory over Alaska Anchorage in as many weeks.

Central Washington swept the first football awards of the season after rolling to a 66-24 win at Eastern New Mexico on Thursday. Sophomore quarterback JJ Lemming was named the Offensive Player of the Week after completing 14 of 22 passes for 322 yards and five of the Wildcats’ GNAC single-game record seven passing touchdowns. He also rushed five times for 13 yards and another touchdown in his CWU debut.

Senior Donte Hamilton earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after he had eight tackles, including seven solo tackles, two tackles for loss for 12 yards and a sack. He helped limit the Greyhounds to 316 yards of total offense. Junior Patrick Hegarty was named Special Teams Player of the Week after he converted all nine point-after attempts and a field goal of 43 yards.

On the pitch, Montana State Billings’ junior forward Halil Yilmaz was named the Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after he scored a hat trick in the Yellowjackets’ 3-2 overtime win over Texas A&M-International. The three goals included the game-winner with 10 seconds left in the first overtime period. The hat trick was the first for MSUB since 2018 and in the first in the GNAC since October 5, 2019.

Seattle Pacific senior goalkeeper Lars Helleren earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after making 16 saves in the Falcons’ two road victories. The only goal he allowed was a 56th-minute penalty kick strike in the Falcons’ 2-1 win at Sonoma State on Thursday, making nine saves in the match. Helleren then had seven saves and went 98 minutes without a goal scored in a 1-0 overtime win at Chico State on Saturday.

Central Washington senior forward Mackinzie Packwood won the first Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for the season after she scored two goals and had an assist in two matches. Packwood scored the opening goal in the 23rd minute and assisted on the game-winner in Thursday’s 3-2 win over College of Idaho. She then scored the equalizer in the 51st minute in the eventual 2-1 loss to Chaminade on Saturday.

Northwest Nazarene junior goalkeeper Alexis Montoya posted two shutouts to earn the Defensive Player of the Week award. Montoya made four saves in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Chaminade and then made seven saves in Saturday’s 1-0 win over College of Idaho.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 2
FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE
JJ Lemming (Central Washington, QB, 6-6, So., Steilacoom, Wash. - Steilacoom): Lemming completed 14 of 22 passes for 322 yards and five touchdowns in Central Washington’s 66-24 season-opening win over Eastern New Mexico. He also rushed five times for 13 yards and a touchdown. It was Lemming’s first career start and contributed to a GNAC single-game record seven touchdown passes. Also Nominated: Justice Murphy (Western Oregon).

FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE
Donte Hamilton (Central Washington, LB, 6-3, Sr., Mukilteo, Wash. – Saddleback CC): Hamilton finished with eight tackles, including seven solo tackles, had two tackles for loss for 12 yards and one sack for five yards in the Wildcats’ 66-24 win at Eastern New Mexico. The effort helped CWU limit the Greyhounds to 316 yards of total offense. Also Nominated: Riley Minniti (Western Oregon).

FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS
Patrick Hegarty (Central Washington, P/K, 6-4, Jr., Ferndale, Wash. – Simon Fraser Univ.): Hegarty went a perfect 9 for 9 in extra-point opportunities, one short of the GNAC single-game record, and added a 43-yard field goal in Central Washington’s 66-24 win over Eastern New Mexico. Also Nominated: Andrew Gross (Western Oregon).

MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Halil Yilmaz (Montana State Billings, F, 6-0, Jr., Wiesbaden, Germany – Schulze Delitzach Schule): Yilmaz opened the season by scoring a hat trick in the Yellowjackets’ 3-2 overtime season-opening victory over Texas A&M-International on Thursday. His ledger included the game-winner with 10 seconds left in the opening overtime period. It was the first three-goal game for an MSUB player since 2018 and the first for a GNAC player since October 5, 2019. Yilmaz finished with eight shots in the three matches, five of which were on goal. Also Nominated: Jake Levine (Northwest Nazarene), Jason Fairhurst (Saint Martin’s), Alex Mejia (Seattle Pacific).

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Lars Helleren (Seattle Pacific, GK, 6-2, Sr., Edmonds, Wash. – King’s): Helleren made 16 saves and did not allow a goal in open play as the Falcons won both matches in the Golden State. Helleren made nine saves and allowed only a 56th-minute penalty kick goal in Thursday’s 2-1 win at Sonoma State. He then posted the shutout in Saturday’s 1-0 overtime victory at Chico State, making seven saves and holding the Wildcats without a goal for 98 minutes. Also Nominated: Georgios Theodoulidis (Montana State Billings), Lorenzo Valentini (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE
Makinzie Packwood (Central Washington, F, 5-10, Sr., Clarkston, Wash. – Clarkston): Packwood scored two goals and had an assist in a pair of matches in Nampa, Idaho. Packwood scored the Wildcats’ opening goal in the 23rd minute and assisted on the game-winner on the 74th minute in Thursday’s 3-2 win over College of Idaho. Packwood then scored the equalizer in the 51st minute in the Wildcats’ eventual 2-1 loss to Chaminade. Also Nominated: Maddie Smith (Montana State Billings), McKenzie Buell (Northwest Nazarene), Jada Foster (Western Oregon), Tera Ziemer (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE
Alexis Montoya (Northwest Nazarene, GK, 5-6, Jr., West Jordan, Utah – Northern State Univ.): Montoya posted two shutouts as the Nighthawks won their 13th consecutive match dating back to the spring 2021 season. Montoya made four saves in Thursday’s 1-0 victory over Chaminade as the defense allowed just six shots. On Saturday, Montoya finished with seven saves in a last-second 1-0 win over Canyon County rival College of Idaho. Also Nominated: Maci Parke (Central Washington), Tuva Sallvin (Montana State Billings), Ali Campigotto (Saint Martin’s), Darien Wilson (Western Oregon), Katie Watt (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE
Brooke Dexter (Simon Fraser, OPP, 6-2, Fr., Anchorage, Alaska – West): Dexter led all GNAC players with 4.62 kills per set while also averaging 2.88 digs and 0.44 blocks per set as Simon Fraser went 4-0 at the Seaside Invitational in San Diego. Dexter opened the weekend with 13 kills in Thursday’s three-set sweep of Azusa Pacific before finishing with 24 kills, nine digs and two blocks in Friday’s four-set upset of No. 3 Cal St. San Bernardino. She added a 20-kill performance in the five-set over Cal State LA on Friday night and 17 kills in a four-set win over Point Loma on Saturday. Also Nominated: Cate Whiting (Alaska), Ellen Floyd (Alaska Anchorage), Marianna Payne (Central Washington), Bayli Monck (Montana State Billings), Tia Allen (Saint Martin’s), Isabel Hurliman (Western Oregon), Malia Aleaga (Western Washington).

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE
Kylie Alos (Saint Martin’s, DS/L, 5-3, Jr., Mililani, Hawaii – Mililani): Alos averaged 5.56 digs and 0.62 assists per set and was named to The Yellowjacket Invitational all-tournament team as Saint Martin’s started 4-0 for the first time since 2016. Alos had 20 or more digs in three of the four matches, which included 26 digs against South Dakota Mines on Friday, 22 digs against Black Hills State on Saturday and 28 digs against Bemidji State on Saturday. Also Nominated: Dani Dodge (Alaska), Talia Leauanae (Alaska Anchorage), Kylee Yamashita (Central Washington), Joelle Mahowald (Montana State Billings), Julia Tays (Simon Fraser), Sophie Matlock (Western Oregon), Olivia Fairchild (Western Washington).

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Kainalu Pagente (Saint Martin’s, Fr., Pearl City, Hawaii – Pearl City): Pagente opened his collegiate career in winning style, taking the individual title at the Puget Sound Invitational on Saturday. He covered the 6,000-meter course in 19:03, averaging 5:07 per mile, to finish two seconds ahead of Green River Community College’s Cayan Dibble. Pagente led Saint Martin’s to the team title with 42 points. Also Nominated: Coleman Nash (Alaska Anchorage).

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Naomi Bailey (Alaska, Fr., Fairbanks, Alaska – West Valley): Bailey was the individual winner at the Seawolf Throwdown on Saturday in Anchorage, covering the 6,000-meter course in a time of 22:37.8. She averaged 6:04 per mile and won by an impressive 45 seconds over teammate Rosie Fordham. For the second week in a row, the Nanooks won the team title by 11 points over Alaska Anchorage with 23 points. Also Nominated: Sara Sabra (Saint Martin’s), Katie Chapman (Western Oregon).