FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its Athletes of the Week for the period covering September 15-21. Each week throughout the academic year, the conference recognizes standout performances from student-athletes across its member institutions.
The MIAA Athlete of the Week honors are selected from nominations submitted by head coaches at each school. These awards spotlight the top individual efforts in competition and showcase the high level of play within the conference.
Selections are released every Monday at 4:00 p.m., with the exception of weeks impacted by federal holidays.
MIAA Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week - Blake Overmyer, Trine University
Junior Blake Overmyer led the Thunder for the second meet in a row at Purdue-Fort Wayne's Rumble in the Fort. In a field comprised primarily of Division I teams, Overmyer ran a personal best of 24:57.3 to finish seventh overall. His time places him eighth all-time at the 8k distance for Trine University.
MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week - Sophie Dech, Alma College
Senior Sophie Dech led the Alma women's squad to its first team invitational title in over 15 years at the Lansing Cross Country Invite on Friday. Dech placed second overall with a time of 19:44.8 and was the top Division III finisher in a field that consisted of Division II, NAIA, and JUCO runners. Her time -- which is just five seconds off of the 19:39.0 PR she ran at the Northwood Invitational two weeks ago -- is also the second-fastest 5K of her career.
MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week - Luke Michmerhuizen, Calvin University
Sophomore wide receiver Luke Michmerhuizen delivered a standout performance in the Knights' 40-37 overtime win at Heidelberg. Michmerhuizen had 10 catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime. He is currently in the conference's top five with 82.0 receiving yards per game, 18 receptions, 6.0 receptions per contest, five touchdowns, and 30 points (10.0 p/g).
MIAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week - Caiden Bolduc, Calvin University
Sophomore linebacker Caiden Bolduc was all over the field for Calvin in its 40-37 overtime win at Heidelberg and very productive in all phases. Bolduc had 11 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, two pass break ups, and he blocked a PAT. He played nearly every snap on defense and led the charge for the Knights. Bolduc is currently top five in the MIAA with 14 solo tackles, 37 tackle yards, four sacks, and three pass break ups.
MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week - Tim Simons, Adrian College
Junior defensive back Tim Simons assisted the Bulldogs to a 57-0 shutout against Manchester on Saturday. Simons forced a fumble on the kickoff unit and added five tackles in the homecoming game.
MIAA Men's Golf Athlete of the Week - Jack Vogel, Adrian College
Freshman golfer Jack Vogel was deemed the medalist at the first MIAA Men's Golf Jamboree of the season. Vogel carded a two-under 69 at the event which was hosted at the Marshall Country Club last Monday.
MIAA Men's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Xavier Yuille, Albion College
Junior forward Xavier Yuille led the Brits to a 5-0 shutout at Siena Heights, followed by a 3-0 victory over Heidelberg. Yuille totaled two goals and an assist against Siena Heights on Wednesday. On Saturday versus Heidelberg, he hit the post and later the goalkeeper made a stellar save on one of Yuille's other efforts in limited minutes played. Yuille currently leads the MIAA with 1.00 goals per contest and 2.40 points per game.
MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Diane Hurtado, Albion College
Freshman midfielder Diane Hurtado helped lead the Brits to a 2-0 week. In a 2-0 victory against Ohio Northern, Hurtado recorded an assist and a shot on goal. She then scored in a 2-1 edge over Mount Union. Hurtado currently leads the league with five assists, averaging 0.625 per contest.
MIAA Men's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Lucas Anderson, Albion College
Junior center back Lucas Anderson helped extend Albion's win streak to four-straight victories, including a 5-0 shutout at Siena Heights and a 3-0 win against Heidelberg over the week. As a transfer from Concordia-Ann Arbor, Anderson has never played as a central defender. He has stepped up at Albion, however, and is one of the main reasons that the Brits currently hold the lowest goals-against average in the MIAA (0.20) with five shutouts. Anderson has had a few goal-saving tackles and blocks in the matches played so far, and has been close to flawless from a defensive perspective.
MIAA Women's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Kayla O'Neal, Saint Mary's
Sophomore defender Kayla O'Neal played every single minute of the last two contests for Saint Mary's, contributing to the 1-1 draw at Anderson and the 0-0 draw against Wheaton. She was very solid defensively, on and off the ball, and played a huge role of only allowing three shots on goal in the two games.
MIAA Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week - Josh Doyle, Albion College
Senior Josh Doyle contributed two wins to Albion's overall 5-2 victory versus Indiana Southeast on Sunday. Doyle partnered with his twin Jacob at No. 1 doubles for a 6-3 win. Doyle followed that with a dominating straight-sets win (6-2, 6-2) at No. 4 singles.
MIAA Volleyball Player of the Week - Carly Frank, Albion College
Junior opposite hitter Carly Frank assisted Albion to a 3-1 record over the week, including a 3-1 victory over Bluffton, a 3-0 shutout vs. Wooster, and a 3-2 edge over Ohio Northern. Frank had a career-high 25 kills against Ohio Northern and averaged above five kills per set in two different matches. In the last four matches, Frank totaled 80 kills (4.71 k/s) with a hitting percentage of .307, 14 digs, 82 points (4.82 p/s), and four block assists. She currently leads the conference with 224 kills, 4.31 kills per set, 236 points, and 4.54 points per set.
MIAA Volleyball Specialist of the Week - Lauren Lee, Hope College
Senior setter Lauren Lee was named the Most Valuable Player of the Gallaudet Tournament after leading the Flying Dutch to a 5-0 record over the weekend. Lee totaled 171 assists (10.69 a/s), 38 digs (2.38 d/s), 16 kills (1.00 k/s), and 20.5 points (1.28 p/s). She is currently second in the league with 457 assists and 9.72 assists per set.