PORTLAND, Ore. – Great Northwest Athletic Conference records fell last week as the 2026 indoor track and field season heated up, highlighting the latest GNAC Player of the Week list.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Emma Cannan – Simon Fraser University
Third-career track athlete of the week, first this season.
Shooting out of a cannon to start her 2026 season, the SFU senior notched a pair of personal bests at the University of Washington Preview over the weekend. Cannan broke the GNAC indoor record in the 400 meters, running a time of 53.56 seconds to win the event among a field of 28 competitors. That topped former Red Leaf Marie-Eloise Leclairs conference record time of 53.82 seconds achieved during the 2022-23 indoor season. Cannan also hit a personal-best time of 7.44 seconds in the 60 meters, winning that event as well. Her time was third-fastest in conference history as she moved within 0.15 seconds of the GNAC record 7.29 seconds set by Central Washington’s
E’lexis Hollis in 2023-24. Cannan now sits at No. 2 on the NCAA Division II national performance list in the 400 meters and No. 7 on the list in the 60 meters.
SFU Head Coach Brit Townsend: “Emma has shown consistent and dramatic improvement over the last three years at SFU. She is determined and dedicated to being the best sprinter we have ever had on the women’s side. This past weekend marked a massive breakthrough in the 400 meters for her. We are very excited to see where the rest of the season will take her.”
Also Nominated: Vivien Liessfeld, Alaska Anchorage; Ashlyn Nielsen, Central Washington; Delainey Engen, Montana State Billings; Hazel Kunkel, Northwest Nazarene; Maya Ewing, Seattle Pacific; Amelia Merritt, Western Oregon; Emmy Kroontje, Western Washington.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Emy Ntekpere – Central Washington University
Sixth-career field athlete of the week, first this season.
Ntekpere broke her own GNAC indoor record in the high jump, clearing 5-10.5 feet (1.79 meters) at the UW Preview. That was a half foot better than her mark of 5-10 feet (1.78 meters) which she achieved during her historic 2024-25 campaign. Ntekpere’s first high jump of the year was good enough for a second place finish among a field of 12 competitors. The reigning NCAA Division II indoor national champion in the triple jump also won that event over the weekend, leaping 41-1.75 feet (12.54 meters) for a season best. Ntekpere rounded out her performance placing fourth in the long jump, with a mark of 18-7.75 feet (5.68 meters). Ntekpere’s high jump is tied for the best in the country so far this winter, while her triple jump mark has her slotted third.
CWU Head Coach Jonathan Hill: “Emy opened in the high jump and it went well. She was clean through 1.76 (meters) which was great, then went third attempt at 1.79. It was awesome to see her overcome some stress and put together one of the best technical jumps of her career. She won a Big 10 meet in the triple jump and competed really well in the long jump placing fourth. Emy had a really solid day which we hope to replicate a couple more times.”
Also Nominated: Hannah Cooper, Montana State Billings; Georgia Collins, Northwest Nazarene; Brooke Mosby, Seattle Pacific; Olivia Windbiel, Simon Fraser; Alecia Lemeza, Western Oregon; Jessica Polkinghorn, Western Washington.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Zach Jeggo – Simon Fraser University
First-career track athlete of the week.
The Canadian high school national champion came as advertised, cruising to the second-fastest 400 meters time in GNAC indoor history in his collegiate debut last week. Posting a win among a field of 23 competitors at the UW Preview, Jeggo ran 47.29 seconds. That was just 0.07 seconds shy of the GNAC indoor record of 47.22 seconds, set by Alaska Anchorage’s Joshua Caleb last year. Jeggo also contributed a leg on SFU’s 4x400 meter relay team, which took third place with a time of 3:17.27 minutes. The true freshman now sits third on the NCAA Division II national performance list in the 400 meters.
SFU Head Coach Brit Townsend: “Zachary Jeggo is one of the most exciting sprinters we have ever had at SFU. He was number one last year in the men’s U20 400 meter hurdles for Canada, and this past weekend he confirmed that he is already one of the best in the NCAA. Zach is a great competitor who is composed and determined. We are very excited to see what the future will bring for him.”
Also Nominated: Tony Ruiz, Alaska Anchorage; David Brown, Central Washington; John Roberts, Montana State Billings; Brody Kemble, Northwest Nazarene; Terelle Hunter, Seattle Pacific; Matthew Resnik, Western Oregon; Western Washington 4x400 Meter Relay.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Ryan Doidge – Saint Martin’s University
Second-career field athlete of the week, first this season.
Doidge broke the Saint Martin’s program record in the pole vault at the UW Preview, clearing a personal-best height of 15-9.75 feet (4.82 meters). That made him the top Division II performer in the event, as he topped his previous collegiate best of 15-3 feet (4.65 meters) in last year’s GNAC Indoor Championships silver medal performance. The senior also got his name onto the early national leaderboard, as his latest attempt ranks him 30th in Division II so far this season.
SMU Head Coach John Schultz: “We are very excited about Ryan and all that he has accomplished. Ryan is a very hard worker and has been a serious student in learning the technical skills of the pole vault. His dedication to vaulting is allowing him to reach new heights.”
Also Nominated: Cal’von Baker, Central Washington; Carson Nissen, Montana State Billings; Thor Kessinger, Northwest Nazarene; Tawaf Aboudou, Seattle Pacific; Daanish Adams, Simon Fraser; Calvin Gutierrez, Western Washington.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophie Bergeron – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
Bergeron put together one of the best individual games in the GNAC this season, coming up just shy of a triple-double in the Red Leafs’ 109-46 blowout of Alaska on Saturday. The sophomore had 30 points, 10 steals, nine rebounds, five assists and just one turnover in 31 minutes played. She made 14 of 23 shots (60.9%) and came up one steal shy of the GNAC single-game record of 11 set by Alaska Anchorage’s Emilia Long last season. It was the 10th double-digit scoring effort this season by Bergeron, who’s previous collegiate best in scoring of 19 points came on Jan. 3 against Western Oregon. It marked her second double-double of the year as well. Bergeron also contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists in her team’s 79-72 defeat against Alaska Anchorage last Thursday. Overall on the week she averaged 20.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 5.5 steals per game while shooting 54.5% from the floor. On the season Bergeron is averaging 10.8 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, and her mark of 3.1 steals per game leads the GNAC.
SFU Head Coach Bruce Langford: “Sophie came to us from Quebec where she was league defensive MVP. She has endless energy. When I questioned her about it, she said, ‘at home they said I had an extra lung.’ As a result, I started calling her poumon [lung in French]. She certainly came fired up the other night with five steals in the first quarter. That endless energy went for 40 minutes in all facets of the game. Every night she works hard, using her quickness and extra lung to pursue the ball. Athletically she has a great vertical, has a quick first step and anticipates passes well. Her stat line said it all on Saturday.”
Also Nominated: Kimberly Carrada Sanchez, Alaska Anchorage; Tamai Mancuso, Alaska; Asher Cai, Central Washington; Tailey Harris, Montana State Billings; Allie Hueckman, Northwest Nazarene; Jada Travis, Saint Martin’s; Layne Kearns, Seattle Pacific; Olivia Hodges, Western Washington.
MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Miles Gurske – Montana State Billings
First-career player of the week.
Gurske, a 6-foot-1 guard, had an efficient week for the Yellowjackets shooting 65.2% from the floor amid a pair of strong performances. Helping lead the Yellowjackets to an 87-82 win over second-place Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, Gurske had a season high four steals to go along with 16 points, four assists and three rebounds. He scored his team’s final five points in the final 25 seconds of the contest to help seal the win. Gurske then went off for a season-high 32 points on 10-for-13 shooting, including knocking down 4 of 6 threes against Central Washington on Saturday. Gurske added six rebounds, two steals and two assists while going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Overall on the week Gurske posted an assist/turnover ratio of 2.0 while averaging 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 3.0 assists per game. He shot 50.0% from 3-point range and made 14 of 16 free throws (87.5%). Gurske is averaging 14.3 points per game and 3.1 assists per game this season.
MSUB Head Coach Luke Fennelly: “Miles really got into a nice rhythm last week. His ability to finish at the rim really opened up other opportunities for him to score, and his teammates did a nice job of finding him. I am proud of the work he has put in and it is nice to see Miles find his stride.”
Also Nominated: Cole Johnson, Alaska Anchorage; Mike Miller, Alaska; Jordan Clark, Central Washington; Easton Reagan, Northwest Nazarene; Kaden Hansen, Saint Martin’s; Theo McMillan, Seattle Pacific; Zach Stone, Simon Fraser; Jadin Penigar, Western Oregon.