Monday, March 7, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – In the last week before conference play begins, Western Washington set the groundwork for a solid start with four home wins and a sweep of the GNAC Softball Player of the Week awards.

Senior shortstop Tatum Dow was named the Softball Player of the Week after she batted .385 in the four games, going 5 for 13 with four runs, two doubles, a home run and two RBI. In the process, she ran her current hitting streak to 17 games. Dow had her most production in Sunday’s victories over Saint Martin’s, finishing with a double and an RBI in the opener and going 2 for 4 in the nightcap with a solo home run.

Senior Kira Doan took home the Softball Pitcher of the Week award after she had two wins and a save in three solid relief appearances. Doan was the winner in relief in Friday’s 5-3 win over Western Oregon, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out three in 5.1 innings. Doan got the Vikings out of a jam in the seventh inning of its first game on Sunday to earn the save in the 5-3 victory over Saint Martin’s. She then faced the final two batters in the top of the seventh inning of the nightcap, setting the table for the Vikings’ 2-1 win.

Central Washington sophomore Austin Ohland was tabbed as the Baseball Player of the Week for his offensive effort in a four-game slugfest with Northwest Nazarene, batting .400 with four runs scored, 10 RBI, three doubles, three home runs and four walks. He had a pair of two-run homers in Friday’s series opener before going 2 for 4 with a double and a three-run homer in the nightcap. Ohland then went 2 for 2, with both hits being doubles, in Saturday’s opening game.

Western Oregon junior Arturo Alvarez was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week for his victory in Friday’s opener against Montana State Billings. He allowed two runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work to lead the Wolves to a 10-2 win.

Western Washington picked up two of the four track awards in the first week of the outdoor season. Senior Amanda Short was named the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week after she won the javelin at Saturday’s Ed Boitano Invitational. Her mark of 141 feet, 11 inches is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks third in Division II this season. Freshman Sean Sands was named the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week after placing fourth in the 10,000 meters in a time of 31:20.26.

Saint Martin’s freshman Cassidy Walchak-Sloan earned the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week award after she won the 1,500 meters by 13 seconds at the Ed Boitano Invitational with a time of 4:41.89. Western Oregon senior Austin Goldstein collected Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors for his victory in the javelin at the Willamette Invitational. His mark of 198 feet, 10 inches is No. 2 in Division II this season.

Western Washington sophomore Claire Moon was honored as the Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she led all GNAC players with a 15th-place finish at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout with a score of 6-over-par 150. She carded her low round of 1-over-par 73 on the second day to lead the Vikings to a 10th-place finish.

The Vikings also earned the first Women’s Rowing Crew of the Week award of the season. Western Washington’s varsity 8+ was a winner at the PLU Invitational on American Lake on Saturday in a time of 7:01.4, finishing 16 seconds ahead of Seattle Pacific and 20 seconds ahead of Pacific Lutheran.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 28
BASEBALL PLAYER
Austin Ohland (Central Washington, C, 6-1, So., Maple Valley, Wash. – Lafayette): Ohland batted .400 in the Wildcats’ slugfest weekend with Northwest Nazarene, going 6 for 15 with four runs scored, 10 RBI, three doubles, three home runs and four walks. Ohland went 2 for 5 in Friday’s opener, which included a pair of two-run homers. He then went 2 for 4 in the nightcap with a double and a three-run homer. Ohland went 2 for 2 in Saturday’s opener with both hits being RBI doubles. Also Nominated: Dominick Buso (Montana State Billings), Kyle Payne (Northwest Nazarene), Aaron Renaud (Saint Martin’s), Spencer Weston (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Arturo Alvarez (Western Oregon, P, 6-4, Jr., Inglewood, Calif. – Los Angeles Harbor Coll.): Alvarez started the Wolves’ series with Montana State Billings strong, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work to lead Western Oregon to the 10-2 win in Friday’s opening game. Alvarez improved to 2-0 on the season. Also Nominated: Nolan Miliman (Central Washington), Connor Redmond (Montana State Billings), Brock Moffitt (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Tatum Dow (Western Washington, SS, 5-8, Sr., Issaquah, Wash. – Bellevue Coll.): Dow extended her current hitting streak to 17 games and helped lead Western Washington to a 4-0 week by batting .385, going 5 for 13 with four runs, two doubles, a home run and two RBI. Dow had a hit in each of Friday’s wins over Western Oregon and scored the opening run in the 10-0, five-inning victory in the second game. She went 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI in Sunday’s 5-3 opening-game win over Saint Martin’s and went 2 for 4 in the nightcap with a solo home run in the 2-1 win. Also Nominated: Alyssa Benthagen (Central Washington), Maia McNicoll (Northwest Nazarene).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Kira Doan (Western Washington, P/IF, 5-1, Sr., Brier, Wash. – Mountlake Terrace): Doan picked up two wins and a save in three appearances as the Vikings went 4-0 over the weekend. Doan was the winner in relief in Friday’s 5-3 win over Western Oregon, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out three in 5.1 innings. Doan faced two batters in the seventh inning of Sunday’s opener against Saint Martin’s, getting the Vikings out of a jam to earn the save in the 5-3 victory. Doan earned the win in the nightcap, holding Saint Martin’s hitless in the seventh for the 2-1 victory. Also Nominated: Charlotte Forniss (Northwest Nazarene), Tia Ridings (Saint Martin’s), Reilly Tidwell (Western Oregon).

MEN’S TRACK
Sean Sands (Western Washington, Fr., Pine, Colo. - Conifer): Sand placed fourth in the 10,000 meters in his collegiate outdoor debut at the Ed Boitano Invitational, finishing in a time of 31:30.26. Also Nominated: Brandon McMillian-Thomas (Saint Martin’s).

MEN’S FIELD
Austin Goldstein (Western Oregon, Sr., Sherwood, Ore. – Sherwood): Goldstein won the javelin at the Willamette Opener. His mark of 198 feet, 10 inches, was a personal best, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark and ranks No. 2 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Josh Schulz (Saint Martin’s), Jaydon Tryon (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Cassidy Walchak-Sloan (Saint Martin’s, Fr., Olympia, Wash. – Olympia): Walchak-Sloan opened the outdoor season with a big victory in the 1,500 meters at the Ed Boitano Invitational. She won in a time of 4:41.89 and had a 13-second margin over teammate and second-place finisher Naomi Hartley.

WOMEN’S FIELD
Amanda Short (Western Washington, Sr., Lebanon, Ore. – Western Oregon Univ.): Short won the javelin at the Ed Boitano Invitational on Saturday. Her mark of 141 feet, 11 inches is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks No. 3 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Kaylee Wright (Western Oregon).

MEN’S GOLF
Claire Moon (Western Washington, So., Olympia, Wash. - Olympia): Moon was the top finisher among GNAC players at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout, finishing among seven players tied for 15th place with a two-round score of 6-over-par 150. She carded her low round of 1-over-par 73 on the second day to lead the Vikings to a 10th place team finish. Also Nominated: Hannah Holloway (Northwest Nazarene).

WOMEN’S ROWING
Western Washington Varsity 8+: Rowing in the first competition of the spring season, the Vikings’ varsity 8+ won its race at the PLU Invitational on Saturday in a time of 7:01.4. The boat scored a 16-second victory over Seattle Pacific and a 20-second victory over Pacific Lutheran. The time was the third-fastest by a varsity 8+ boat in the regatta, bettered only by two Gonzaga crews. The crew was comprised of coxswain Adele Houston and rowers Lindsey Froelich, Morgan MacIntyre, Clarice Ruhlin-Hicks, Olivia Pella, Emma Clark, Maddie Bangasser, Yuki Saburi and Haley Moss.