June 15, 2006
SPOKANE, Wash. - Western Washington University basketball player Grant Dykstra (Sr., Everson, WA/Lynden Christian) and Seattle Pacific University track and field athlete Chris Randolph (Sr., Lone Tree, CO) have been selected the co-Great Northwest Athletic Conference Male Athletes-of-the-Year for the 2005-06 season. Central Washington University volleyball player Leanne McGahuey (Sr., Wenatchee, WA) was voted the GNAC Female Athlete-of-the-Year.
Randolph earned a share of the men's award for the second year in a row. Last year he split the award with Seattle University soccer player Bobby McAlister.
Randolph, who earlier was named the GNAC Track and Field Athlete-of-the-Year for the third consecutive year, won the NCAA Division II national outdoor title in the decathlon for the second year in a row with a GNAC record score of 7,872 points. That score is the third highest by an American this year and the highest in the NCAA Division II national meet since 1988.
"Chris challenged himself anew at each and every practice this year and as a result raised himself to a whole new level," SPU head coach Karl Lerum said. "He had a phenomenal senior year, inspiring those with whom he trains and competes with as well as those he interacts with in the campus community."
In addition to winning his second national decathlon title, Randolph also won GNAC titles in the outdoor 400 meters and the indoor long jump and distance medley relay. He also placed second in the long jump and third in the discus in the outdoor meet and second in the 60 hurdles and third in the high jump in the indoor meet. He also set SPU outdoor records in the 400 meters and decathlon and indoor records in the 60 hurdles, long jump, pole vault and heptathlon.
Randolph, who was also voted the NCAA Division II National Field Athlete-of-the-Year, finished fifth in the USA Track & Field Indoor heptathlon championships last winter and has qualified for this summer's USATF decathlon national championships.
Dykstra was a consensus All-American this past winter leading the Vikings to a 23-7 record and to a berth in the NCAA Division II West Regional championship game against Seattle Pacific.
He was named a first team All-American by NABC (Coaches) and Daktronics (Sports Information Directors) and was selected to the second team by Basketball Times and to the third team by the publication Division II Basketball.
"This award caps a phenomenal and courageous career by an outstanding young man," WWU head basketball coach Brad Jackson said. "In my mind, Grant models all the qualities of a truly great student-athlete."
Dykstra, who also won the prestigious 2006 V Foundation Comeback Award, averaged 20.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 steals. He started 113 consecutive games during his career setting school records with 1,844 points and finishing fourth in school history in assists (404), sixth in rebounds (576) and seventh in steals (210).
He also set school records for field goal made (646) and attempted (1340) and minutes played (3734) and conference records for three-pointers made (266) and steals.
McGahuey led Central Washington to its second consecutive Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball title, earning unanimous first team all-conference honors for the second consecutive year. She was also voted the GNAC Volleyball Player-of-the-Year leading the Wildcats, who advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Pacific Regionals, to a 23-5 record.
McGahuey, who was a second team AVCA NCAA Division II All-American, led the conference in hitting percentage (.362) and also ranked fifth in the GNAC in kills (3.77) and seventh in blocks (1.02). She finished her four-year career with 1,185 kills, a .359 hitting percentage and 296 total blocks. Her kill and hitting percentage marks both rank third in school history and her block total ranks sixth.
McGahuey's outstanding season came on top of her junior season when she led the conference in hitting percentage (.418) and ranked second in kills (4.56).
"She found a way each day in practice to improve and I think she even had a better season than in her junior season," CWU head coach Mario Andaya said. "Her statistics may not have been as good, but she helped make her teammates better with her leadership skills and she stood out through some difficult times. She truly had an outstanding season."
GNAC Athletes-of-the-Year
2001-02Male-Mike Hinshaw, Western Oregon (Football and Track & Field)Female-Stephanie Huffman, Seattle Pacific (Track & Field)2002-03Male-Fred Hooks, Humboldt State(Basketball)Female-Kerie Hughes, Seattle Pacific (Basketball)2003-04Male-Austin Nichols, Humboldt State(Basketball)Female-Liz Bishop, Western Washington (Volleyball)2004-05Male-Chris Randolph, Seattle Pacific (Track & Field)Bobby McAlister, Seattle (Soccer)Female-Danielle Ayers-Stamper, Seattle Pacific (Track & Field)2005-06Male-Grant Dykstra, Western Washington (Basketball)Chris Randolph, Seattle Pacific (Track & Field)Female-LeAnne McGahuey, Central Washington (Volleyball)
