Monday, February 6, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of standout performances by Western Washington junior Mareena Ramirez and Simon Fraser junior Megan Duclos in tournament action earned the first GNAC Softball Player of the Week awards for the season.

Ramirez was selected as the Softball Pitcher of the Week after allowing just one run and 12 hits in 21.2 innings at the Concordia Kickoff Classic, compiling a 0.32 ERA and earning All-Tournament Team honors. Ramirez allowed just four hits and struck out 13 in nine innings, taking a no-decision in Friday’s 1-0 loss to Concordia. She earned the win in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Cal St. San Bernardino, allowing one run on seven hits and striking out eight. Ramirez won in relief in Sunday’s 2-0 shutout of Dominican (Calif.), allowing one hit and two walks, striking out five.

Duclos earned Softball Player of the Week honors after she batted .593 with 16 hits, 10 runs and nine stolen bases at the South Central Regional Challenge. Duclos batted 4 for 5 in Friday’s extra-inning loss to Western New Mexico, finished 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs against Adams State on Friday and had three hits against New Mexico Highlands on Saturday and CSU Pueblo on Sunday. In the finale against Fort Lewis on Sunday, Dulcos went 2 for 3 and tied a GNAC single-game record with four stolen bases.

On the basketball court, Montana State Billings senior guard Carrington Wiggins earned his third Men’s Basketball Player of the Week award this season after he averaged 25.5 points per game and shot 69% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range as the Yellowjackets clinched a GNAC Championships berth. Wiggins finished with 22 points in Thursday’s 59-57 win over Simon Fraser, making 9 of 12 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range. He went off for 29 points in Saturday’s 80-75 victory over Western Washington, making 11 of 17 from the field and 5 of 8 from outside with four rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Western Washington senior forward Katrina Gimmaka earned the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week award after she averaged 16 points per game and shot 66.7% from the field as the Vikings clinched a GNAC Championships berth. Gimmaka scored 10 points in Thursday’s 73-41 win over Northwest Nazarene, making 5 of 8 from the field to go with six rebounds. She then led all scorers with 22 points in Saturday’s 78-60 win over Central Washington, connecting on 11 of 16 from the field.

Western Oregon swept both of the track awards thanks to winning performances at Sunday’s George Fox Indoor. Junior Justin Conklin picked up Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after winning the 60-meter hurdles in 8.55 seconds. His time of 8.50 seconds in the preliminaries ranks sixth in the GNAC this season.

Junior Maliyah Thompson was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won both the 60 meters and the 60-meter hurdles. Thompson ran 7.75 seconds in both the preliminaries and finals of the 60 meters, ranking fifth in the GNAC this season. She won the 60-meter hurdles in 9.05 seconds and ran 8.89 seconds in the preliminaries, a time that ranks second in the conference this season.

Northwest Nazarene swept the field awards with a pair of performances that improved NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks. Sophomore Steven Schmidt was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after placing third in the heptathlon at the WSU Open & Combined Events. His score of 5,266 points is No. 10 in Division II this season and No. 5 on the GNAC all-time list. In the competition, Schmidt went 6 feet, 11.75 inches in the high jump. The mark moves Schmidt to No. 7 in Division II this season and improves his No. 3 mark on the GNAC all-time list.

Sophomore Kinsey Yenor earned Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after winning the pole vault at the EOU Lou Thorne Invite with a clearance of 12 feet, 10.25 inches. She won the event by two feet with a mark that ties her for No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and ties her for No. 7 in Division II this season.

The Nighthawks also swept the baseball weekly honors. Senior infielder Duke Pahukoa was named the Baseball Player of the Week for his .273 performance in a four-game series at Point Loma, which included a pair of home runs in Friday’s doubleheader. Senior Spencer Schwehr was named the Pitcher of the Week after he allowed one unearned run on two hits with six strikeouts in 5.2 innings of Friday’s nightcap, taking the no-decision.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 24
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Carrington Wiggins (Montana State Billings, G, 6-2, Sr. Flint, Mich. – Mott CC): Wiggins averaged 25.5 points per game and shot 69% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range as Montana State Billings clinched a GNAC Championships berth. Wiggins led all scorers with 22 points on 9 of 12 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range in Thursday’s 59-57 win over Simon Fraser. He also finished with three rebounds and two assists. Wiggins again led all scorers 29 points in Saturday’s 80-75 victory over Western Washington, making 11 of 17 from the field and 5 of 8 from long range to go with four steals, four assists and two steals. Also Nominated: Abdullahi Mohamed (Alaska), Sawyer Storms (Alaska Anchorage), Samaad Hector (Central Washington), Gabriel Murphy (Northwest Nazarene), Syon Blackman (Seattle Pacific), David Penney (Simon Fraser), Jahville Collins (Western Oregon), D’Angelo Minnis (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Katrina Gimmaka (Western Washington, F, 5-11, Sr., Everson, Wash. – Nooksack Valley): Gimmaka averaged 16 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and shot 66.7% from the field as Western Washington clinched a GNAC Championships berth. Gimmaka finished with 10 points in Thursday’s 73-41 rout of Northwest Nazarene, making 5 of 8 from the field to go with six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Gimmaka scored a game-high 22 points in Saturday’s 78-60 win over Central Washington, making 11 of 16 from the field. Also Nominated: Jahnna Hajdukovich (Alaska Anchorage), Asher Cai (Central Washington), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), Gemma Cutler (Simon Fraser).

MEN’S TRACK
Justin Conklin (Western Oregon, Jr., The Dalles, Ore. – The Dalles): Conklin set a season-best in the 60-meter hurdles races at Sunday’s George Fox Indoor. He ran the top time in the preliminaries of 8.50 seconds and went on to win the finals in a time of 8.55 seconds. Conklin’s time in the preliminaries ranks sixth in the GNAC this season. Also Nominated: Isaiah Webster (Central Washington), Quincy Ellis (Northwest Nazarene).

MEN’S FIELD
Steven Schmidt (Northwest Nazarene, So., Battle Ground, Wash.): Schmidt improved his NCAA Championships provisional qualifying marks in both the heptathlon and the high jump at the WSU Open & Combined Events. Schmidt placed third in the heptathlon with a score of 5,266 points. The score ranks No. 5 on the GNAC all-time list and is 10th in Division II this season. He was a winner of the heptathlon high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 11.75 inches that improves his No. 3 mark on the GNAC all-time list and No. 7 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Drew Klein (Central Washington), Dayne Gordien (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Maliyah Thompson (Western Oregon, Jr., Salem, Ore. – Grand Canyon Univ.): Thompson won both the 60 meters and the 60-meter hurdles at the George Fox Indoor. Thompson ran a time of 7.75 seconds in both the preliminaries and the finals of the 60 meters, a time that ranks fifth in the GNAC this season. She ran 8.89 seconds in the preliminaries of the 60-meter hurdles and went on to win the finals in a time of 9.05 seconds. The preliminaries time ranks second in the GNAC this season. Also Nominated: E’lexis Hollis (Central Washington), Abbey Wood (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kinsey Yenor (Northwest Nazarene, So, Meridian, Idaho – The Ambrose School): Yenor won the pole vault at Saturday’s EOU Lou Thorne Invite by a two-foot margin with a mark of 12 feet, 10.25 inches. The mark moves Yenor into a tie for No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list and tied her for 10th in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Kylie Griffin (Central Washington), Jenelle Hurley (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PLAYER
Duke Pahukoa (Northwest Nazarene, IF, 6-2, Sr., Maui, Hawaii – Univ. of Nevada Las Vegas): Pahukoa batted .273 in the Nighthawks’ four-game series at Point Loma. He had hits in each of the first three games of the series, connecting for a two-run opener in Friday’s opener and a three-run shot in the nightcap. Pahukoa also drew three walks in the series. Also Nominated: Kevin Varner, Jr., (Central Washington), Curran Mitsel (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Spencer Schwehr (Northwest Nazarene, P, 6-0, Sr., Boise, Idaho – Walla Walla CC): Schwehr threw 5.2 strong innings and took a no-decision in Friday’s 5-3 loss to Point Loma. He allowed one unearned run on two hits with six strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, 53 for strikes. Also Nominated: Reid Rasmussen (Central Washington), Sebasten Boivin (Western Oregon).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Megan Duclos (Simon Fraser, OF, 5-7, Jr., Saint-Eustache, Que. – Ecole St. Gabriel): Duclos batted .593 with 16 hits, 10 runs, two doubles, three RBI and nine stolen bases in the Red Leafs’ six games at the South Central Regional Challenge. Dulcos opened the season with a 4 for 5 performance in Friday’s 8-7 extra-inning loss to Western New Mexico. She went 3 for 5 with two RBI and two doubles in Friday’s extra-inning loss to Adams State, went 3 for 5 against New Mexico Highlands on Saturday and 3 for 4 with two runs and two stolen bases against CSU Pueblo on Sunday. Duclos went 2 for 3 with two runs in Sunday’s 6-3 win over Fort Lewis and tied the GNAC single-game record with four stolen bases. Also Nominated: Kate Hopkins (Central Washington), Lauren Blacshak (Montana State Billings), Destiny Conerly (Saint Martin’s), Kirah McGlothan (Western Oregon), Kinzey Williams (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Mareena Ramirez (Western Washington, P, 5-4, Jr., Maple Valley, Wash. – Idaho State Univ.): Ramirez was named to the Concordia Kickoff Classic All-Tournament Team after she went 2-0 in three appearances with a 0.32 ERA, allowing just one run and striking out 26 in 21.2 innings. Ramirez took a no decision in Friday’s 1-0 extra-inning loss to Concordia, allowing just four hits and a walk with 13 strikeouts in nine innings.  She earned the complete-game 2-1 win over Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday, allowing one run on seven hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. Ramirez earned her second win in relief, allowing one hit and two walks with five strikeouts in 5.2 innings in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Dominican (Calif.). Also Nominated: Ashlee Laver (Central Washington), Alyssa Etheridge (Montana State Billings), Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene), Abby Runyon (Saint Martin’s), Nevada Johnson (Simon Fraser), Chelsea Smith (Western Oregon).