AZUSA, Calif. -- Junior strong safety Nick Grunsky earned the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s Red Lion Defensive Player of the Week award for his performance in Saturday’s 24-17 win over Central Washington.

Grunsky’s red-zone interception with just 12 seconds left sealed the Cougars’ upset of the conference-leading Wildcats while lifting Azusa Pacific to its first-ever victory as an NCAA Division II program. The play before the interception, he broke up a pass over the middle, and he also registered eight tackles on the night.

With the honor, Grunsky becomes the first Cougar to earn a GNAC player of the week award. On the season, he ranks 15th in the GNAC in total tackles (45), and he is tied for 11th in passes defended (5) and tied for fourth in interceptions (2).