Monday, April 25, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Seattle Pacific senior Peace Igbonagwam took a major step to securing her place at the Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championship with a performance in the long jump that earned the senior GNAC Athlete of the Week honors.

Igbonagwam was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the long jump at the CWU Wildcat Invitational on Saturday with a mark of 19 feet, 8.25 inches. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list, ranks No. 4 on the SPU all-time list and is tied for 10th in Division II this season. It marked the second time in her career that she has surpassed 19 feet in the long jump outdoors.

Northwest Nazarene freshman Laurenz Waldbauer earned the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award after he provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the javelin. Competing in his first collegiate meet, Waldbauer won the javelin at the Eastern Oregon Open on Friday with a mark of 191 feet, 8 inches. The mark ranks No. 7 on the NNU all-time list and is 33rd in Division II this season.

Central Washington swept the track awards thanks to winning performances in the high hurdles at their own CWU Wildcat Invitational. Junior Lauryn Chandler was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won the 100-meter hurdles in a time of 14.51 seconds. Freshman Aidan Wise earned the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week award for his victory in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 14.82 seconds.

Montana State Billings swept the baseball weekly honors with a pair of impressive individual performances in a split with Saint Martin’s. Freshman Mitch Winter earned the Baseball Player of the Week award after going 6 for 9 with five runs scored, four home runs, eight RBI, a .727 on-base percentage and a 1.556 slugging percentage. His series included a 3 for 5 performance with two home runs in Saturday’s opener.

Sophomore Matthew Houlihan was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he threw a one-hitter in Friday’s 2-0 victory. He allowed the one hit and four walks while striking out 11 in his third complete-game performance of the season.

Simon Fraser junior Chelsea Hotner was selected as the Softball Player of the Week after she hit .500 in a series split with Montana State Billings, going 7 for 14 with three doubles and four RBI. She went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s 4-2 second-game victory and then went 4 for 4 in Sunday’s opener.

Western Oregon senior Maddie Mayer was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she won both of her outings against Western Washington with a 0.00 earned run average. She went the distance in Saturday’s 5-4, 11-inning victory, allowing four unearned runs on 10 hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. She came back to throw a three-hit shutout on Sunday, striking out six for the 2-0 victory.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 35
BASEBALL PLAYER
Mitch Winter (Montana State Billings, 1B, 6-1, Fr., Rio Rancho, N.M. – Rio Rancho): Winter had an impressive week at the plate for MSUB against Saint Martin’s, batting .667 for the series with a .727 on-base percentage and a 1.556 slugging percentage. He went 6 for 9 with five runs scored, four home runs and eight RBI. Winter went 2 for 2 and hit a two-run homer to account for all of the scoring in the 2-0 second-game win on Friday. Winter went 3 for 5 with a two-run homer and a solo shot in the 22-11 opening-game loss before closing the series with a two-run homer in the 16-13 victory in the finale. Also Nominated: Hunter Kosmider (Saint Martin’s), Jackson Holstad (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Matthew Houlihan (Montana State Billings, P, 6-4, So., Renton, Wash. – Charles M. Russell): Houlihan threw his third complete game of the season, a one-hitter on Friday to beat Saint Martin’s 2-0. He allowed the one hit and four walks and struck out 11 in the seven-inning game to improve to 5-3 on the season. Also Nominated: Brock Moffitt (Northwest Nazarene), Justice Yamashita (Saint Martin’s), Mike Peterson (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Chelsea Hotner (Simon Fraser, OF, 5-5, Jr., Abbotsford, B.C. – Yale): Hotner led Simon Fraser to a split with Montana State Billings in its season home finale, batting .500 with seven hits, three doubles and four RBI. Hotner went 2 for 4 in Saturday’s 4-2 second-game loss before going 4 for 4 in Sunday’s opener with a two-run single in the sixth inning. She wrapped up the series by going 1 for 3 in the 2-1 second-game victory. She batted in SFU’s opening run with a sacrifice fly in the third. Also Nominated: Brittanee Fisher (Montana State Billings), Tori Hensley (Northwest Nazarene), Kekai Schultz (Saint Martin’s), Natalie Willoughby (Western Oregon), Dakota Brooks (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Maddie Mayer (Western Oregon, P, 5-8, Sr., Portland, Ore. – Rex Putnam): Mayer was the winning pitcher in both of Western Oregon’s wins against Western Washington, allowing just four unearned runs on 13 hits with 13 strikeouts in 18 innings. Mayer threw all 11 innings in Saturday’s 5-4 opening-game victory, allowing four unearned runs on 10 hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. On Sunday, Mayer threw a complete-game three-hitter, striking out six in a 2-0 Wolves’ victory. Also Nominated: Alyssa Etheridge (Montana State Billings), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Chloe Leverington (Saint Martin’s), Shaneika Hollingsworth (Simon Fraser), Kira Doan (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Aiden Wise (Central Washington, Fr., Ridgefield, Wash. - Ridgefield): Wise won the 110-meter hurdles at the CWU Wildcat Invitational with a time of 14.82 seconds. The mark ranks No. 4 in the GNAC this season. Also Nominated: Favor Okere (Montana State Billings), Tyler Shea (Northwest Nazarene), Andrew Boys (Saint Martin’s), Justin Crosswhite (Western Oregon), Ryan Greenwalt (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Laurenz Waldbauer (Northwest Nazarene, Fr., Vilabiburg, Germany – Maxmilian Von Montgelas Gymnasium): Waldbauer became the fourth GNAC athlete this season to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Championships in the javelin, winning the event at the Eastern Oregon Open on Friday. His mark of 191 feet, 8 inches ranks 33rd in Division II and fourth in the GNAC this season and is No. 7 on the NNU all-time list. Also Nominated: Chris Hines (Central Washington), Coen Guisti (Montana State Billings), Josh Schulz (Saint Martin’s), Samuel Cole (Western Oregon), Ethan Sterkel (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Lauryn Chandler (Central Washington, Jr., Bremerton, Wash. – Bremerton): Chandler assured the Wildcats a sweep of the high hurdles races at the CWU Wildcat Invitational on Saturday, winning in a time of 14.51 seconds. She beat a field of 15 competitors. Also Nominated: Madeline Severson (Montana State Billings), Abbey Wood (Northwest Nazarene), Cree Bell (Northwest Nazarene), Jenelle Hurley (Western Oregon), Brittany Aquino (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Peace Igbonagwam (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Fairview, Ore. - Reynolds): Igbonagwam won the long jump at Saturday’s CWU Wildcat Invitational with a mark of 19 feet, 8.25 inches. The performance ranks No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list, No. 4 on the SPU all-time list and is tied for 10th in Division II this season. The jump marked the second time in her career that Igbonagwam has surpassed 19 feet outdoors. Also Nominated: Kylie Griffin (Central Washington), Madeline Severson (Montana State Billings), Julie Cheney (Northwest Nazarene), Jocelyn Saribay (Saint Martin’s), Ana Popchock (Western Oregon), Raine Westfall (Western Washington).