PORTLAND, Ore. – A pair of standout cross country performances led the latest Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week selections, which were announced on Monday.
 
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Brody Kemble – Northwest Nazarene University
First-career cross country runner of the week.
 
Kemble has been on a tear this fall, and collected his second straight victory as he won the Whitman Invitational on Saturday. The junior from Middleton, Idaho, topped a field of 87 runners at the event, clocking an 8k time of 24:30.9 minutes. Trailing a swath of Gonzaga Runners (NCAA DI) down the final stretch, Kemble used a late kick to pass four Bulldogs and edge second-place Logan Schwartz of GU by 0.5 seconds. Kemble’s win comes after he ran a PR time of 24:15.9 minutes at the Mike Johnson Classic on Sept. 27, placing first in that event as well. Kemble is the reigning GNAC Outdoor Track & Field champion in the 10,000 meters, and earned all-conference last fall by placing seventh at the 2023 GNAC Cross Country Championships. The Nighthawks are scheduled to compete in the Lewis Crossover this Saturday, before the upcoming GNAC Championships on Oct. 26 in Bellingham, Wash.
 
NNU Head Coach Greg Mitchell: “Brody is always a gamer and isn’t afraid to push the pace up front, so I wasn’t surprised to see him battling for the lead throughout the race with the DI guys. What was surprising was to see Brody come from behind in the last 50 meters and out-kick everyone for the win. That’s a dangerous new addition to his toolbox. We are in a difficult stretch of training and have been racing quite a bit, so we have a lot of tired NNU legs out there. It was really fun to see Brody compete well despite not racing on a full tank.”
 
Also Nominated: Johan Correa, Central Washington; Lennon Davis, Montana State Billings.
 

---

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Morgan Erler – Northwest Nazarene University
First-career cross country runner of the week.
 
Like her male teammate, Erler had a strong showing for the second consecutive week. The junior from Misawa, Japan finished in fourth place with a 6k time of 21:54.3 minutes at the Whitman Invitational. Erler finished only behind a trio of Gonzaga runners, leading the Nighthawks among the field of 67 competitors. Her finish came after she won the Mike Johnson Classic on Sept. 27, running a PR 6k time of 21:30.3 minutes to top a field of 48 competitors. Erler was NNU’s leading runner during the 2023 campaign as well, finishing 16th at last year’s GNAC Championships.
 
NNU Head Coach Greg Mitchell: “Morgan has been a strong runner since she arrived at NNU, however this year she has raised her game. She’s consistently racing at a new level and isn’t afraid to stick her nose in there with anyone. She raced well at Whitman and I was proud of her grit over the last kilometer. She was disappointed that she didn’t come away with the win but she knows she has bigger fish to fry in a few weeks.”
 
Also Nominated: Hannah Pidduck, Central Washington; Cecily Eagleton, Montana State Billings.
 

---

VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Brooke Dexter – Simon Fraser University
Fifth-career player of the week, first this season.
 
Dexter combined power and efficiency on the attack last week to lead Simon Fraser to a pair of victories, claiming her fifth-career GNAC Player of the Week award in the process. The senior from Anchorage, Alaska, led all GNAC players with 4.71 kills per set and a total of 33 kills in the two matches last week, while tying for fourth among all GNAC players with a hitting percentage of .400. Starting her week by leading SFU to a 3-1 win over Western Oregon, Dexter racked up 16 kills and 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. She followed that with 17 kills on .452 hitting, while adding seven more digs in the Red Leafs’ sweep of Saint Martin’s. Dexter chipped in seven block assists and four service aces to fill out her stat line in last week’s games. Dexter leads the conference with 4.05 kills per set, and is the active career leader with 1,111 kills entering this week.
 
Dexter committed just five errors on a GNAC-high 70 attack attempts last week, continuing her recent trend of marked improvement in her offensive efficiency. After posting an attack percentage of .258 across her first six matches of the season, Dexter has upped that figure to .387 across her last six matches and has climbed to No. 4 in the GNAC at .318 on the season. The strong numbers from one of the league’s top players has led SFU into a tie for second place in the standings, at 8-4 overall and 4-1 in conference matches.
 
 

Brooke Dexter 2024 Attack Efficiency Comparison (as of Oct. 7, 2024)
Category	Sept. 5-13	Sept. 14-Oct. 5
Matches	6	6
Sets	23	19
Kills	85	85
Errors	28	11
Attempts	221	191
Percentage	.258	.387

 
SFU Head Coach Gina Schmidt: “Brooke is accustomed to carrying a big offensive load for our team and this weekend was no different. She has a high volleyball I.Q. so even when opponents know to key on her she is able to find a variety of ways to score. She has been a consistent leader for our team this season both on and off the court.”
 
Also Nominated: Bethany Tuchardt, Alaska Anchorage; Elena Guc, Alaska Fairbanks; Morgan Halady, Central Washington; Addie Allen, Montana State Billings; Zoey Crimin, Saint Martin’s; Emily Vossenkuhl, Western Washington.
   

---

VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Devyn Oestreich – Western Washington University
Second-career player of the week, first this season.
 
Oestreich was all over the floor for the Vikings (5-6, 4-1 GNAC), helping her team claim a pair of victories, extend their winning streak to four matches and move into a tie for second in the conference standings. The junior from Olympia, Wash., averaged 5.67 digs per set, the most among any GNAC player that had two matches last week. Oestreich kicked off her week with a season-high 20 digs in WWU’s sweep of Saint Martin’s on Thursday, and narrowly missed a double-double as she added eight kills and three service aces. That figure was just three off her career high of 23 digs and it marked her fourth-career match reaching 20 digs. Oestreich then put up 14 digs in a sweep of Western Oregon on Saturday, while completing her third double-double in the last five matches with 11 kills. Oestreich also contributed three total blocks to the WWU defensive effort as the Vikings extended their streak to 12 consecutive sets won. Oestreich is ninth in the GNAC with 3.50 digs per set and is third in the conference with 0.56 aces per set this fall.
 
WWU Head Coach Diane Flick-Williams: “Devyn really has a nose for the ball and is great at collecting information as the game goes along to make bold reads. This was a great team defensive effort this weekend and Dev led the charge.”
 
Also Nominated: Madison Galloway, Alaska Anchorage; Josie Jansen, Alaska Fairbanks; Ellie Marble, Central Washington; Christine Funk, Montana State Billings, Nadia Gallegos, Saint Martin’s; Macyn Unger, Simon Fraser.
   

---

WOMEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Taylor Krueger – Seattle Pacific University
Second-career player of the week, first this season
 
The Falcons (5-1-2, 3-0-1 GNAC) stayed at the top of the GNAC standings thanks in large part to major contributions from the reigning GNAC co-Newcomer of the Year. In a tightly-contested, 2-1 win over Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, Krueger set the tone by punching in a loose ball in the 68th minute to give her team a lead it would never relinquish. On Saturday against Western Oregon, the Falcons found themselves in a 0-0 deadlock with just 15 minutes left on the clock. Krueger provided two assists within the span of 70 seconds, setting up goals for Nora Patterson and Andie Buckley that sealed a 2-0 triumph and a six-point weekend for SPU. Krueger’s four total points last week were tied for the most among any GNAC player. Krueger leads the GNAC with four assists and 12 points, and is tied for second in the conference with four goals so far in 2024.
 
SPU Head Coach Arby Busey: “Taylor was fantastic again last week and she made huge contributions in both games. Playing up front for us, she initiated our defending and finished our attacking consistently all weekend. She scored a big goal on Thursday by being alert and ready, and being in the right place at the right time. On Saturday, she got on the ball a ton and created so many great chances for our team which helped us achieve another result.”
 
Also Nominated: Jordan Bartlow, Central Washington; Monica Brown, Montana State Billings; Payton Aselton, Saint Martin’s; Isabella Muzzolini, Simon Fraser.
 

---

WOMEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Claire Brogdon – Montana State Billings
First-career player of the week.
 
The Yellowjackets (4-3-1, 1-2-1) completed a big four-point week at home to pull themselves up the conference standings, and Brogdon was instrumental in the effort. The freshman from Gilbert, Ariz., allowed just one goal in 180 minutes played, while making the second-most saves of any GNAC goalkeeper last week with 13 total. Brogdon started her week by facing 15 shots in MSUB’s 1-1 draw against Central Washington, and made five crucial saves to help her team to its first point of the conference season. The only goal she allowed on the week was a penalty kick against the Wildcats. In Saturday’s 3-0 triumph against Northwest Nazarene, Brogdon delivered a season-high eight saves while facing 16 more shots. She completed her fourth shutout of the season and first of her GNAC career, moving her into a tie for most shutouts in the conference this fall. Brogdon also ranks third in the league with a 0.75 goals-against average, and fourth in the league with 4.25 saves per game.
 
MSUB Head Coach Abiye Jack: “I’m very excited for Claire. She has been a solid presence in net from day one. She has had an incredible start to the season and is still always looking to make small improvements to her game. It is great to see her receive recognition for her play.”
 
Also Nominated: Danika Galbraith, Central Washington; Flavia Burrell, Saint Martin’s; Landry Schoennauer, Seattle Pacific; Elyse Beaudry, Simon Fraser; Sophia Pierce, Western Oregon.
 

---

MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Connor Tollan – Seattle Pacific University
First-career player of the week.
 
Tollan had a breakout offensive week, scoring three goals and adding two assists to lead all GNAC players with eight total points in two matches. In SPU’s 6-1 rout of Saint Martin’s, Tollan notched his first-career brace as he found the net in the 59th minute and the 66th minute. He followed with a key opening goal in Saturday’s match against Western Washington, finding the net in the 23rd minute to give the Falcons the lead. His second assist of the week came on Raymundo Mendez’s 69th-minute tally, proving monumental in the eventual 2-2 stalemate. The junior from Tacoma, Wash., who entered the season with two career goals and seven career assists, now leads the GNAC with four assists and is tied for third with four goals this fall. The four points for SPU (4-2-2, 1-0-1) moved it into second place in the GNAC standings.
 
SPU Head Coach Kevin Sakuda: “Connor was fantastic last week. He is a talented player and plays a big role in how we play, especially in the way we want to attack. Those qualities were on full display in both games. He was able to impact the game in so many different ways: Service from set pieces, facilitating and scoring goals in the run of play, running and scoring in transition. He stepped up in some really key moments last week.”
 
Also Nominated: So Nagano, Montana State Billings; Jim Wagenaar, Northwest Nazarene; Judah Straight, Saint Martin’s; Yahir Ocampo Navarro, Western Oregon.
 

---

MEN’S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Andre Schlaefli – Western Oregon University
First-career player of the week.
 
Western Oregon (6-1-1, 2-0) upped its winning streak to three matches and its unbeaten streak to seven as Schlaefli helped the Wolves beat Western Washington 1-0 and Montana State Billings 3-1 last week. The junior from Houston, Texas, allowed just one goal while playing all 180 minutes, and ranked second among GNAC goalkeepers with seven total saves last week. Schlaefli started his week by making three key stops in the tight win over Western Washington, collecting his third shutout of the 2024 campaign. He followed with four more saves in the win over the Yellowjackets on the road. In his first year with Western Oregon, Schlaefli ranks second in the GNAC with a goals-against average of 1.00 and third in the GNAC with .778 saves per game.
 
Also Nominated: George Jones, Montana State Billings; Gerardo Fonte, Northwest Nazarene; Zack Martin, Saint Martin’s; Pierluca Carnovale, Seattle Pacific.
 
 

---

MEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Christopher Zamani – Western Washington University
First-career player of the week.
 
Zamani was the GNAC’s top finisher at the Western Washington Invitational last week, placing sixth among a field of 71 competitors to earn his first-career weekly honor. The sophomore from Sammamish, Wash., notched a three-round score of 6-under-par 210 (71-69-70), stringing together three consecutive under-par rounds on the par-72, 6,610-yard course. Zamani’s opening-round 71 included an eagle on the par-5, 523-yard 11th hole, along with a pair of birdies. He was 1 of 3 players in the event to card two eagles, saving two more strokes on the par-5, 467-yard first hole in the second round. His second eagle came on his 36th and final hole of play on Monday, securing his 3-under-par 69. Zamani continued the consistency in the final round of the event, making six birdies to secure his first top-10 finish as a Vikings. The Linfield University transfer improved his season scoring average to 72.6 strokes per round, ranking him sixth in the GNAC.
 
WWU Head Coach Luke Bennett: “It has been great to see Christopher play solid to start the season. This past week was more of the same posting three rounds of par or better. Christopher showed a lot of maturity in how he managed the course and that led to him having many birdie opportunities. All facets of his game were solid from beginning to end. It is great to see him playing like he can to start the season.”
 
Also Nominated: Hayato Ito, Montana State Billings; Carter Sheets, Saint Martin’s; Danny Im, Simon Fraser.
 

---

WOMEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Izzy Ferguson – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
 
Ferguson was SFU’s top performer at the NCAA DII West Region preview event in Amarillo, Texas last week, tying for ninth among a field of 88 competitors. The junior from Ottawa, Ontario, notched a three-round score of 8-over-par 221 (70-75-76), picking up her second top-10 finish of the season. Ferguson got her week started on the right foot, making five birdies to notch a 1-under-par 70 on the par-71, 6,080-yard course layout. She followed with her sixth birdie of the event in Round 3, and made nothing worse than a bogey across her 54 holes of play. Ferguson jumped to No. 2 in the GNAC this season with a scoring average of 74.9 strokes per round.

SFU Head Coach Krysta Schaus: “Izzy’s top-10 finish at the west regional preview is a testament to her hard work this fall. Izzy’s on-course focus and preparation to handle the Texas heat helped her succeed on the course. Her most impressive stat of the week included hitting an average of 13 fairways per round and 13 greens in regulation per round.”
 
Also Nominated: Orraya Tipasathien, Montana State Billings; Kelsie Inouye, Saint Martin’s.