• 2011 GNAC awards release (pdf)

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Senior midfielder Kelsey Jenkins was named the Player of the Year, junior Taylor Sawyer received the Defensive Player of the Year award and both were among four SPU first-team selections on the 2011 Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-star squad.
 
The Falcons collected two other conference awards as midfielder Riley Dopps was named the Freshman of the Year and Chuck Sekyra was the Coach of the Year.
 
Sekyra directed the SPU women to the playoffs in each of his nine seasons. They travel to Los Angeles this week to compete in the opening rounds of the NCAA Division II Tournament. The third-seeded Falcons will take on No. 6 Grand Canyon in the opening round on Thursday at 7 p.m. The winner of that game will play host Cal State L.A. on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
This is the sixth conference coaching honor for Sekyra, who compiled a 166-18-14 record at SPU. He led the fifth-ranked Falcons to a 16-2 record this year, including a 13-1 league ledger en route to their third consecutive GNAC championship.  Sekyra shared the Coach of the Year award with Central Washington's Michael Farrand.
 
Jenkins (Kent, Wash./Kentwood HS) is tied for the league lead with nine assists. Of her four goals, three of them were game-winners. She is the daughter of former Seattle Sounder (1976-70) Tommy Jenkins, who played with several English clubs between 1966-75, including first division Southampton.
 
This is the sixth time an SPU player has been recognized as the Player of the Year in the 11 seasons it has been awarded. Jenkins joins previous Falcons winners Shannon Lovejoy (2004), Sarah Martinez (2005, 2007), Meredith Teague (2008) and Jocelyn Charette (2009).
 
Jenkins amassed 17 goals and 21 assists during her four-year collegiate career.
 
Sawyer (Gig Harbor, Wash./North Mason HS) is a two-time All-American on the back line. She anchors the SPU defense that shutout 10 opponents and surrendered just 11 goals, an average of 0.61 per game.
 
Dopps (Port Orchard, Wash./South Kitsap HS) was the Falcons top-scoring freshman with five goals. She was the co-Freshman of the Year along with Ashley Richardson of Saint Martin's.
 
The forward tandem of Megan Lindsay (Spokane, Wash./Gonzaga Prep) and Kellie Zakrzewski (Cheney, Wash./Cheney HS), who each tallied nine goals, garnered first-team accolades. Lindsay and Jenkins were two of only three unanimous first-team selections.
 
SPU senior Brandi Hamre (Bremerton, Wash./Central Kitsap HS) and junior Andrea Chan (Vancouver, Wash.) were named to the All-GNAC second team while teammates Dopps, Ali Martin (Beaverton, Ore.), Brittany Langdon (Irvine, Calif.) and Josie Graybeal (Gig Harbor, Wash./Gig Harbor HS) received honorable mention acclaim.
 
 
2011 GNAC Women's Soccer All-Star Team
(+ unanimous selections, *repeat selections)
 
First Team
Forwards
+*Megan Lindsay, Seattle Pacific, 5-7, Jr., Spokane, WA
*Kellie Zakrzewski, Seattle Pacific, 5-4, So.,  Cheney, WA
Carson McKole, Central Washington, 5-2, Jr., Oak Harbor, WA
*Jaucelyn Richter, MSU Billings, 5-5, Jr., Billings, MT
Midfielders
+*Kelsey Jenkins, Seattle Pacific, 5-8, Sr., Kent, WA
+Lindsay Bauman, Western Oregon, 5-2, Jr., Portland, OR
Justina MacDowell, Western Washington, 5-5, Sr., Bellevue, WA
Defenders
*Taylor Sawyer, Seattle Pacific, 5-5, Jr., Gig Harbor, WA
Emily Warman, Western Washington, 6-0, Sr., Sedro-Woolley, WA
**Alicia Patten, Western Washington, 5-9, Sr., Seattle, WA
Goalkeeper
Jamie Arthurs, Western Washington, 5-8, Jr., Richland, WA
 
Second Team (SPU players only)
Brandi Hamre, Seattle Pacific, Midfielder, 5-7, Sr., Bremerton, WA
Andrea Chan, Seattle Pacific, Defender, 5-5, Jr., Vancouver, WA
 
Honorable Mention (SPU players only)
Ali Martin, Seattle Pacific, Forward, 5-5, Fr., Beaverton, OR
Riley Dopps, Seattle Pacific, Midfielder, 5-5, Fr., Gig Harbor, WA
Brittany Langdon, Seattle Pacific, Midfielder, 5-10, Jr., Irvine, CA
Josie Graybeal, Seattle Pacific, Defender, 5-7, So., Gig Harbor, WA
 
Player of the Year – Kelsey Jenkins, Seattle Pacific
Defensive Player of the Year – Taylor Sawyer, Seattle Pacific
Co-Freshmen of the Year – Riley Dopps, Seattle Pacific & Ashley Richardson, Saint Martin's
Newcomer of the Year – Lindsay Bauman, Western Oregon
Coach of the Year – Chuck Sekyra, Seattle Pacific & Michael Farrand, Central Washington