Monday, March 27, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – A record offensive performance by Northwest Nazarene sophomore Abigail Gagnon in a record game for the Nighthawks leads the GNAC Player of the Week award winners.

Gagnon earned Softball Player of the Week honors after she batted .625 in the Nighthawks’ series sweep of Simon Fraser, going 10 for 16 with eight runs, a double, three home runs and eight RBIs. Her week included a 5 for 5 performance in Friday’s 24-1 five-inning win, which tied the GNAC single-game record for hits. Gagnon also had two home runs, a solo homer and a two-run shot, in Saturday’s 11-3 six-inning win.

Northwest Nazarene swept the softball weekly honors with junior Sidney Booth receiving the Pitcher of the Week award after she won in all three of her appearances. She allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts in Friday’s 8-2 second game win before winning both games on Saturday. She allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits in the 11-3 first-game victory before throwing 1.1 innings of relief to earn the win in the 14-7 nine-inning nightcap.

Montana State Billings sophomore Kaden Kirshenbaum received Baseball Player of the Week honors thanks to batting .750 in the Yellowjackets’ doubleheader against Western Oregon on Friday. He went 4 for 5 in the 17-7 opening game win with two home runs, a solo shot and a two-run homer. He then went 2 for 3 with an RBI single and two stolen bases in the 8-5 second game loss.

Saint Martin’s junior Cole Hatton picked up Baseball Pitcher of the Week accolades following his complete-game 5-4 win over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. Hatton allowed four runs on six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts as he threw 140 pitches, 91 for strikes, for his first win of the season.

Seattle Pacific swept the field event awards thanks to a pair of solid performances in Southern California. Junior Lizzy Daugherty was selected as the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after winning the pole vault twice. On Friday, Daugherty tied for first at the Mangrum Invitational with a clearance of 11 feet, 3.5 inches. She won the event outright at Saturday’s Point Loma Collegiate Invitational with a mark of 12 feet, 3.25 inches that is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ties her for 18th in Division II this season.

Senior David Njeri received the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week award after winning both the long jump and triple jump at the Point Loma Collegiate Invitational. Njeri won the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 7.75 inches and then won the triple jump with a mark of 46 feet. On Friday at the Mangrum Invitational, Njeri was second in the triple with a GNAC-leading mark of 46 feet, 4.25 inches.

Alaska Anchorage junior Kevin Angarita was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he ran 47.81 seconds in the 400 meters at the Aztec Invitational. The time, which placed 10th in the event, ranks No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list and is 12th in Division II this season. Angarita also placed third in the 400 meters and 12th in the 200 meters at Friday’s Mangrum Invitational.

Western Washington junior Marian Ledesma received Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after she ran the top time in the GNAC this season in the 800 meters at the Aztec Invitational. She placed ninth in a time of 2:12.54. She was the top non-Division I finisher in the field and just missed the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time.

Simon Fraser freshman Sueah Park was named the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after leading all GNAC golfers at the Pack Classic last Monday in Pueblo, Colorado. Park finished in a three-way tie for third place with a two-round score of 3-over-par 172 which led the Red Leafs to a fifth-place team finish.

On the water, the Cal Poly Humboldt varsity 4+ earned Women’s Rowing Crew of the Week honors winning both of college varsity 4+ races at Saturday’s Husky Open in Seattle. The Lumberjacks won the first race in a time of 8:12.502, six seconds ahead of second-place Seattle Pacific. They had an eight-second cushion over SPU in the second race, winning in 8:23.635.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 31
BASEBALL PLAYER
Kaden Kirshenbaum (Montana State Billings, IF, 6-0, So., Federal Way, Wash. – Skagit Valley CC): Kirshenbaum batted .750 in a doubleheader split with Western Oregon on Friday, going 6 for 8 with three runs, two home runs and six RBIs. In the opener, Kirshenbaum went an impressive 4 for 5 with two home runs: a two-run shot in the second a solo homer as MSUB won 17-7. He followed that up by going 2 for 3 with an RBI single and two stolen bases in the 8-5 loss in the second game. Also Nominated: Trenton Love (Central Washington), Shane Jamison (Northwest Nazarene), Damon Ingram (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Cole Hatton (Saint Martin’s, P, 5-11, Jr., Grayland, Wash. – Grayland Jr./Sr.): Hatton went the distance in the Saints’ 5-4 win over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday. He allowed four runs on six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts to earn his first victory of the season. He threw 140 pitches, 91 of those for strikes. Also Nominated: Alex Brady (Central Washington), Sage Wayment (Montana State Billings).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Abigail Gagnon (Northwest Nazarene, IF, 5-7, Jr., Meridian, Idaho – Meridian): Gagnon led the Nighthawks in their four-game sweep of Simon Fraser with a .625 batting average, going 10 for 16 with eight runs, a double, three home runs and eight RBIs. She finished with a .647 on-base percentage and a 1.250 slugging percentage. Gagnon singled home NNU’s first run in Friday’s 8-2 first-game win. In the second game, Gagnon tied the GNAC single-game record with five hits as she went 5 for 5 with a two-run homer, a double, three RBIs and four runs scored in the 24-1, five-inning win. Gagnon went 2 for 4 in both of Saturday’s games, which included two homers and three RBIs in the opener. Also Nominated: Brooke Jordan (Central Washington), Jazzy Kalehuawehe (Montana State Billings), Haley Agena (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Sidney Booth (Northwest Nazarene, P/UT, 5-4, Jr., Puyallup, Wash. – Puyallup): Booth was a winner in all three of her appearances against Simon Fraser, allowing seven runs, five earned, on 18 hits and one walk with 11 strikeouts. Booth was the winner in Friday’s 8-2 opening-game victory, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts. She won Saturday’s opener, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits with two strikeouts in the 11-3 win. She closed by winning in relief in the 14-7 series finale, allowing two runs on five hits in 1.1 innings. Booth also helped her cause at the plate with a .529 batting average and five RBIs in the four games. Also Nominated: Ashlee Laver (Central Washington), Alyssa Etheridge (Montana State Billings), Chloe Leverington (Saint Martin’s), Erica Soliz (Western Oregon), Joie Baker (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Kevin Angarita (Alaska Anchorage, Jr., Cali, Colombia – Angelo State Univ.): Angarita moved into No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list with his time of 47.81 seconds in the 400 meters at the Aztec Invitational. Angarita placed 10th in the event and was the second non-Division I finisher. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks 12th in Division II this season. Angarita also placed third in the 400 and 12th in the 200 meters at the Mangrum Invitational.  Also Nominated: Ben Ralston (Montana State Billings), Brody Kemble (Northwest Nazarene), Andrew Boyd (Saint Martin’s), Kevin McDermott (Western Washington),

MEN’S FIELD
David Njeri (Seattle Pacific, Sr., Tacoma, Wash. – Wilson): Njeri won both the long jump and triple jump at the Point Loma Collegiate Invitational on Saturday. He won the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 7.75 inches, which ranks second in the GNAC this season. Njeri went on to win the triple jump with a mark of 46 feet. On Friday, Njeri placed second in the triple jump at the Mangrum Invitational with a GNAC-leading mark of 46 feet, 4.25 inches. Also Nominated: Wyatt Franklin (Central Washington), Forrest Cross (Montana State Billings), Austin Seals (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Marian Ledesma (Western Washington, Jr., Lakewood, Calif. – Azusa Pacific Univ.): Ledesma ran the fastest time in the GNAC this season in the 800 meters at the Aztec Invitational. Her time of 2:12.54 was good enough for ninth place. She was the top non-Division I finisher in the field as she just missed an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time. Also Nominated: Olivia Manley (Alaska Anchorage), Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Morgan Erler (Northwest Nazarene), Gabriela Cintron (Saint Martin’s).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Lizzy Daugherty (Seattle Pacific, Jr., Lake Stevens, Wash. – Lake Stevens): Daugherty notched an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the pole vault at Saturday’s Point Loma Collegiate Invitational. Her winning mark of 12 feet, 3.25 inches is tied for 18th in Division II this season. Daugherty was part of a three-way tie for first in the pole vault in Friday’s Mangrum Invitational, clearing 11 feet, 3.5 inches. Also Nominated: Carlotta Duenninger (Alaska Anchorage), Brenna Board (Central Washington), Ryann Moline (Montana State Billings), Katie Potts (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Sueah Park (Simon Fraser, Fr., Langley, B.C. – Walnut Grove): Park led the Red Leafs to a fifth-place finish at the Pack Classic. She finished in a three-way tie for third place with a two-round score of 3-over-par 172, which included a second-round score of even-par 72. Also Nominated: Ashlee Bruland (Saint Martin’s), Claire Moon (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S ROWING
Cal Poly Humboldt Varsity 4+: The Lumberjacks won both college women’s varsity 4+ races at the Husky Open in Seattle. In the first race, Humboldt won in a time of 8:12.502, finishing six seconds ahead of second-place Seattle Pacific. The Lumberjacks made it an eight-second win in the second race of the day, winning in a time of 8:23.635. Members of the crew included Taylor Carrington (coxswain), Marie-Claire Desplancke, Chloe Pieper-Wasem, Gwen Sutton and Amelia Marks. Also Nominated: Seattle Pacific Varsity 4+.