Monday, May 7, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – It was another record week on the track as conference teams finished their final meets prior to the GNAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Those record performances lead the final selections for GNAC Athletes of the Week for the 2017-18 season.

Alaska Anchorage’s Caroline Kurgat and Central Washington’s Mariah Vongsaveng shared the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award. Kurgat reset her own record in the 5,000 meters and ran the third-fastest time in the event in Division II history as she ran 15:41.21 at Thursday’s Payton Jordan Invitational. The time is a two-second lifetime best for Kurgat, who had run 15:43.95 at last month’s Bryan Clay Invitational.

Vongsaveng, meanwhile, broke the conference record in the 100-meter hurdles with her win at the Ken Shannon Invitational. Her time of 13.64 seconds eclipsed the previous mark of 13.70 seconds set by Danielle Ayers-Stamper of Central Washington in 2005. The mark currently ranks No. 8 in Division II this season.

Seattle Pacific’s Renick Meyer was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week for her part in a pair of records. During the GNAC Combined Event Championships on Tuesday, Meyer set the GNAC record in the long jump with a mark of 20 feet, 5 inches. That bettered the previous record of 19 feet, 8 inches, set by SPU’s Stephanie Huffman in 2002 and equaled by Ali Worthen in 2013. On Saturday at the Ken Shannon Invitational, Meyer ran the leadoff leg on SPU’s 4x100-meter relay team, which set a school record with a time of 46.33 seconds.

Concordia’s Carlos Ortiz was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after he set the Cavaliers’ school record in the 100 meters at the Oregon Twilight. Ortiz ran a time of 10.60 seconds, which also moves him to No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List. Ortiz also just missed his school record in the 200 meters with a time of 21.54 seconds.

Alaska Anchorage’s Christopher Brake was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he tied both of his season-best marks in the high jump and triple jump at the Ken Shannon Invitational. Brake finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 46 feet, 11 inches, and was third in the high jump with a clearance of 6 feet, 6.75 inches.

Northwest Nazarene’s Zach Penrod ended the season with his second straight Baseball Player of the Week award. Penrod batted .706 in the Nighthawks’ four-game series with Western Oregon, going 12 for 17 with eight runs, four RBIs, three doubles and a home run. He capped his week going 5 for 5 in Friday’s opening game, scoring four runs and finished with two doubles.

Saint Martin’s Aaron Shoup earned Baseball Pitcher of the Week honors thanks for his winning long-relief appearance on Friday against Concordia. Entering the game with the Saints down 6-2, Shoup proceeded to limit the Cavaliers to one run on four hits and four walks while striking out four in seven innings to earn the 12-7 win.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 36
BASEBALL PLAYER
Zach Penrod (Northwest Nazarene, OF/P, 6-2, Jr., Nampa, Idaho – Corban Univ.): Penrod earned his second-straight Player of the Week award after he hit .706 in the Nighthawks’ four-game series with Western Oregon, going 12 for 17 with eight runs, four RBIs, three doubles and a home run. He went 3 for 4 in Thursday’s opener and then went 2 for 4 with an RBI single and a solo home run in the nightcap. Penrod went 5 for 5 in Friday’s opener, scoring four runs with a pair of doubles and an RBI. He closed the series by going 2 for 4 in the nightcap, which included an RBI double. Also Nominated: Dustin Braun (Central Washington), Andrew Barrera (Concordia), Kaleo Johnson (Montana State Billings), Adam Eskil (Saint Martin’s), Jacob Martinez (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Aaron Shoup (Saint Martin’s, P, 5-11, Jr., Woodland, Wash. – Woodland): Shoup picked up the win in long relief in the Saints’ 12-7 victory over Concordia on Friday. Entering the game with SMU down 6-2, Shoup allowed one run on three hits and four walks while striking out four in seven innings. It was Shoup’s second win of the season. Also Nominated: Isaac Mitchum (Concordia), Tristan Shockley (Montana State Billings), Kolby Bales (Western Oregon).

MEN’S TRACK
Carlos Ortiz (Concordia, Sr., Salem, Ore. – North Salem): Ortiz set the Concordia school record in both the 100 meters just missed in the 200 meters at the Oregon Twilight on Friday. He placed sixth in the 100 meters in a field dominated by Division I competition with a time of 10.60 seconds, which moves him to No. 6 on the GNAC All-Time List. Ortiz placed fifth in the 200 meters with a time of 21.54 seconds, finishing just short of his season-best of 21.45 seconds. Also Nominated: Oshane Hylton (Alaska Anchorage), Mason Schram (Montana State Billings), Josh Dempsey (Western Oregon), Cordell Cummings (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Christopher Brake (Alaska Anchorage, So., Nelson, New Zealand – Tapawera Area School): Brake tied season bests with his efforts in the high jump and the triple jump at the Ken Shannon Invitational in Seattle. Brake finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 46 feet, 11 inches, which ties the mark that he set at April’s Bryan Clay Invitational. Brake finished third in the high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 6.75 inches. Both marks are No. 2 in the GNAC this season. Also Nominated: Giovanni Brown (Concordia), Nick Sieber (Western Oregon), Brandon Pless (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Caroline Kurgat (Alaska Anchorage, Sr., Eldoret, Kenya - Kapkenda): Kurgat ran the third-fastest 5,000-meter time in Division II history at the Payton Jordan Invitational on Thursday. She won section two of the event with a time of 15:41.21, which is a GNAC record and is two seconds better than her previous record of 15:43.95, which she ran at April’s Bryan Clay Invitational.

Mariyah Vongsaveng (Central Washington, Jr., Federal Way, Wash. – Federal Way): Vongsaveng set the GNAC record in the 100-meters as she won the event at the Ken Shannon Invitational. Racing against primarily Division I opponents, her time of 13.64 seconds eclipses the previous GNAC record of 13.70 seconds set by Danielle Ayers-Stamper of Seattle Pacific in 2005. The time ranks No. 8 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Chase Stephens (Concordia), Michaela Johnson (Montana State Billings), Sara Madden (Western Oregon), Savannah Smith (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Renick Meyer (Seattle Pacific, Fr., Gresham, Ore. – Barlow): Meyer set the GNAC record in the long jump at the GNAC Combined Event Championships. Her leap of 20 feet, 5 inches, smashed the previous record of 19 feet, 8 inches, set by SPU’s Stephanie Huffman in 2002 and was equaled by SPU’s Ali Worthen in 2013. The mark No. 7 in Division II this season and helped Meyer win the GNAC title in the heptathlon. On Saturday, Meyer ran the leadoff leg on SPU’s 4x100-meter relay team at the Ken Shannon Invitational. The team’s time of 46.33 was a school record and is No 2 on the GNAC All-Time List. Also Nominated: Chelsea Bone (Concordia), Megan Vernoy (Saint Martin’s), Sylvia Dean (Western Oregon), Paquel Pellecer (Western Washington).