GAC announces football players of the week

RUSSELLVILLE — Henderson State’s Temo Martinez, Harding’s Jacory Nichols and Arkansas-Monticello’s Christian Jefferson were among this week’s weekly Great American Conference football award winners, the league announced.

Martinez, a sophomore kicker from Dardanelle, earned the league’s Special Teams Player of the Week award. He went 3-for-3 on point-after attempts and converted two field goals to lead the GAC’s kickers with nine points. He made a 40-yard attempt late in the second quarter, and his 22-yard kick with 2:41 left in the game set the final score.

UAM kick-returner Logan Penn, Harding punter Cameron Scott and Arkansas Tech Jesus Zizumbo were also nominated for the special teams honor.

Nichols and Jefferson split the week’s Defensive Player of the Week awards. Jefferson, a senior defensive back from El Dorado, snagged two of the Weevils’ three interceptions, converting two into 10 points, to hand Southwestern Oklahoma State it’s first loss of the season. SWOSU was held to just 88 passing yards despite entering the contest averaging 292 passing yards per game.

Nichols, a senior free safety from Houston, helped the Bisons blank Southern Arkansas, recovering a fumble on the Muleriders’ first play from scrimmage. He also had a 60-yard picksix in the third quarter, making him the first Bison since De’Onte Garrett in 2016 to have an interception and fumble recovery in the same game.

Ouachita Baptist linebacker Austin Guymon, HSU linebacker Jakob Neel, SAU linebacker Malik Preston, Oklahoma Baptist defensive back Felipe Alvear and East Central linebacker Basiru Jobe were also nominated for the defensive award.

East Central sophomore running back Ontario Douglas, of Lawton, Okla., earned the league’s Offensive Player of the Week honor. In his second-best rushing performance of his career, Douglas had 21 touches for 192 yards while scoring a career-high four touchdowns. His night was highlighted by a 69-yard run early in the third quarter.

Others nominated for the offensive award were UAM running back Devontae Dean, OBU wide receiver Allie Fereman, Oklahoma Baptist quarterback Preston Haire and HSU quarterback Richard Stammetti.

GAC names weekly volleyball awardees

RUSSELLVILLE — Arkansas Tech sophomore libero Madison Grantham were among the GAC’s third set of weekly award winners announced by the league.

Grantham, of Nixa, Mo., led the GAC with 5.16 digs per set last week to lead the Golden Suns to a five-game win streak. She had 22 digs in a three-set sweep against Harding, and she had 76 digs at the Southern Indiana Invitational and tallied 20 digs twice in the tournament.

OBU libero Lexi Castillow, SAU libero Alana Perez, HSU libero MaKenzie Thoman, Oklahoma Baptist defensive specialist Diana Carranza and NWOSU outside hitter Kaydee Honeycutt were also nominated for the award.

Oklahoma Baptist junior outside hitter Malia Leatherland, of Broken Arrow, Okla., earned the league’s offensive award, tallying 52 kills while averaging 4.0 per set. She had 12 kills and hit .346 in a three-set sweep of Southeastern Oklahoma State, and she hit .337 in the Bison Invitational, registering double-doubles against William Jewell and Drury.

Others nominated for the offensive award were Arkansas Tech outside hitter Allie Anderson, HSU outside hitter Courtney Bolf, SAU outside hitter Morgan Gross, OBU middle hitter Adrianna Nolly, Harding outside hitter Logan Smith, NWOSU opposite hitter Kiauna

Clark and Southern Nazarene outside hitter Bailee Tourang.

Southern Nazarene senior Kylie Smith, of Deer Park, Texas, earned her third-straight Setter of the Week award as she averaged 11.71 assists per set in the Crimson Storm’s five matches last week. She registered a double-double in the team’s GAC opener against preseason favorite Southwestern Oklahoma State with 37 assists and 13 digs in a three-set sweep.

HSU’s Abby Blackburn, Arkansas Tech’s Brianna Merkel, Harding’s Sarah Morehead, OBU’s Joni Schneider, SAU’s Morgan Schuster, Oklahoma Baptist’s Rylen Moore and NWOSU’s Kaitlyn Robinson were also nominated for the setter award.

GAC announces weekly soccer awards

RUSSELLVILLE — Oklahoma Baptist’s Tori Kitchel and Reagan Mann earned the GAC’s offensive and defensive women’s soccer player awards while Southern Nazarene’s Ashlynn Pritchett earned the goalkeeper award.

Kitchel, a sophomore midfielder from Norman, Okla., picked up her first two goals of the season, recording her second multi-goal game of her career for the offensive award. She scored a 25-yard shot in the 33rd minute to tie the game before tying the game again in the 68th minute by heading in a cross from Ruth King.

Mann, a senior midfielder from Denton, Texas, helped limit Tulsa to just eight shots on goal to earn the defensive award. She also scored the only goal of the match against West Texas A&M from the penalty spot in the 68th minute. The Bison allowed just seven shots without a single shot on goal in the second half.

Pritchett, a junior from Waxahachie, Texas, earned the Goalkeeper of the Week award as she dropped her goals-against average to a league-leading 0.66 as she maintained clean sheets against Oklahoma Christian and Eastern New Mexico. She had 10 saves in 184 minutes of action, tallying eight saves in a 0-0 draw against the Greyhounds. She leads the GAC with 27 saves and a .931 save percentage.

SWOSU forward Sandra Nabweteme was also nominated for the offensive award, and Oklahoma Baptist’s Emily Griffith was nominated for the goalie award.

*Harding senior defender Christian Ramos was among the GAC/Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association men’s soccer players of the week.

Ramos, from Denton, Texas, earned the Defensive Player of the Week as he anchored the Bisons’ defense while contributing offensively as Harding opened the conference season with a pair of wins. Ramos scored on a penalty kick against Oklahoma Baptist in a 4-2 win where the defense allowed just 10 shots on goal, and he added two more goals in a 3-0 win over Southern Nazarene to improve to 4-for-4 on PKs.

Fort Hays State senior forward Santiago Agudelo, of Frisco, Texas, earned the leagues’ offensive player award. He scored the winning goals in each of the Tigers’ conference matches. He tied the game in the 20th minute and scored the game winner five minutes into overtime against NEOSU, and he scored in the 33rd minute against No. 15 Rogers State and assisted on the team’s second goal in the 65th.

Fort Hays State senior Cullen Fisch, of La Vista, Neb., earned the Goalkeeper of the Week honor as he allowed just one goal in overtime in 184 minutes against Northeastern State and No. 15 Rogers State. He turned in a clean sheet against the Hillcats and posted a 0.49 goalsagainst average for the week.

Fort Hays State defender Joey McCain was also nominated for the defender award.