BRIGHTON, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its Athletes of the Week for the period covering September 28-October 4. 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 - Elijah Forbord, Hope College
Sophomore Elijah Forbord led the Flying Dutch to a 13th-place team finish at the Pre-National/Running with the Cows Invitational at Carleton College. Forbord posted a personal-record 8K time of 25:17 to finish 48th overall. His time was the fastest among all Great Lakes Region and MIAA competitors on the national meet course.
MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week - Olivia Ippel, Hope College
Senior Olivia Ippel raced to a 6K personal record of 22:11 to lead Hope to an eighth-place finish at the Pre-National/Running with the Cows Invitational at Carleton College. Ippel finished 36th overall among runners from 20 of the top 30 nationally ranked teams and was the top finisher among MIAA and Great Lakes Region competitors at the meet.
MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week - RJ West, Trine University
Senior quarterback RJ West led the Thunder to a 33–9 victory over Alma with 375 yards of total offense and five touchdowns. West completed 29-of-40 pass attempts for 347 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, while also rushing 10 times for 28 yards and three scores. He finished the game averaging 8.7 yards per pass attempt and accounted for all five of Trine’s touchdowns in the victory. West currently leads the MIAA with 1,500 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, and 300.0 passing yards per game. He also leads the conference with 1,787 yards of total offense and 357.4 total yards per game.
MIAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week - Peter Markvluwer, Calvin University
Junior defensive lineman Peter Markvluwer helped lead Calvin to a 17–12 victory over Adrian with a disruptive performance up front. Markvluwer recorded three tackles, including two sacks and two tackles for loss totaling 10 yards. He also added a pass breakup, forced a fumble, and blocked a PAT, making an impact against both the pass and the run throughout the victory.
MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week - Avery Umphrey, Hope College
Freshman kicker Avery Umphrey was perfect in Hope’s 66–17 victory over Olivet. Umphrey converted all nine of his extra-point attempts and connected on his lone field-goal try from 28 yards. He accounted for 12 points in the victory, finishing the day 10-for-10 on kicking attempts.
MIAA Men's Golf Athlete of the Week - Ethan Tiller, Calvin University
Senior Ethan Tiller turned in a strong week across two MIAA Jamborees. Tiller earned medalist honors in the first event after firing a 4-under-par 67, then followed with a 1-over-par 73 in the second jamboree. His two-round total of 140 currently places him atop the individual standings.
MIAA Women's Golf Athlete of the Week - Rachel Fay, Adrian College
Sophomore Rachel Fay shot rounds of 77 and 80 for a 157 total at TPC Wisconsin on Sunday and Monday. Fay finished tied-for-10th in a deep field that included the No. 8, No. 18, and receiving-votes teams from the first WGCA Coaches Poll.
MIAA Men's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Jack Pelton, Adrian College
Freshman forward Jack Pelton scored three goals across two matches for the Bulldogs. Pelton found the back of the net once against Wabash before scoring twice against Ohio Wesleyan. He finished the week with six points on three goals while placing three of his eight shots on goal. Pelton currently leads the MIAA with two game-winning goals.
MIAA Men's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Pol Sabe, Calvin University
Sophomore Pol Sabe anchored a Calvin defense that allowed no goals in two wins this past week. Sabe also contributed a goal in the Knights’ 7–0 win at Wheaton.
MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Ceci Irwin, Albion College
Junior forward Ceci Irwin delivered a hat trick in Albion’s 6–2 victory over Adrian in the Britons’ lone match of the week. Irwin scored three goals on three shots, placing all three attempts on goal. She finished the match with six points and consistently created scoring chances throughout her 40 minutes of action.
MIAA Women's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Peyton Pratt, Calvin University
Senior defender Peyton Pratt anchored the Knights’ back line during a pair of shutout victories on the week. Calvin posted a 5–0 win at Adrian before following with a 4–0 victory over Saint Mary’s. With Pratt helping lead the defense, the Knights allowed just two total shots on goal across the two matches.
MIAA Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week - Alex Fleming, Kalamazoo College
Senior Alex Fleming posted a 3–1 singles record at the ITA Central Regional Championship. After falling in a three-set match in the opening round, Fleming responded with three consecutive victories in the consolation draw, earning wins over opponents from Kenyon, Otterbein, and Illinois Wesleyan.
MIAA Volleyball Player of the Week - Julia Maggio, Trine University
Senior outside hitter Julia Maggio turned in an efficient week for the Thunder, totaling 22 kills on 48 attempts without committing an attack error. Maggio hit .458 across two matches, including a .632 performance with 12 kills in a 3–0 win over Bluffton. She also served five aces in that victory. Against Hope, Maggio recorded 10 kills and 11 digs for a double-double. She finished the week averaging 3.67 kills and 4.83 points per set.
MIAA Volleyball Specialist of the Week - Tryna Vander Zwaag, Calvin University
Senior libero Tryna Vander Zwaag helped lead the Knights to a 2–0 week with strong defensive play in the back row. Vander Zwaag totaled 47 digs across nine sets, averaging 5.22 digs per set, more than one dig per set above her season average. She recorded 20 digs in a 3–1 win over Earlham before adding 27 digs in a five-set victory over No. 20 Otterbein. Vander Zwaag also surpassed 1,000 career digs and was perfect from the service line for the week, committing no errors while adding an ace.