FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its Athletes of the Week for the period covering March 16-22. 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 Baseball Pitcher of the Week - Daniel Bruzdewicz, Albion College
Senior pitcher Daniel Bruzdewicz tossed a complete nine-inning game to lead Albion to a 15–1 victory over Bluffton. He allowed just one run on five hits with one walk while striking out 12 batters, including five looking, across 99 pitches. Bruzdewicz currently leads the conference with two complete games, 41.1 innings pitched, and 13 strikeouts looking, and ranks second with 38 total strikeouts.
MIAA Baseball Position Player of the Week - Giuseppe Sapienza, Alma College
Sophomore infielder Giuseppe Sapienza led Alma offensively during a 2–1 week at Ohio Northern. Across the three games, Sapienza recorded six hits, five runs, seven RBIs, two doubles, a home run, and two walks while striking out just once. He finished the week with a .500 batting average, a .917 slugging percentage, and a .600 on-base percentage. Sapienza also tied-for-third in Alma program history with seven RBIs in a single game.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Gibson Heethuis, Hope College
Junior attacker Gibson Heethuis delivered a record-breaking week in Hope’s 23–5 win over Edgewood and 23–7 victory at Carroll. He totaled 22 points on 11 goals and 11 assists, setting both a program scoring record (13 points vs. Edgewood) and an assist record (9 vs. Edgewood). Heethuis also contributed five ground balls and a caused turnover on the ride. He is currently tied-for-first in the league with 3.5 goals per game and leads the conference with 3.63 assists and 7.13 points per game.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - John Foster, Hope College
Senior defender Foster delivered another outstanding week in Hope’s wins over Edgewood (23–5) and Carroll (23–7). After limiting one of the nation’s top players to two goals and no assists the previous week, he completely shut down both of his matchups this week. Foster added four ground balls and three caused turnovers in the two games. He currently ranks fifth in the MIAA with 2.00 caused turnovers per game and eighth with 3.75 ground balls per contest.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Specialist of the Week - Tyler Berens, Hope College
Sophomore long-stick midfielder Tyler Berens delivered a strong all-around week in Hope’s wins over Edgewood (23–5) and Carroll (23–7). He locked down his matchups defensively, recording four caused turnovers and four ground balls. Berens also contributed offensively with a transition goal, played a key role on faceoff wings, and was instrumental in the clearing game. He currently ranks fourth in the league with 2.25 caused turnovers per game.
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Julia Brown, Hope College
?Senior attacker Julia Brown set a new program single-game record with nine goals in Hope’s 18–9 victory at Mount Union, surpassing her previous mark of eight set in 2025. She added an assist and posted a .769 shots-on-goal percentage, finishing efficiently on the inside as Hope’s patient offense consistently found her in scoring positions. Brown’s performance was instrumental in the win, highlighting her ability to capitalize on opportunities and lead the attack. She currently ranks among the league’s top five with 4.83 points per game and 3.67 goals per contest.
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Ava Lazzareschi, Adrian College
Senior defender Ava Lazzareschi led the Bulldogs’ defense during a 1–1 week, highlighted by a 20–8 victory at Capital. She recorded six ground balls and two caused turnovers across the two contests.
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Specialist of the Week - Kennedy Hynde, Kalamazoo College
Junior midfielder Kennedy Hynde delivered standout performances during Kalamazoo’s trip to Washington against Whitworth and Whitman. Across the two games, Hynde totaled 17 draw controls, a goal, and an assist. Her dominance in the draw circle helped the Hornets win the possession battle in both contests. Hynde currently leads the MIAA with 6.5 draw controls per game and is tied-for-third in the conference with 22 ground balls.
MIAA Softball Pitcher of the Week - Morgan Westall, Alma College
Senior Morgan Westall led the Scots to a 2–0 week with complete-game performances at the Ohio Northern Tournament, earning a 5–3 win over Wittenberg and a 7–2 victory against Ohio Wesleyan. Across 14 innings, Westall posted a 0.50 ERA with 12 strikeouts, including three looking, while allowing just five runs against 64 batters faced. She currently ranks among the conference’s top three with seven wins, zero losses, five complete games, and 40 strikeouts.
MIAA Softball Position Player of the Week - Jordyn Porter, Alma College
Senior outfielder Jordyn Porter helped lead the Scots to a 4–0 week at the Ohio Northern Tournament with wins over Wittenberg, Mount St. Joseph, and Ohio Wesleyan. In 14 at bats, Porter totaled six runs, eight hits, six RBIs, a double, two home runs, a walk, and a stolen base while recording a perfect fielding percentage with six putouts. She finished the week with a .571 batting average, a 1.071 slugging percentage, and a .625 on-base percentage. Porter currently ranks among the league’s top three with a 1.242 OPS, three home runs, and a .733 slugging percentage.
MIAA Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week - Hadley Krygier, Hope College
Sophomore Hadley Krygier posted a perfect 4–0 record over the weekend, helping the Flying Dutch to a 6–1 win over Lake Forest and a 7–0 victory at Olivet in their conference opener. She earned a 6–0 doubles win alongside Phoebe Walker against Lake Forest and followed with a 6–1 doubles victory with Kaitlyn Stievater versus Olivet. In singles play, Krygier secured a 6–1, 6–4 win against Lake Forest and capped the weekend with a dominant 6–0, 6–1 victory over Olivet.
MIAA Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Carson Cook, Kalamazoo College
Sophomore Carson Cook competed at the Emory Spring Break Classic over the weekend, placing fifth in the 1500m run with a time of 4:03.21. He later finished 20th out of 80 runners in the 800m run, clocking 1:59.99.
MIAA Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Maddie Hanulcik, Kalamazoo College
Senior Maddie Hanulcik competed at the Emory Spring Break Classic over the weekend, placing 21st out of 78 runners in the 800m run with a time of 2:26.41. She also anchored the 4x800 relay to a second-place finish in a school-record time of 9:57.