FARMINGTON, Utah (Oct. 14, 2024) – The Big Sky Conference announced its weekly honors for the past week of competition, as we reach the midpoint of October for football, volleyball, soccer, cross country and golf.
Big Sky Football Players of the Week (Oct. 14, 2024)
Offensive Player of the Week: Dante Chachere, Portland State (QB, Sr., Fresno, Calif.)
Dante Chachere led Portland State to its first win of the season, after scoring six touchdowns in the 42-38 win at Idaho State. The senior quarterback had 216 yards passing and 202 yards rushing on the day, becoming just the third Big Sky quarterback since 2018 to achieve the 200/200 stat line. Chachere had touchdown runs of 62, 53 and eight yards, with passing touchdowns of 50, 31 and 21 yards on the day.
Defensive Player of the Week: Cam Chapa, Northern Colorado (DB, Fr., Aurora, Colo.)
Cam Chapa had seven tackles and the game-sealing interception in Northern Colorado’s 21-17 win at No. 20 Weber State. The interception for Chapa came under 30 seconds remaining, with the lead at 21-17 and the Wildcats driving near midfield. The Bears held the Wildcats to just 17 points on Saturday, a week removed from Weber State scoring 55 points, throwing six touchdowns and amassing 500-plus yards of offense at Montana. The win for UNC snapped an 18-game losing streak, which was the longest in the FCS. The last win for the Bears prior to this past Saturday, came against Northern Arizona on Nov. 12, 2022.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Ross Bolger, Idaho State (P, Sr. Laois, Ireland)
Ross Bolger had four punts for Idaho State, earning an average of 49.5 on the day. The Ireland native had three punts land inside the 20, with two going over 50 yards on the day.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Football Player of the Week
Offense: Jared Taylor (EWU), Dason Brooks (ISU), Logan Fife (UM), Tommy Mellott (MSU), Carson Conklin (SAC), Miles Hastings (UCD)
Defense: Alphonse Oywak (EWU), David Rowe (ISU), Riley Wilson (UM), Michael Hurst (PSU)
Special Teams: Junior Bergen (UM), Cal McGough (SAC)
Big Sky Volleyball Players of the Week (Oct. 14, 2024)
Offensive Player of the Week: Gabi Placide, Northern Colorado (OH, So., Centennial, Colo.)
Gabi Placide, a sophomore outside hitter from Centennial, Colorado, helped the Bears to road victories over Portland State and Sacramento State, vaulting UNC for a tie at the top of the league standings. Placide averaged 4.13 kills per set and totaled 33 kills on 85 swings in the two wins. In the five-set win over Sacramento State – which entered the match 4-0 in Big Sky action – Placide tallied career-highs, with 18 kills, 17 digs and seven blocks.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week: Makenna Collins, Eastern Washington (L, Sr., Irrigon, Ore.)
For the first time in her career, senior libero Makenna Collins won weekly honors, after she racked up an impressive 32 digs and nine assists during the week. Her standout performance included 23 digs and six assists in a thrilling five-set victory against Montana State, followed by a strong showing with nine digs and three assists in the sweep over Montana.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week: Asiah Sopo’aga, Idaho State (L, Sr., Bluffdale, Utah)
Idaho State's Asiah Sopo'aga helped the Bengals earn a five-set win over Weber State, which was Idaho State's first win over the Wildcats in Pocatello since 2017. Sopo'aga finished the match with 24 digs, which tied her season-high.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Volleyball Player of the Week
Offense: Bri Gunderson (EWU), Sadie Bluth (ISU), Casi Newman (UM), Joelie Spelts (MSU), Caitlin Volkmann (SAC), Carissa Barron (PSU), Ashley Gneiting (WSU)
Defense: Alexis Batezel (UM), Lauren Lindseth (MSU), Gabi Placide (UNC), Ashlynn Archer (SAC), Reese Biesemeyer (PSU)
Big Sky Cross Country Athletes of the Week (Oct. 15, 2024)
Men's XC Athlete of the Week: Ben Perrin, Montana State (RSr., Kalispell, Montana)
With a strong performance in a big-time meet, Montana State’s Ben Perrin has been named Big Sky Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week. Perrin placed 12th overall at the Dellinger Invitational in Eugene, Oregon, on Friday, leading the Bobcats to a fourth place finish just five points behind No. 22 Oregon and one point behind (RV) Gonzaga. Perrin led four Cats in the top-25 and finished the eight-kilometer course in 23:24.4. Montana State soundly beat No. 25 Portland in the race.
Women’s XC Athlete of the Week: Kyla Christopher-Moody, Montana State (RSr., Royal Oak, Michigan)
Securing a top-10 finish in Oregon has earned Montana State’s Kyla Christopher-Moody Big Sky Women’s XC Athlete of the Week honors. Christopher-Moody placed 10th overall at the Dellinger Invite in Eugene, Oregon, on Friday. The graduate student finished the six-kilometer course in a personal-best time of 20:18.3 to lead the Bobcats to a sixth-place result as a team, just a few points behind UCLA and Oregon State.
Others Nominated for Big Sky XC Athlete of the Week
Men’s: Abdi Ibrahim (PSU), Ryan Martin (SAC)
Women’s: Emma Stolte (PSU), Tia Oliver (SAC)
Big Sky Soccer Players of the Week (Oct. 15, 2024)
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Alyssa Peters, Idaho (D, Gr., Bremerton, Wash.)
Idaho's Alyssa Peters scored or assisted on all four goals by the Vandals this past week, tallying one goal and three assists. With her 28th career assist on Sunday, she became the all-time career assists leader in Big Sky history. In 15 games played this season, Peters ranks first among Big Sky players in assists with a total of nine - the next closest conference player has four. In five conference matches, Peters is ranked first in the Big Sky in points (10) and assists (6).
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Jen Estes, Montana (F, Gr., Kirkland, Wash.)
Jen Estes scored two goals, with both coming in the 2-1 win over Idaho, as the Grizzlies had another undefeated week. Estes now has the second-highest goal total in the Big Sky (6) and has matched her scoring production at Princeton, when she had six goals and six assists in 49 matches over three seasons. The weekly honor is the second on the season for Estes.
Defensive Player of the Week: Eden Millan, Portland State (GK, Gr., Redondo Beach, Calif.)
Portland State's Eden Millan recorded her second consecutive shutout in Big Sky play last week, leading the Vikings to a 1-0 victory over Northern Colorado. The fifth-year senior goalkeeper recorded 10 saves during the match, on xx shots faced. The Redondo Beach native has excelled in her last three appearances, allowing just one goal in 270 minutes of action against Big Sky opponents, helping PSU to a 1-0-2 record during that stretch. The only goal scored against her in that timeframe came in the second minute against Weber State on October 4, meaning she has kept opponents scoreless for an impressive 267 consecutive minutes.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Soccer Player of the Week
Offense: Charity Freeman (EWU), Talia Coury (ISU), Abi Hoffman (PSU), Abigail Lopez (SAC), Sammie Sofonia (WSU)
Defense: Trinity Hale (ISU), Bayliss Flynn (UM), Izzy Palmatier (SAC), Sammy Kearns (WSU)
Big Sky Golfer of the Week (Oct. 16, 2024)
Golfer of the Week: Isabel Gutierrez, Weber State (Sr., Mexico City, Mexico)
With a 3-under performance at the PSU Invitational, Weber State’s Isabel Gutierrez has been named Big Sky Conference Golfer of the Week. Gutierrez carded a 4-under 68 in the third and final round to shoot up the individual leaderboard, resulting in a runner-up finish. She was just a single shot behind the leader. The senior from Mexico City also led the Wildcats to a second place finish as a team. Gutierrez posted four birdies and went bogey-free over her final 18 holes to secure the second place finish. The Wildcats beat a field of six other Big Sky Conference programs over the tournament, while also besting in-state rivals Utah Valley and Southern Utah.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Golfer of the Week
Raina Ports (UM), Lauren Greeny (MSU), Ellena Slater (NAU), Cynthia Valerie Ong (PSU)
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