Monday, January 31, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Simon Fraser’s Aaron Ahl put together one of the best weekends in all of collegiate track and field, playing a part in two conference records to lead the GNAC Athlete of the Week awards.

Ahl was selected as the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after his two record performances at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston. On Sunday, the junior set the GNAC record in the mile with a time of 3:57.95, eclipsing the time of 3:58.88 set by Western Oregon’s David Ribich in 2018. Ahl’s time is the second-fastest in Division II history and makes him just the second GNAC athlete to break four minutes for the mile.

On Friday, Ahl anchored Simon Fraser’s distance medley relay that ducked under the previous Division II and GNAC record set by Western Oregon in 2017. The team placed third in a time of 9:38.04, breaking the previous conference record of 9:40.15. The time is No. 2 in Division II history after American International won the same race in a time of 9:36.62.

Seattle Pacific freshman Annika Esvelt raced to Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after running the second-fastest time this season in the 5,000 meters at the UW Invitational. Competing in her first track race at the distance, Esvelt placed second in a field dominated by Division I athletes with a time of 16:31.74. The time ranks No. 7 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 2 on the Seattle Pacific all-time list.

Long jumpers swept the weekly field event awards. Western Washington junior Ethan Sterkel was selected as the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he won the long jump at the UW Invitational in Seattle. Sterkel tied his WWU record with a leap of 23 feet, 9.5 inches, which ranks No. 4 on the GNAC All-Time List.

Western Oregon sophomore Jenelle Hurley was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after registering the top mark in the GNAC this season, going 18 feet, 2.25 inches at the UW Invitational. She placed fourth in the field and was just short of the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark.

On the court, Central Washington junior center Samantha Bowman was named the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after she averaged 17.5 points and 20 rebounds per game in a pair of victories. Bowman finished with 20 points and 20 rebounds with two assists and three steals in Tuesday’s 72-60 win at Simon Fraser. She finished the week with 15 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, four steals and four blocks in Saturday’s 71-65 win over Northwest Nazarene.

Western Washington junior forward Jalen Green earned Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors after posting a pair of 25-point performances in the Vikings’ two close wins last week. Green finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in Thursday’s 83-81 win over Northwest Nazarene. He then tallied a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday’s 90-88 win over Central Washington, scoring the game-winning basket with one second left. For the week, Green shot 67.7 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free-throw line.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 23
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Jalen Green (Western Washington, F, 6-8, Jr., Renton, Wash. – Lindbergh): Green posted a pair of 25-point performances to lead the Vikings to a pair of close victories at home. Green scored 25 to go with nine rebounds and two blocks in Thursday’s 83-81 win over Northwest Nazarene. He then registered a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday’s 90-88 win over Central Washington, which included the game-winning basket with a second remaining. In the two games, Green shot 67.7 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free-throw line. Also Nominated: Tobin Karlberg (Alaska Anchorage), Xavier Smith (Central Washington), Carrington Wiggins (Montana State Billings), James Nelson (Northwest Nazarene), Alex Schumacher (Saint Martin’s), Divant’e Moffitt (Seattle Pacific), Wilfried Balata (Simon Fraser), Cameron Cranston (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Samantha Bowman (Central Washington, C, 6-3, Jr., Zillah, Wash. – Zillah): Bowman averaged 17.5 points and 3.5 steals per game and posted a pair of 20-rebound performances in two Wildcats wins. Bowman put together a monster performance of 20 points and 20 rebounds in Tuesday’s 72-60 win at Simon Fraser. She made 9 of 17 from the field to go with two assists and three steals. Bowman then finished with 15 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, four steals and four blocks in Saturday’s 71-65 win over Northwest Nazarene. She made 6 of 11 from the field and finished the week shooting 53.6 percent. Also Nominated: Destiny Reimers (Alaska), Rachel Ingram (Alaska Anchorage), Taryn Shelley (Montana State Billings), Nyalam Thabach (Northwest Nazarene), Tierney DeDonatis (Saint Martin’s), Jessica Jones (Simon Fraser), Meadow Aragon (Western Oregon).

MEN’S TRACK
Aaron Ahl (Simon Fraser, Jr., Calgary, Alta. – William Aberhart): Ahl ran the second-fastest mile in Division II and became the second GNAC athlete to break the four-minute barrier at the John Thomas Terrier Classic. Ahl placed fifth in the largely Division I field on Sunday, finishing in 3:57.95 to break the conference record of 3:58.88 set by Western Oregon’s David Ribich in 2018. On Friday, Ahl also anchored SFU’s distance medley relay team that surpassed the Division II record on Friday. The team finished in 9:38.04, eclipsing the previous GNAC and Division II record of 9:40.15 set by Western Oregon in 2017 (American International set the new Division II record in the same race in 9:36.62). Also Nominated: Austin Albertin (Central Washington), Ase Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Hunter Hutton (Western Oregon), Hunter Flick (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
Ethan Sterkel (Western Washington, Jr., Longview, Wash. – RA Long): Sterkel tied his Western Washington record and No. 4 GNAC all-time mark in the long jump at the UW Invitational. Sterkel won with a mark of 23 feet, 9.5 inches, posted a victory over the 23-athlete field by nearly eight inches. The mark leads the GNAC this season and ranks 18th in Division II. Also Nominated: Coen Giusti (Montana State Billings), Blake Furtado (Simon Fraser), Owen Collins (Western Oregon).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Annika Esvelt (Seattle Pacific, Fr., Spokane, Wash. – West Valley): Running her first ever 5,000 meters on the track, Esvelt ran the second-fastest time in Division II this season with a time of 16:31.74 at the UW Invitational. Esvelt placed second out of 18 finishers, 14 of whom were Division I competitors. The performance ranks No. 7 on the GNAC All-Time List and is No. 2 on Seattle Pacific’s all-time list. Also Nominated: Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Marie-Eloise Leclair (Simon Fraser), Caitlin Heldt (Western Oregon), Mia Crocker (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Jenelle Hurley (Western Oregon, So., Grants Pass, Ore. – Hidden Valley): Hurley turned in the top mark in the GNAC this season in the long jump at the UW Invitational. Her fourth-place mark of 18 feet, 2.25 inches was just short of the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark. Hurley also finished with a mark of 5 feet, 0.25 inches in the high jump and 9.58 in the 60-meter hurdles. Also Nominated: Brynn Jolma (Montana State Billings), Kennedy Primrose (Simon Fraser), Raine Westfall (Western Washington).