CORVALLIS, Ore. –
The following 17 CCC student-athletes have been recognized as the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Players of the Week for their performances during the period March 15-21, 2021.
Women’s Basketball - Player
Eastern Oregon University’s Beverly Slater was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the third-straight week.
Slater, a five-foot-11 junior guard from Boise, Idaho, scored in double figures in two games to lead EOU to a 2-0 start in CCC play. She had a double-double on Friday with 17 points and 14 rebounds, followed by another 14 points the next night. Slater shot over 50-percent in both games to average a .522 field-goal percentage on the week with 15.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. She also had three blocks and a steal.
Men’s Basketball - Player
Eastern Oregon's Justin Jeske was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.
Jeske, a six-foot-two sophomore guard from Spokane, Wash., led EOU to a 2-0 start to conference action. He scored in double figures in both games, posting 14 points the first night and 20 points the next. Jeske added 16 rebounds in the CCC opener to grab a double-double and finished the week averaging 17.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He also had two blocks and finished the week with a .682 field-goal percentage.
Baseball - Pitcher
No. 9-ranked Lewis-Clark State College’s Tallon Thomason was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Baseball Pitcher of the Week, his second honor of the year.
Thomason, a five-foot-nine senior pitcher from Las Vegas, earned his fourth win of the season with a quality start against College of Idaho on Friday. He tossed five innings and struck out five while walking one. He did not allow an earned run to lower his season ERA to 1.85. Of the three hits Thomason allowed, none went for extra bases.
Baseball - Player
Oregon Tech’s Mitchel Swanson was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Baseball Player of the Week for the second time this year.
Swanson, a six-foot-one junior first baseman from Burlingame, Calif., scored eight runs and drove in another seven to help the Owls sweep Eastern Oregon University. He hit three homers as OIT set a new school record with 12 home runs in a four-game series. Swanson finished the series batting .600 with a 1.333 slugging percentage.
Softball - Pitcher
Top-ranked Southern Oregon University’s Lauren Quirke was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Softball Pitcher of the Week, her
Quirke, a five-foot-six senior pitcher/third baseman from San Mateo, Calif., has now gone 36 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. She had a career-high 13 strikeouts in Thursday's two-hit shutout victory over Warner Pacific University. Quirke has allowed a total of 10 hits over her last six outings and owns an 8-1 record on the season with a 1.71 ERA.
Softball - Player
College of Idaho’s Haley Loffer was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Softball Player of the Week.
Loffer, a five-foot-four junior shortstop from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, had a near perfect weekend for the Yotes in a four-game sweep of Eastern Oregon University, reaching base in 11 of 12 plate appearances. She went 7-for-8 with three home runs, adding three walks and a hit by pitch. Loffer scored eight runs and had five RBI, along with two stolen bases.
Women’s Soccer – Defensive Player
No. 19-ranked Rocky Mountain College’s Maia Wetzel was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.
Wetzel, a five-foot-seven senior goalkeeper from Billings, Mont., helped lock down the defense for the Battlin’ Bears, making 20 saves between the posts. She had 11 saves in RMC’s 2-1 victory over College of Idaho and added another nine to lift the Bears 2-1 over Carroll College.
Women’s Soccer – Offensive Player
Oregon Tech’s Mehana Ortiz was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week.
Ortiz, a five-foot-five freshman forward from Mililani, Hawaii, scored two goals and had three assists to help the Owls go 2-0 on the week. She scored the game-winner in OIT’s 1-0 victory at Corban University and then scored and assisted three other times in the Owls’ 8-0 victory over Bushnell University.
Men’s Soccer – Defensive Player
Warner Pacific University’s Alexis Calderilla-Hurtado was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.
Calderilla-Hurtado, a five-foot-six junior goalkeeper from Wenatchee, Wash., made 10 saves on the week to help the Knights pick up two wins. He had six saves in a 4-2 victory over Northwest University and followed with a four-save shutout against Southern Oregon University.
Men’s Soccer – Offensive Player
Warner Pacific University’s Arturo Bahena was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week.
Bahena, a six-foot junior forward from Las Vegas, played a part in all three active play goals during WPU's second-half comeback last Sunday to lift the Knights 4-2 over Northwest University – the fourth goal was a PK. He assisted his brother and scored two goals of his own. Bahena weaved his way into the NU backline for a give-and-go from his brother to get a good look on goal and then laid off a beautiful through ball for the game-tying goal. His second goal proved to be the game-winner. In Sunday's game against SOU, Bahena drew the penalty for what would become the game-winning goal.
Men’s Outdoor – Field Athlete
Lewis-Clark State College’s Leon Menten was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.
Menten, a freshman from Antwerp, Belgium, started the year off with an almost rocket shot in the men’s javelin. In the process of winning the event in the first outdoor meet of the year for the Warriors, he set a new school record, beating the record that had been held by his current coach and former Warrior (Jacob Whittaker), but also launched him to No. 1 in the country in the event with a throw of 63.36 meters (207’ 10”).
Men’s Outdoor – Track Athlete
Southern Oregon University’s Bryce Goggin was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week.
Goggin, a junior from Eugene, Ore., ran an NAIA 'A' standard time of 14.73 seconds in his season debut to win an eight-person 110m hurdles race. His time currently stands at No. 6 on the NAIA performance list.
Women’s Outdoor – Field Athlete
College of Idaho’s Catylynn Duff was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week.
Duff, a junior from Culver, Ore., had a dominant weekend at the I-84 Compromise, winning both the hammer and shot put and placing second in the discus. She hit the NAIA ‘A’ mark in the hammer (167-2) – which is the No. 2 mark in the NAIA – while recording an outdoor personal record in the shot put (40-1 1/2).
Women’s Outdoor – Track Athlete
College of Idaho’s Kiersten Lancaster was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week.
Lancaster, a senior from Declo, Idaho, clocked the fastest 100-meter hurdle time in the NAIA this season, winning the final at the I-84 Compromise with a time of 14.49 seconds, which is an NAIA ‘A’ mark.
Women’s Volleyball - Attacker
Warner Pacific University’s Grace Buchanan was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Volleyball Attacker of the Week.
Buchanan, a five-foot-11 junior outside hitter from Banks, Ore., led WPU to a two-match sweep over Multnomah University, posting 56 kills over the two matches. She averaged 5.6 kills and 4.1 digs per set, while also posting two aces and a block on the week.
Women’s Volleyball - Defender
No. 14-ranked Corban University’s Kealani Ontai was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Volleyball Defender of the Week.
Ontai, a five-foot-four junior defensive specialist from Pearl City, Hawaii, led the Warriors to a 2-0 week, averaging 5.29 digs per set. She had two aces from the service line and was a perfect 23-for-23 on reception attempts.
Women’s Volleyball - Setter
Warner Pacific University’s Matalasi Laban was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Women’s Volleyball Setter of the Week.
Laban, a five-foot-seven senior setter from Portland, fueled the Knight offense to two wins over Multnomah University. She finished the series with 1.4 kills and 9.1 assists per set, tallying 91 assists overall. She also had 20 digs, one ace and two blocks.