BAA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Gaither’s Goals Garner Top Athlete Honors for Sept. 5-11

NEWBERG, Ore. - A productive road trip to southern California in which she scored every goal for the George Fox women’s soccer team has earned forward Melanie Gaither the Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athlete of the Week award for Sept. 5-11 and honorable mention for the Northwest Conference Women’s Soccer Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week.

Gaither, an academic senior and athletic junior from Vancouver, Wash., began the week by scoring a pair of goals, one in each half, in the Bruins’ 2-2 tie at Chapman in a night game on Sept. 5.  She had four shots in the game, three on goal.  She scored again in the second half in the Bruins’ 1-1 tie against La Verne on Sept. 7 in a match played at Pomona-Pitzer, taking three shots, two on goal.  All three of her goals tied the score after the opponent had scored to go ahead by a goal.  She had two shots at Evergreen State on Sept. 9, a 4-2 loss for the Bruins, before leaving the game with a leg injury after only 30 minutes of playing time.

For the week, in three games, Gaither scored three goals and totaled six points, with nine shots overall, five on goal.  On the season, she is tied for second in the conference in goals (3), and tied for third in points (6) and shots (12).  She was an honorable mention All-NWC selection last year while leading the Bruins in goals (7) and points (15).

The Athlete of the Week Award for both men and women is presented throughout the Bruin sports seasons by the Bruin Athletic Association, whose mission is to provide George Fox student-athletes with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the Bruin athletics program.  For more information about the organization or to become a member, visit the Bruin Athletic Association website. 

2011-12 Bruin Athletic Association Women’s Athletes of the Week

Aug. 29-Sept. 4 - Patti Reeves (Volleyball)

Sept. 5-11 - Melanie Gaither (Soccer)