PORTLAND, Ore. – Top national marks by track & field athletes highlighted the latest group of Great Northwest Athletic Conference Players of the Week released on Monday.
MEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Maurice Woodring – Western Washington University
Third-career track athlete of the week, first this season.
Woodring broke his own GNAC record in the 400-meter hurdles at the UC San Diego Triton Invitational over the weekend, clocking in with a time of 50.69 seconds. That made him the first man in conference history to surpass the 51-second threshold, as he bested his previous GNAC record of 51.03 seconds set last spring. It was the fastest time by any hurdler in NCAA Division II so far this season. Woodring just missed All-American honors in the event last year, placing ninth at the NCAA Championships. Woodring also ran a leg of WWU’s 4x400-meter relay race last week, with that quartet posting the third-fastest time in GNAC history at 3:10.64 minutes. That was good enough for a third-place finish among a field of 20 teams competing, and it was the seventh-fastest time in Division II so far in 2026.
Also Nominated: John Peckham, Alaska Anchorage; David Brown, Central Washington; Will Hyatt, Montana State Billings; Brody Kemble, Northwest Nazarene; Avery Erickson, Seattle Pacific; Colton Plummer, Simon Fraser; Landon Theisen, Western Oregon.
MEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Ray Gerrard – Western Oregon University
Second-career field athlete of the week, first this season.
Gerrard broke a 55-year-old school record in the discus, hitting 177-9 feet (54.19 meters) at the Texas State Bobcat Invitational. That was the fifth-best discus throw in GNAC history and the second-best by a GNAC athlete this outdoor season. Gerrard hinted he was on his way to a major breakthrough with his first throw of the week at the Texas Relays, which was a PR of 173-8 feet (52.93 meters). He then bested that mark by more than four feet, moving his name up to No. 7 on the NCAA Division II national performance list for this season. Gerrard is the reigning GNAC champion in the event, winning last year’s outdoor title with a toss of 169-10 feet (51.78 meters).
WOU Head Coach Zach Holloway: “Ray has been itching to get this discus school record for the past year. He has put in a ton of work and knew a big breakthrough was coming soon. That discus record was 55 years old and Coach Flynt is doing a great job with the throws crew this year.”
Also Nominated: Tobin Schmidtke, Alaska Anchorage; Caleb Reed, Central Washington; Johnnie Young, Montana State Billings; Laurenz Waldbauer, Northwest Nazarene; Tawaf Aboudou, Seattle Pacific; Leupold Wang, Simon Fraser; Calvin Gutierrerz, Western Washington.
WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Raiya Matonovich – Simon Fraser University
First-career track athlete of the week.
Matonovich ran the fifth-fastest 800-meters time in Division II so far in 2026, clocking in at 2:07.71 minutes at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic. That was good enough for a fourth-place finish among a crowded field of 198 runners in the event. The 2026 GNAC Indoor Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet then followed with a season-best time of 4:30.78 minutes in the 1,500-meters at the Stanford Invitational. Matonovich, who was voted the GNAC Indoor Freshman of the Year, almost certainly punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships in the 800-meters with last week’s performance.
SFU Head Coach Brit Townsend: “Raiya has been a standout freshman for us, not only in track and field but cross country as well. In her season outdoor opener this past weekend she knocked off a performance that will likely qualify her for the NCAA Championships. I am excited for what’s to come and her long-term goal of making the World U20 Championships this summer.”
Also Nominated: Liv Heite, Alaska Anchorage; Elise Hopper, Central Washington; Micah Strong, Montana State Billings; Morgan Erler, Northwest Nazarene; Maya Ewing, Seattle Pacific; Maren Anderson, Western Oregon; Emmy Kroontje, Western Washington.
WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Vivien Liessfeld – University of Alaska Anchorage
Third-career field athlete of the week, second this season.
Liessfeld was firing on all cylinders at the Brutus Hamilton Multis over the weekend, posting a career-best heptathlon score of 4,946 points. That was good enough to move her name up to No. 7 on the NCAA Division II national performance list for 2026. Fresh off an indoor gold medal in the pentathlon at the GNAC Championships, Liessfeld posted three personal bests among her seven-event performance, landing her second among a field of 17 athletes who competed at the meet. It was the top heptathlon score by a GNAC athlete so far in 2026.
UAA Head Coach Ryan McWilliams: “I am very proud of Vivien’s efforts, not just during the multi but in the preparations leading up to it and throughout this entire year. It was great to see her put it all together, and it is great news for us that she still is leaving some points out there.”
Also Nominated: Azariah Miller, Central Washington; Hannah Cooper, Montana State Billings; Lysandra Plant, Seattle Pacific; Kathryn Chapin, Western Washington.
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Conrad Henkel – Central Washington University
First-career player of the week.
Henkel propelled the Wildcats to a 3-1 series win over Montana State Billings last week, supplying the pop in CWU’s lineup. Henkel homered three times, drove in seven runs and scored seven runs to lead the way in the series. The junior outfielder went 7-for-14 at the plate, posting a slash line of .500/.588/1.143 and extending his hitting streak to nine games. Henkel delivered his second multi-homer game of the season in the second game of the series, hitting a pair of long balls and driving in three runs to highlight his productivity. The first-year Wildcat raised his season batting average to .333, and he ranks second in the conference with seven home runs in 2026.
CWU Head Coach Desi Storey: “Conrad did a great job. He stayed focused on making good contact and not trying to do too much at the plate. That led to him having success in some of the key spots of the games.”
Also Nominated: Kaden Bertram, Montana State Billings; Carter Walsh, Northwest Nazarene.
BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Corbin Talley – Northwest Nazarene University
Second-career pitcher of the week, second this season.
Talley picked up his second weekly award in the last three weeks with another gem of a performance on the mound for the Nighthawks. Taking the hill in game two of Friday’s doubleheader, Talley authored his second shutout of the season to lead his team to a 4-0 triumph. The left-hander scattered six hits while allowing two walks in his seven innings of work, striking out eight hitters as he kept the WOU lineup off-balance all afternoon. It was the fifth time this season Talley logged eight or more strikeouts in a start and it was his third consecutive outing doing so. He lowered his GNAC-leading ERA to 1.71, and he also leads the conference with 65 strikeouts and an opponents’ batting average of .206.
NNU Head Coach Joe Schaefer: “Corbin was great last weekend. He pounded the strike zone all game and challenged hitters. He is getting better every week.”
Also Nominated: Camdyn Martindale, Central Washington; Owen Combs, Montana State Billings.
SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Madelynne Hommel – Western Oregon University
First-career player of the week.
Hommel had as good of a series for a leadoff hitter as her team could have asked for last week, as she lifted the Wolves to a 3-1 series triumph over Montana State Billings. The junior outfielder went 8-for-13, reached base in 11 of 16 plate appearances and was a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts. Setting the tone from the beginning of the series, Hommel opened her big week going 4-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and her first home run of the season. She had a double in all four games, posting a slugging percentage of 1.154 across the four-game series. Hommel raised her season batting average to .427, ranking her third in the conference.
WOU Head Coach Aly Boytz: “Hommel has consistently been a spark in our lineup. She was bumped up to the leadoff role last weekend and took responsibility of getting our offense going. She is seeing the ball really well right now and is adjusting to how the defenses are playing her. I am excited to see her build on last weekend and continue being a threat in our lineup.”
Also Nominated: McKayla Cable, Central Washington; Marleigh Nieto, Montana State Billings; Ella Booth, Simon Fraser; Maleah Andrews, Western Washington.
SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Monica Bourque – Simon Fraser University
Fourth-career pitcher of the week, second this season.
Bourque was outstanding for the second week in a row, posting an ERA of 0.00 across 14 innings pitched in her two outings. Helping the Red Leafs take 3 of 4 from Central Washington, Bourque started off her week by going the distance in her team’s 5-4 triumph on Friday. All four runs she allowed were unearned, and she finished with five strikeouts against a pair of walks and six hits. The right-hander then tossed her second shutout of the season on Saturday, striking out seven and allowing just six baserunners while going the distance in a 3-0 victory. Bourque lowered her season ERA to 2.58 to rank second in the conference, and she is in the midst of a streak of 22 innings pitched without allowing an earned run.
SFU Head Coach Stacy Fournier: “What Monica continues to do for us each series is so impressive. We have high expectations of her and she finds a way to meet or exceed those every outing. She typically gets even better on day two of the weekend. All credit goes to her and our pitching coach Tori for keeping her healthy and ready to compete. Perhaps even more valuable to our team is how fantastic of a teammate she is. She is supportive and is always one of the first to get excited for others’ success.”
Also Nominated: Zoey Theophilus, Central Washington; Danica Butler, Montana State Billings; Miah Lusk, Northwest Nazarene; Braeli Martin, Western Oregon; Alanna Wirtala, Western Washington.
WOMEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cadence Ko – Simon Fraser University
First-career player of the week.
Ko was the GNAC’s top finisher at the RJGA Palm Valley Classic last week in Goodyear, Ariz., tying for sixth place among a field of 142 competitors. Squaring off against the top competition in the NCAA Division II west region, Ko posted a two-round score of 1-over-par 145 (72-73). She opened up with an even-par 72 on day one, offsetting a pair of bogeys with two birdies to keep her scorecard clean. She followed with three more birdies in round two on her way to a 1-over-par 73. Ko played the back-nine at 1-under-par 35 both times through the course, making three of her five birdies on the second set of holes. Ko lowered her season scoring average to 74.3 strokes per round, ranking her second in the GNAC in 2025-26.
SFU Head Coach Krysta Schaus: “Cadence’s performance this week is a testament to her resilience and hard work during training all year long. Cadence played with patience and confidence at Palm Valley. Playing the par 4s at 1-under-par for the week helped her secure her second top-10 finish of the year. Cadence plays steady golf and avoids big numbers on the scorecard. Her short game created birdie opportunities and she finished with five on the week.”
Also Nominated: Ella Tannenberger, Montana State Billings; Ashley Bruland, Saint Martin’s; Lauren F. Lee, Western Washington.
MEN’S GOLF PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mark Pramounmat – Montana State Billings
First-career player of the week.
Pramounmat was the conference’s top finisher at the CSU-Pueblo-hosted Sam Proal tournament last week in Colorado. The freshman from Samut Prakan, Thailand, tied for 14th place among a field of 102 players, posting a three-round total of even-par 213 (75-70-68). After opening the tournament with a 4-over-par 75 on Monday, Pramounmat settled into a groove and played the final two rounds at 4-under-par. He saved his best for last, notching a 3-under-par 68 in the third round as he made six birdies on the way to his best score of 2025-26. Overall across the 54-hole event, Pramounmat made 13 birdies and nothing worse than a bogey. His 68 was tied for the best round by an MSUB golfer so far this year, and he lowered his season stroke average to 75.5.
MSUB Head Coach Adam Buie: “Mark played some solid golf in Pueblo. We had never competed there as a team, so we were all going in blind. He got hot and made 13 birdies to finish even for the event.”
Also Nominated: Christopher Gunlikson, Saint Martin’s; Denby Carswell, Simon Fraser.
WOMEN’S ROWING CREW OF THE WEEK
Seattle Pacific Varsity 8+
c:
Lexi Roybal, 8:
Solanes Capps-Mace, 7:
Amelia Pape, 6:
Emma Jones, 5:
Miriam Dykstra, 4:
Bella Lisenby, 3:
Emmerson Spencer, 2:
Grace Combs, 1:
Gem Gatmaytan
The Falcons put together a comprehensive showing at the Florida DII Spring Invitational over the weekend, highlighted by their varsity 8+ boat. On the opening day of competition, SPU posted a time of 7:03.4 minutes to finish second among a field of eight teams and first among Division II competition. The Falcons then performed well on the second day of the event, placing third with a time of 7:05.30 minutes. The Falcons were ranked fourth nationally in the latest CRCA coaches poll released last week.
SPU Head Coach Kenzie Waltar: “The eight had a very strong weekend of racing. I am so proud of how the team handled both the challenging conditions and the pressure of an eight-boat race with such grace. This whole season we've talked a lot about controlling what you can control and finding the joy in the hard work. The eight's performance at the DII Invite was a great test for staying internal in the rough water and enjoying the opportunity to race against some of the fastest DII teams in the nation. We're excited to keep learning and growing this season.”
Also Nominated: Cal Poly Humboldt Varsity 8+; Central Oklahoma Varsity 4+.
Seattle Pacific's varsity 8+ boat.