BRIGHTON, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its Athletes of the Week for the period covering October 26 - November 1. 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
Senior Blake Overmyer captured the individual title at the MIAA Cross Country Championships, earning MIAA Most Valuable Runner honors. Overmyer crossed the finish line in a personal-best time of 24:50.74 to claim the conference championship.
MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week - Adelaide Lulich, Saint Mary's College
Freshman Adelaide Lulich captured the individual title at the MIAA Cross Country Championships, earning MIAA Most Valuable Runner honors. Lulich crossed the finish line in a personal-best time of 21:32.5 to claim the conference championship.
MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week - Alex Trudell, Albion College
Junior running back Alex Trudell delivered a clutch performance in Albion’s 24–21 victory over Alma. Trudell rushed 29 times for 110 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score with 10 seconds remaining. He also added four receptions for 20 yards, finishing with 130 yards from scrimmage in the victory. Trudell currently leads the MIAA with 634 rushing yards and 79.3 rushing yards per game.
MIAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week - Kaden McCullough, Calvin University
Junior linebacker Kaden McCullough was a disruptive force in Calvin’s 51–20 victory over Trine. McCullough recorded five tackles, including three sacks for a loss of 26 yards, and added a quarterback hurry. His pressure helped fuel a dominant defensive performance by the Knights.
MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week - Logan Nap, Calvin University
Sophomore punter Logan Nap made a major impact on field position in Calvin’s 51–20 victory over Trine. Nap totaled 151 yards on three punts, averaging 50.3 yards per punt, with a long of 67 yards. He placed two punts inside the 20-yard line, including a 67-yard punt in the first quarter that helped swing field position in Calvin’s favor early in the game.
MIAA Men's Golf Athlete of the Week - Ethan Tiller, Calvin University
Senior Ethan Tiller earned medalist honors at the lone MIAA tournament of the week, firing a 67 to win by three strokes. Tiller’s performance also kept him atop the MIAA individual standings.
MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Julia Benham, Trine University
Junior defensive midfielder Julia Benham powered the Thunder to a 2–0 week with a four-goal performance. Benham scored all four of her goals in Trine’s 6–0 victory at Olivet, finishing with eight points while placing six of her eight shots on goal. She also played all 90 minutes in the Thunder’s 4–1 win over Albion to close the week.
MIAA Women's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Lucy Iverson, Calvin University
Lucy Iverson delivered the decisive moment in Calvin’s 1–0 victory at Alma, scoring the game-winning goal that secured a share of the regular-season conference championship. Iverson played all 90 minutes while helping the Knights post a shutout, and she finished the match with two shots, placing one on goal.
MIAA Men's Swimming Athlete of the Week - Blake Hetherington, Hope College
Junior Blake Hetherington played a key role in all three of Hope’s event victories at the Kalamazoo Invite. Hetherington anchored the 200 freestyle relay to a pool-record time that ranks fifth in NCAA Division III this season, then helped the Flying Dutch win the 200 medley relay. He closed the meet by anchoring the 400 freestyle relay to another pool record and the fourth-fastest time in Division III to date. Individually, Hetherington finished second in the 50 freestyle, seventh in the 100 freestyle, and ninth in the 200 freestyle.
MIAA Men's Diving Athlete of the Week - Finn Sanders, Hope College
Sophomore Finn Sanders swept both diving events at the Kalamazoo Invite. Sanders won the 3-meter event on Friday with a score of 256.43 before returning Saturday to capture the 1-meter event with 271.12 points, winning by more than 75 points. He also posted an NCAA Diving Regional qualifying score on the 1-meter board.
MIAA Women's Swimming Athlete of the Week - Annie Lock, Hope College
Freshman Annie Lock turned in a strong all-around weekend at the Kalamazoo Invite. Lock helped Hope win the 200 freestyle relay in a pool-record time that ranks sixth in NCAA Division III this season, then also contributed to the victorious 400 freestyle relay. Individually, she finished runner-up in the 200 freestyle and placed third in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Lock also showed her versatility by swimming butterfly on a medley relay.
MIAA Women's Diving Athlete of the Week - Grace Dawson, Hope College
Sophomore Grace Dawson swept both diving events at the Kalamazoo Invite. Dawson won the 1-meter competition on Friday while posting an NCAA Regional qualifying score. She followed on Saturday by winning the 3-meter event with another Regional qualifying mark and a lifetime-best score of 280.20, narrowly missing the pool record.
MIAA Volleyball Player of the Week - Caroline Carens, Saint Mary's College
Senior middle hitter Caroline Carens turned in an efficient performance in Saint Mary’s lone match of the week, a 3–0 victory at Alma. Carens recorded 11 kills on 22 attempts while hitting .409, averaging 3.67 kills and 5.00 points per set. She also added six total blocks, averaging 2.00 blocks per set.
MIAA Volleyball Specialist of the Week - Olivia Peterson, Calvin University
Freshman setter Olivia Peterson turned in her most efficient week of the season while helping the Knights to a 3–1 record against strong competition. Peterson totaled 170 assists across 16 sets, averaging 10.63 assists per set with a .523 setting efficiency. She recorded 54 assists against Heidelberg, 44 against Case Western Reserve, and 35 in a straight-set win over William Smith. Peterson also contributed eight total blocks for the week, including five against Olivet, while averaging 0.50 blocks per set.
MIAA Wrestling Athlete of the Week - Bryce Randolph, Adrian College
Freshman Bryce Randolph turned in a dominant performance at 184 pounds, earning an 18–5 major decision over a two-time state finalist. Randolph’s victory helped the Bulldogs secure a commanding 56–0 team win.