ELLENSBURG, Wash.- Two Central Washington University athletes earned conference honors on Monday, with standout performances on both sides of the field. Danika Galbraith was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Defensive Player of the Week after anchoring a shutout in a 0-0 draw against Western Washington. Meanwhile, Beau Phillips was recognized as the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Special Teams Player of the Week after setting multiple conference records in CWU's commanding 91-31 road win over Western New Mexico.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH JOHN HAWKS
"Our goalkeeping trio has been a microcosm of our team and commitment to one of their team values of "team over me"! Danika, Leighton, and Rhiannon have embodied this reality all season with a healthy competitive approach to GK 1 and doing what's best for the team. To see Danika perform in Saturdays match is a testament to her humility and hard work as well as their collective approach all fall as Individuals, the GK position, and total team!"

Junior goalkeeper Danika Galbraith delivered a standout performance on Saturday, Sept. 27, making nine saves to secure a clean sheet in a scoreless draw against rival Western Washington in Ellensburg. Galbraith was sharp from the opening whistle, stopping five shots in the first half, including a crucial save in the 1st minute when WWU's Emily Holdridge fired a low shot toward the bottom corner. She continued her strong play in the second half with four more saves, including key stops in the 54th minute on a shot from Reese Walker and in the 81st minute when Morgan Manalili curled an attempt on target. Galbraith's efforts helped the Wildcats earn a point in the tightly contested GNAC matchup and kept the Vikings off the scoreboard.

Galbraith and the 'Cats return to action on Thursday as they hit the road for a conference matchup against #16 Western Oregon in Monmouth, Oregon. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. PST at WOU Soccer Field. The Wildcats will then face another road test on Saturday against Saint Martin's in Lacey, Washington, with kickoff set for 2:00 p.m. PST from Saints Field.

Read the full GNAC release HERE
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH CHRIS FISK
"We're extremely proud of Beau and all the effort he has put into the football program. It's a group effort and a group award."
 
Sophomore Beau Phillips delivered a record-breaking performance on Saturday in Central Washington's 91–31 road victory over Western New Mexico, setting multiple Lone Star Conference (LSC) marks. Phillips became the first player in LSC history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns on back-to-back attempts, tying the conference record with a 100-yard return and adding a 94-yard return. He also broke the LSC single-game kick return yardage record, racking up 237 yards on just three returns, surpassing the previous mark of 218 yards set by Texas A&M-Commerce's Kenzee Jackson in 2010.

In addition to his special teams' heroics, Phillips contributed on offense with six carries for 34 yards and a touchdown, as well as a 53-yard touchdown reception from Kennedy McGill at the 10:30 mark of the first quarter. Phillips finished the game with 324 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns, solidifying his status as one of the top performers in the conference this season.

Phillips and the 'Cats will be back in action on Saturday when they host Eastern New Mexico with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. PST from Tomlinson Stadium in Ellensburg, Wash. 
 
Read the full LSC release HERE