Monday, March 20, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – Three changes to the conference’s outdoor track and field top 10 lists, including two at the Oregon Preview at Hayward Field, headline the GNAC Athlete of the Week awards.

Western Oregon senior Dayne Gordien received the Men’s Field Athlete of the Week for his victory in the shot put at the Oregon Preview. His winning mark of 54 feet, 9.5 inches ranks No. 4 on the WOU all-time list and No. 9 on the GNAC all-time list. It is also an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark which is tied for the sixth-best in Division II this season.

Western Washington sophomore George Karamitsos ran to Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors after he ran a time of 29:40.69 to finish sixth in the 10,000 meters at Hayward on Friday. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list and is No. 3 in Division II this season.

Central Washington junior E’lexis Hollis was selected as the Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after she won the 100 meters on Saturday at the Doris Heritage Track Festival in Renton, Washington. Her time of 11.95 ties her for No. 10 on the GNAC all-time and is the eighth-best time in Division II this season. Hollis was also the anchor leg on the Wildcats’ winning 4x100-meter relay team.

Western Oregon senior Kaylee Wright threw to Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors after she placed fourth in the javelin at the Oregon Preview. The top non-Division I placer, Wright’s mark of 146 feet, 1 inch is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks No. 3 in Division II this season.

Western Oregon also swept the softball weekly awards after the Wolves swept a four-game series from Simon Fraser. Senior Chelsea Smith was named the Pitcher of the Week after she allowed one run on eight hits with 15 strikeouts in two complete-game wins. Smith allowed one run on five hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts in Friday’s 2-1 victory. She then allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out five in Saturday’s 10-0, five-inning win.

Junior Katelyn McGough earned the Softball Player of the Week award after batting .500 in the four-game series, going 6 for 12 with six runs, a double, two home runs and five RBIs. McGough’s week included a 2 for 3 performance in Friday’s second-game victory and going 2 for 3 with a three-run homer in Saturday’s 6-4 game one victory.

Montana State Billings senior outfielder Carson Green was selected as the Baseball Player of the Week after he batted .600 as the Yellowjackets took three of four games from Saint Martin’s. He went 10 for 18 with six runs, six doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Green’s week included going 3 for 4 with three runs scored in Friday’s 10-5 second-game win and going 3 for 4 with a two-run double and a two-run homer in Saturday’s 9-6 opening-game win.

Northwest Nazarene senior Ty Pohlmann was named the Baseball Pitcher of the Week for a pair of solid relief outings that saw him strike out nine of the 12 batters he faced. Pohlmann threw 1.1 innings of relief in Friday’s 5-3 second-game win, walking two and striking out five. He then faced the minimum in Saturday’s 6-5 second-game win, striking out five of the six batters he faced.

On the links, Simon Fraser junior Michael Crisologo was named the Men’s Golf Player of the Week after he led GNAC golfers with an eighth-place finish at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout. Crisologo carded a two-round score of 4-under-par 140 and led the Red Leafs to a second-place team finish.

GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS – WEEK 30
BASEBALL PLAYER
Carson Green (Montana State Billings, OF, 5-9, Sr., Kennewick, Wash. – Walla Walla CC): Green batted .600 as the Yellowjackets took three of four games from Saint Martin’s, going 10 for 18 with six runs, six doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Green went 2 for 5 with an RBI double in Friday’s 16-8 opening-game win. He went 3 for 4 with three runs scored in the 10-5 win in the second game. On Saturday, Green went 3 for 4 with a two-RBI double and a two-run opener in the 9-6 opening-game win before going 2 for 5 with a run scored in the 13-12, eight-inning loss in the nightcap. Also Nominated: Austin Ohland (Central Washington), Kailer Saunders (Northwest Nazarene), Brady Bean (Saint Martin’s).

BASEBALL PITCHER
Ty Pohlmann (Northwest Nazarene, P, 6-4, Sr., Chandler, Ariz. – UNLV): Pohlmann threw 3.1 innings of outstanding relief in the four-game series with Central Washington, allowing no hits while striking out nine of the 12 batters he faced. Pohlmann threw 1.1 innings in Friday’s 5-3 second-game win, walking two and striking out five. In Saturday’s 6-5 second-game win, Pohlmann faced the minimum in two innings of work, striking out five of the six batters he faced. Also Nominated: Ryan Arredondo (Central Washington) Trevor Cassell (Montana State Billings), Kameron Richards (Saint Martin’s).

SOFTBALL PLAYER
Katelyn McGough (Western Oregon, OF, 5-6, Jr., Raymond, Wash. – Lower Columbia CC): McGough batted .500 for the Wolves in a four-game sweep of Simon Fraser, going 6 for 12 with six runs, a double, two home runs and five RBIs. McGough hit a solo home run in Friday’s 5-2 opening-game win and went 2 for 3 in the nightcap with a run scored as the Wolves won 2-1. McGough opened Saturday by going 2 for 3 with a three-run homer in the 6-4 win before going 1 for with two runs scored in the 1-0, five-inning win. Also Nominated: Miyah Seaton (Central Washington), Kekai Schultz (Saint Martin’s), Janique Balcaen (Simon Fraser), Amaya Davis (Western Washington)

SOFTBALL PITCHER
Chelsea Smith (Western Oregon, P, 5-7, Sr., Tacoma, Wash. – Hesston Coll.): Smith won both of her starts as Western Oregon swept a four-game series from Simon Fraser. In 11 innings, Smith compiled a 0.64 ERA and allowed one run on eight hits with 15 strikeouts. Smith earned the 2-1 win in Friday’s second game as she allowed one run on five hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts. She needed only four innings of work in Saturday’s 10-0 run-rule victory as she allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out five. Also Nominated: Ashlee Laver (Central Washington), Julia Qualteri (Montana State Billings), Tia Ridings (Saint Martin’s), Shaneika Hollingworth (Simon Fraser), Mareena Ramirez (Western Washington).

MEN’S TRACK
George Karamitsos (Western Washington, So., Arlington, Wash. – Lewis & Clark Coll.): Karamitsos moved into No. 6 on the GNAC all-time list with his sixth-place finish in the 10,000 meters at the Oregon Preview on Friday. His time of 29:40.69 is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time and ranks No. 3 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Austin Albertin (Central Washington), Bryant Edgerton (Montana State Billings), Jesaiah Penson-Mccoy (Simon Fraser).

MEN’S FIELD
Dayne Gordien (Western Oregon, Sr., Sandy, Utah – UCLA): Gordien was the winner in the shot put on Saturday at the Oregon Preview with a mark of 54 feet, 9.5 inches. The mark ranks Gordien No. 9 on the GNAC all-time list and No. 4 on the WOU all-time list. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark is tied for sixth in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Isaiah Webster (Central Washington), Isaac Perkins (Montana State Billings), Mitchell Gibbs (Simon Fraser), Ryan Greenwalt (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S TRACK
E’lexis Hollis (Central Washington, Jr., Ellensburg, Wash. – Ellensburg): Hollis moved into a tie for No. 10 on the GNAC all-time list in the 100 meters with her winning time of 11.95 seconds. The time is the best in the GNAC this season and is tied for No. 8 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Kailee Stoppel (Montana State Billings), Marissa Crane (Seattle Pacific), Emma Cannan (Simon Fraser), Marian Ledesma (Western Washington).

WOMEN’S FIELD
Kaylee Wright (Western Oregon, Sr., John Day, Ore. – Grant Union): Wright took fourth in the javelin at the Oregon Preview on Saturday. The top non-Division I finisher in the event, Wright hit an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark with her throw of 146 feet, 1 inch which ranks No. 3 in Division II this season. Also Nominated: Erica Cabanos (Central Washington), Ryann Moline (Montana State Billings), Lizzy Daugherty (Seattle Pacific), Zuzanna Liniewski (Simon Fraser), Raine Westfall (Western Washington).

MEN’S GOLF
Michael Crisologo (Simon Fraser, Jr., Richmond, B.C. – Vancouver Coll.): Crisologo led GNAC golfers with an eighth-place finish at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout on Monday. He carded a two-round score of 4-under-par 140, including a 3-under-par 69 in the second round. Crisologo led Simon Fraser to a second-place team finish. Also Nominated: Luke Birkinbine (Northwest Nazarene).