Monday, December 6, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Oregon junior guard Cameron Cranston and Montana State Billings senior forward Taryn Shelley lit it up in the scoring column during the first week of conference play, each earning their second GNAC Player of the Week awards of the season.

Cranston was named Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after he averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game to lead the Wolves to a 2-0 week. Cranston finished with 18 points in Thursday’s 99-74 win over Alaska on Thursday to go along with five rebounds, five assists and two assists. He followed that up with a 23-point performance in Saturday’s 80-71 win over Alaska Anchorage in which he also had four rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. For the week, Cranston shot 53.3 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three-point range.

Shelley turned in a pair of consistent scoring performances to earn Women’s Basketball Player of the Week accolades. Shelley finished with 22 points in Thursday’s 71-67 come-from-behind win over Northwest Nazarene, shooting 9 of 17 from the field and 3 of 4 from long range. She also had six rebounds and two blocks. Shelley then scored 21 in Saturday’s 79-68 loss to Central Washington. She connected on 8 of 14 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range to go with four rebounds. Shelley finished the week shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 75 percent from beyond the arc.

Western Washington swept the first Track and Field Athlete of the Week awards following a pair of second-place performances at the Candy Cane Multis in Cheney, Washington. Junior Aliyah Dawkins was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after placing second in the pentathlon with a score of 3,237 points. Dawkins took first in her specialty, the high jump, with a NCAA Championships provisional clearance of 5 feet, 6 inches. She also placed second in the 60-meter hurdles and long jump.

Junior Cooper Cummings earned the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week award after taking second in the heptathlon with a score of 4,300 points, finishing just 42 points behind champion Elijah Conley of Eastern Washington. Cummings was second in two of the seven events, the pole vault and the 1,000 meters.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 15
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Cameron Cranston (Western Oregon, G, 6-6, Jr., Vancouver, Wash. – Union): Cranston led Western Oregon to a 2-0 start to conference play, averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, two steals and two blocks per game. Cranston scored 18 points in Thursday’s 99-74 win over Alaska, adding five rebounds, five assists and two blocks. He finished with 23 points in Saturday’s 80-71 win over Alaska Anchorage to go with four rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Cranston shot 8 for 15 from the field in both games and finished the week shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from the three-point line. Also Nominated: Oggie Pantovic (Alaska Anchorage), Xavier Smith (Central Washington), Damen Thacker (Montana State Billings), Jaden Nielsen-Skinner (Saint Martin’s), Julian Roche (Simon Fraser), Dakota Ayala (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings, F, 6-3, Sr., Shoreline, Wash. – Washington State Univ.): Shelley turned in a pair of consistent scoring performances to help the Yellowjackets to a 1-1 week, averaging 21.5 points per game. Shelley opened the week by scoring 22 points on 9 of 17 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range with six rebounds in Thursday’s 71-67 come-from-behind win over Northwest Nazarene. She then scored 21 points in Saturday’s 79-68 loss to Central Washington, connecting on 8 of 14 from the field. Shelley had two blocks in each game and finished the week shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 75 percent from the three-point line. Also Nominated: Nicole Pinkney (Alaska Anchorage), Nyalam Thabach (Northwest Nazarene), Rian Clear (Saint Martin’s), Emma Duff (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Cooper Cummings (Western Washington, Jr., Arlington, Wash. – Arlington): Cummings opened the 2021-22 indoor season by taking second in the heptathlon at the Candy Cane Multis. His score of 4,300 points was just 42 points behind champion Elijah Conley of Eastern Washington. Cummings’ competition was topped by a pair of second-place finishes on the final day in the pole vault (13-9.25) and the 1,000 meters (3:02.01).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Aliyah Dawkins (Western Washington, Jr., North Mankato, Minn. – Mankato West): Dawkins started 2021-22 off by placing second out of seven competitors in the pentathlon at the Candy Cane Multis with a score of 3,237 points. Dawkins won in her specialty, the high jump, with a mark of 5 feet, 6 inches, which is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark. She also took second place in both the 60-meter hurdles (9.12) and the long jump (17-10.75).