Logo courtesy of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference
4 WWU Athletes Honored by GNAC
March 5, 2019
Four Western Washington University athletes have been honored by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Softball players Emily Benson and Makinlee Sellevold along with javelin thrower Raquel Pellecer and golfer Jordan Lee all earned GNAC Player/Athlete of the Week Awards.
BENSON AND SELLEVOLD SWEEP GNAC PLAYER
OF THE WEEK AWARDS
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University softball teammates Emily Benson and Makinlee Sellevold swept the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards for the period of February 25-March 3.
The senior duo were key parts of the Vikings opening the conference season with a four-game sweep over Montana State Billings, out-scoring the Yellowjackets by a combined score of 39-10.
Sellevold (Everett, WA/Cascade) was selected as the GNAC Pitcher of the Week after dominating in the circle in her three starts vs. MSUB. The right-hander went 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA, allowing only one run in 18.0 innings, and struck out 28 batters. She set the tone early in the series, recording a pair of complete-game shutouts in Saturday’s doubleheader. In the first game she fired a 1-hitter over 5.0 innings and recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts. In the nightcap Sellevold recorded the 25th no-hitter in GNAC history, striking out 9 in a run-rule-shortened 6.0-inning game.
For the season, Sellevold is 8-5 with a 2.37 ERA (24 ER, 71.0 IP) in 13 appearances (12 starts). She has set the all-time program record with 51 pitching wins, tied for 5th-most in GNAC history.
This marks the sixth GNAC Player of the Week honor in Sellevold’s career, her fifth as a pitcher. She won player of the week honors April 17-23, 2017 during her junior season, and won four pitcher of the week awards as a freshman in 2015.
Benson (West Richland, WA/Kamiakin) was 6-for-12 (.500) with 4 runs, 2 doubles, one triple, one home run and 6 RBI. In the series finale vs. MSUB, Benson reached base in all five of her plate appearances, going 4-for-4 hitting for the cycle. She doubled in the 1stinning, hit a triple and single in the 3rd inning and then completed the cycle with a 2-run home run in the 6th inning.
For the season, Benson leads the Vikings and ranks 4th in the GNAC batting .442 (19-for-43) with 8 extra-base hits (2B-3, 3B-1, HR-4). She leads the conference with 18 RBI and is 2nd in slugging percentage (.837) and home runs (4). WWU’s all-time home run leader is tied for 5th in GNAC history with 35 career home runs and tied for 16th with 130 RBI.
This marks the third career GNAC weekly award for Benson, also earning conference Player of the Week honors in as a sophomore in March 21-27, 2016 and as a junior Feb. 6-12, 2017.
“Emily Benson and Makinlee Sellevold are two of the best to ever play in the GNAC, let alone come through the WWU Softball program,” said WWU first-year head coach Sheryl Gilmore. “It’s so fun to watch them continue to leave their legacy here at Western. They are amazing leaders, incredibly hard workers and great teammates.”
WWU (10-5, 4-0) returns to action next weekend in GNAC play with road doubleheaders at Concordia (Saturday) and Western Oregon (Sunday).
-- WWU Softball --
WWU’S RAQUEL PELLECER NAMED GNAC FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior javelin thrower Raquel Pellecer has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Field Athlete of the Week for the period of February 25-March 3.
Pellecer (Sandy, OR) won the javelin at the Ed Boitano Invitational. Her mark of 155 feet, 2 inches (47.31m) is an NCAA Championships provisional qualifier and ranks second in Division II this season. She was one of three Viking javelin throwers to record a provisional mark in the meet held at the University of Puget Sound’s Baker Stadium.
This marks the fourth career GNAC weekly award for Pellecer, who won the award three times in 2018 en route to finishing 2nd at the GNAC Outdoor Championships and earning First Team All-America honors with a 6th-place finish at the NCAA II Championships.
The Vikings will again head south to the Tacoma area next week competing in the PLU Open on Saturday, March 9 on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University. The first of two home meets this season will be April 5 when the Vikings host Seattle Pacific, Saint Martin’s and the University of British Columbia at the WWU Team Invitational at Civic Stadium in Bellingham.
-- WWU Track & Field --
WWU’S JORDAN LEE NAMED GNAC GOLFER OF THE WEEK
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University freshman Jordan Lee has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week, for February 25-March 3.
Lee (Tacoma, WA/Bellarmine Prep) earned a 3rd-place finish at the Bay Area Invitational hosted by the Academy of Art at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. Lee’s three-round score of 2-under-par 214 helped lead the nationally No. 6-ranked Vikings to their fourth win of the season.
After opening the tournament with a 3-over-par 75, Lee came back with under-par rounds of 70 (-2) and 69 (-3) to earn his third top-5 finish of the season.
Lee leads the Vikings and is 2nd in the GNAC with a scoring average of 72.00 (+0.18 to par). He has appeared in all six of the Vikings tournaments, turning in eight rounds of par or better and a team-best four rounds in the 60s.
The freshman also won GNAC Golfer of the Week honors for Oct. 8-14 after taking home individual medalist honors at the Concordia Invitational.
The WWU men’s golf team has now won five of the seven GNAC Golfer of the Week awards for 2018-19.
-- @WWUMGolf --
