Monday, April 4, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – In a week with a plethora of outstanding track and field performances, it was a pair of efforts on the track by Alaska Anchorage sophomore Coleman Nash and Simon Fraser sophomore Charlie Dannatt that lead the GNAC Athlete of the Week awards.

The pair shared the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honor after both ran races that moved them to No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list. Nash turned in a time of 13:53.33 in the 5,000 meters at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic, an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying performance that ranks No. 2 in Division II this season.

Dannatt moved into No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list in the 1,500 meters as he ran a time of 3:42.01 to place fourth in the invitational section of the event at the Stanford Invitational. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks No. 2 in Division II this season. Dannatt also provisionally qualified in the 800 meters at Stanford, clocking a time of 1:51.23 that ties him for 15th in Division II this season.

Simon Fraser junior Alison Andrews-Paul was named the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she ran the leading time in Division II this season in the 1,500 meters at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic. She won the race in a time of 4:21.52 that is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier. Andrews-Paul also ran a leg on the SFU 4x400-meter relay team that ran 3:42.45, the third-fastest time in Division II this season.

Seattle Pacific junior David Njeri was named the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week after he moved to No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list in the triple jump. He placed second in the event at the West Coast Relays with an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark of 49 feet, 9.75 inches, ranking him No. 4 in Division II this season.

Western Washington senior Amanda Short earned the Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honor after she won the javelin at the WWU Invitational. Her throw of 155 feet, 9 inches improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark and ranks No. 4 in Division II this season.

On the diamonds, Simon Fraser junior Hanna Finkelstein was named the Softball Player of the Week after helping to lead SFU to a 4-1 week at the Tournament of Champions. Finkelstein batted .625, going 10 for 16 with six runs, 11 RBI, four doubles, a triple and a home run. She had two three-hit games, going 3 for 4 in Saturday’s 7-1 win over Academy of Art and in the 7-5 win over San Francisco State on Saturday night.

Central Washington senior Rhaney Harris was named the Softball Pitcher of the Week after she earned all three CWU victories at the Tournament of Champions. She amassed a 1.33 earned run average in the three complete-game starts. Harris allowed one run on five hits and struck out three in Friday’s 2-1 win over San Francisco State before allowing one run on nine hits with five strikeouts on Sunday’s 5-1 win over Cal State East Bay.

Wildcats junior Tyler McClain was selected as the Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .600 in the four-game weekend series with Montana State Billings, going 9 for 15 with nine runs scored, two doubles, a home run and four RBI. He went 5 for 6 with five runs scored, two doubles and a two-RBI single in the 28-3 victory in Friday’s opener. He then went 2 for 3 with three runs scored and a solo home run in Saturday’s opener.

Western Oregon junior Parker Johnson was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he threw a complete-game one-hitter to beat Saint Martin’s on Saturday, 8-0. Johnson allowed the one hit and one walk while striking out six. He threw 64 pitches in the win, 49 for strikes.

Western Washington senior Aidan Thain and Saint Martin’s senior Tyler Fitchett shared the Men’s Golf Player of the Week award after the two tied for medalist honors at the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational. Both players carded three-round scores of 7-under-par 209 and were tied through four holes of a playoff, which was ended due to travel constraints.

Northwest Nazarene sophomore Madison Gridley was named the Women’s Golf Player of the Week. Gridley tied for fourth at the NNU Intercollegiate last Tuesday and then ended as the GNAC’s top golfer at the RJGA Palm Valley Classic, tying for 21st with a two-round score of 5-over-par 149.

Western Washington’s varsity 4+ was selected as the Women’s Rowing Crew of the Week after winning the collegiate varsity 4+ race at the Husky Open on Saturday. The Vikings finished eight seconds ahead of Division I Portland in a time of 8:01.049.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 32
BASEBALL PLAYER
Tyler McClain (Central Washington, OF, 6-2, Jr., Bonney Lake, Wash. – Everett CC): McClain batted .600 in the Wildcats’ four-game series with Montana State Billings, going 9 for 15 with nine runs scored, two doubles, a home run and four RBI. McClain opened the series by going 5 for 6 with five runs scored, two doubles and a two-RBI single in Friday’s 28-3 win. In Saturday’s opener, McClain went 2 for 3 with three runs scored and a solo home run. He also had a hit in both nightcaps and finished the week with a .611 on-base percentage and .933 slugging percentage. Also Nominated: Cooper Dulich (Montana State Billings), Aaron Renaud (Saint Martin’s), Logan Ho (Western Oregon).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Parker Johnson (Western Oregon, P/UT, 6-0, Jr., Anchorage, Alaska – Indiana Wesleyan Univ.): Johnson threw a complete-game one-hitter on Saturday, closing the Wolves series with an 8-0 victory over Saint Martin’s. He allowed the one hit and one walk and struck out six. He needed to throw 64 pitches for the win, 49 for strikes, to improve to 5-2 on the season. Also Nominated: Ryan Arredondo (Central Washington), Matthew Houlihan (Montana State Billings), Justice Yamashita (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Hanna Finkelstein (Simon Fraser, 1B/P, 5-7, Jr., Richmond, B.C. – LIU Post): Finkelstein led Simon Fraser’s 4-1 week at the Tournament of Champions with a .625 batting average, going 10 for 16 with six runs, 11 RBI, four doubles, a triple and a home run. She went 2 for 4 with an RBI double in Friday’s 9-7 loss to Cal State Monterey Bay and then went 3 for 5 with a bases-clearing triple and a two-RBI in double in the 10-3 win over Holy Names. Finkelstein opened Saturday by going 3 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI single in the 7-1 win over Academy of Art before going 3 for 4 with a two-run double in the 7-5 win over San Francisco State. Also Nominated: Allie Thiessen (Central Washington), Brittanee Fisher (Montana State Billings), Malia Pinder (Saint Martin’s), Sophie Franklin (Western Oregon), Chantelle Shimabukuro (Western Washington).

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Rhaney Harris (Central Washington, P, 5-8, Sr., Omak, Wash. – Concordia (Ore.) Univ.): Harris was the winner in the circle in all three of the Wildcats’ victories at the Tournament of Champions, all in complete-game efforts. Harris allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts in Friday’s 2-1 win over San Francisco State. She allowed two runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Azusa Pacific and ended the week by allowing one run on nine hits with one walk and five strikeouts in Sunday’s 5-1 win over Cal State East Bay. For the week, Harris compiled a 1.33 earned run average and struck out 10 in 21 innings pitched. Also Nominated: Jenna Kister (Montana State Billings), Chloe Leverington (Saint Martin’s), Julia Hansen (Simon Fraser), Chelsea Smith (Western Oregon), Sydney Brown (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
Coleman Nash (Alaska Anchorage, So., Littleton, Colo. – Chatfield): Nash moved to No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list in the 5,000 meters, finishing third in the event at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in a time 13:53.33. The fastest non-Division I or open competitor in the event, Nash also surpassed the NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time and ranks No. 2 in Division II this season.

Charlie Dannatt (Simon Fraser, So., North Vancouver, B.C. – Univ. of British Columbia): Dannatt moved into No. 2 on the GNAC all-time list in the 1,500 meters, placing fourth in the invitational section of the event at the Stanford Invitational in a time of 3:42.01. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks No. 2 in Division II this season. Dannatt also ran an NCAA provisional qualifying time in the 800 meters, winning his section with a time of 1:51.23 that ties him for No. 15 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Rajesh Gill (Central Washington), Ase Ackerman (Montana State Billings), Hunter Braseth (Northwest Nazarene), Lance Slichko (Saint Martin’s), Bailey Smith (Western Oregon), Mac Franks (Western Washington).

MEN’S FIELD
David Njeri (Seattle Pacific, Jr., Tacoma, Wash. – Wilson): Njeri moved up to No. 3 on the GNAC all-time list in the triple jump, placing second in the event at the West Coast Relays in Clovis, California. His mark of 49 feet, 9.75 inches, which came on his final attempt, is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks No. 4 in Division II this season. Njeri also placed third in the long jump with a mark of 22 feet, 9 inches. Also Nominated: Drew Klein (Central Washington), Forrest Cross (Montana State Billings), Colton Burr (Northwest Nazarene), Jarrett Chong (Simon Fraser), Austin Goldstein (Western Oregon), Jaydon Tryon (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
Alison Andrews-Paul (Simon Fraser, Jr., Ohope Beach, New Zealand – Baylor Univ.): Andrews-Paul won the 1,500 meters at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in a meet-record time of 4:21.52. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time leads Division II this season and moves her to No. 5 on the GNAC all-time list. She also ran a leg on the Simon Fraser 4x400-meter relay team that finished in a time of 3:42.35, the third-best in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Elena Cano (Alaska Anchorage), Makaylee Young (Central Washington), Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Abbey Wood (Northwest Nazarene), Vanessa Aniteye (Seattle Pacific), Maliyah Thompson (Western Oregon), Ila Davis (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Amanda Short (Western Washington, Sr., Lebanon, Ore. – Western Oregon Univ.): Short improved her NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the javelin at the WWU Invitational, winning the event with a mark of 155 feet, 9 inches. The performance ranks No. 4 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Allison Coleman (Central Washington), Kendall Lynn (Montana State Billings), Kinsey Langin (Northwest Nazarene), Sydney Kania (Simon Fraser), Liliana Lyness-Morales (Western Oregon).

MEN’S GOLF
Aidan Thain (Western Washington, Sr., Bellevue, Wash. – Colorado Mesa Univ.) and Tyler Fitchett (Saint Martin’s, Sr., Yakima, Wash. – Eisenhower): Thain and Fitchett tied for medalist honors at the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational. Both players finished 54 holes with scores of 7-under-par 209. The duo completed four holes of a playoff and were still tied when travel constraints stopped play. Both players shot low rounds of 3-under-par 69, Thain shooting his in the first round and Fitchett shooting his in the second round. Also Nominated: Ryan Hodgins (Simon Fraser).

WOMEN’S GOLF
Madison Gridley (Northwest Nazarene, So., Meridian, Idaho – Rocky Mountain): After tying for fourth at the NNU Intercollegiate last Tuesday, Gridley was the top GNAC finisher at the RJGA Palm Valley Classic on Saturday. Gridley tied for 21st, carding a two-round score of 5-over-par 149. Also Nominated: Jada French (Saint Martin’s), Shirin Anjarwalla (Simon Fraser), Claire Moon (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S ROWING
Western Washington Varsity 4+: Competing in its first regatta in a month, Western Washington won the collegiate varsity 4+ race at the Husky Open in Seattle in a time of 8:01.049. The Vikings were over eight seconds ahead of Division I Portland in earning the victory. Crew members included Claudia Webster (coxswain), Emma Clark, Olivia Pells, Lindsey Froelich and Paige Donner.