FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its Athletes of the Week for the period covering April 13-19. 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 - Bryan Carney, The University of Olivet
Senior Bryan Carney delivered a dominant performance in Olivet’s 6–0 win at Albion, tossing a complete-game shutout. Over eight innings, he struck out 18 batters—including nine looking—while allowing just two hits and three walks, holding opponents to a .074 batting average. In the outing, Carney broke Olivet’s career (269), single-season (103), and single-game (18) strikeout records, with his 18 strikeouts ranking second-most in an MIAA game. He currently leads the conference with a 1.18 ERA, one shutout, 103 strikeouts, 26 strikeouts looking, three doubles allowed, and a .154 opponents’ batting average.
MIAA Baseball Position Player of the Week - Nic Bruder, Adrian College
Junior shortstop Nic Bruder helped lead the Bulldogs to a 4–0 week, highlighted by a 13–1 win over Albion and a series sweep of Trine. In 17 at-bats, Bruder recorded six runs, nine hits, three RBIs, four doubles, two walks, two stolen bases, and a sacrifice fly. He posted a .529 batting average, a .765 slugging percentage, and a .571 on-base percentage. Defensively, Bruder was flawless with 17 assists and one putout. He currently ranks third in the conference with 77 assists.
MIAA Men's Golf Athlete of the Week - Jake Bilby, Trine University
Sophomore Jake Bilby led Trine to two victories over the week and has been a key contributor for the Thunder throughout the spring. He shot a 75 to finish in the top 10 at Kalamazoo’s Steven Tyler Invitational, then captured medalist honors at Trine’s A.C. Eddy Spring Classic with rounds of 71 and 72 to finish even par over the 36-hole event.
MIAA Women's Golf Athlete of the Week - Melanie Maier, Saint Mary's College
Sophomore Melanie Maier led the Belles to a first-place finish at the Trine University Spring Classic on Friday. Competing in a field of 43 golfers, Maier captured medalist honors with a 74 (+2). Saint Mary’s won the team title by 11 strokes over the host.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Gibson Heethuis, Hope College
?Junior attacker Gibson Heethuis helped lead the Flying Dutchmen to two key wins, a 22–9 victory over Albion and a 19–7 win against Calvin. He totaled 19 points on 10 goals and nine assists while shooting .600 from the field. Heethuis also contributed four caused turnovers in the ride, fueled Hope’s transition offense, and quarterbacked the settled attack. He currently leads the MIAA with 55 assists (3.67 per game) and 101 points (6.73 per game).
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Jack Balmforth, Hope College
Senior goalie Jack Balmforth had an outstanding week in the cage, totaling 25 saves while leading Hope to wins over Albion (22–9) and Calvin (19–7). He posted a .611 save percentage across the two games and was instrumental in transition with his clearing passes. Balmforth’s presence, communication, and command of the defense were key throughout the week. He currently ranks fourth in the conference with a 6.90 goals-against average.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Specialist of the Week - Tyler Berens, Hope College
Sophomore long-stick midfielder Tyler Berens was a disruptive force across the field in Hope’s wins over Albion (22–9) and Calvin (19–7). He recorded nine caused turnovers and 10 ground balls while locking down opposing teams’ top offensive midfielders. Berens also contributed in transition with two assists and created opportunities by setting effective picks. He currently ranks fourth in the league with 34 caused turnovers (2.27 per game).
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Tessa Fuller, Kalamazoo College
Junior attacker Tessa Fuller delivered a standout week leading the Hornets’ offense in wins at Trine (22–12) and against Saint Mary’s (17–5), totaling 10 goals and five assists for 15 points. She consistently generated scoring opportunities and excelled as both a finisher and facilitator. Fuller also contributed four ground balls, a caused turnover, and a draw control, showcasing her all-around impact. She is currently tied-for-fourth in the league with 50 goals this season.
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Annslee Ware, Kalamazoo College
Junior defender Annslee Ware anchored the Hornets’ defense with a dominant and disruptive performance in wins over Trine (22–12) and Saint Mary’s (17–5). She totaled seven ground balls and four caused turnovers while consistently applying pressure and limiting scoring opportunities. Ware also added two draw controls, contributing to possession beyond the defensive end. Her toughness and consistency were instrumental in the team’s success, and she currently ranks fourth in the MIAA with 24 caused turnovers this season.
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Specialist of the Week - Kennedy Hynde, Kalamazoo College
Junior midfielder Kennedy Hynde delivered a dominant performance in the draw circle during the Hornets’ wins at Trine (22–12) and against Saint Mary’s (17–5), securing 17 draw controls to drive possession. She now has 107 draw controls on the season, leading the MIAA and ranking among the top 25 nationally. Beyond the draw, Hynde added nine ground balls and two goals, showcasing her impact across multiple phases of the game.
MIAA Softball Pitcher of the Week - Avery Clark, Adrian College
Sophomore pitcher Avery Clark delivered a complete-game shutout in a 1–0 win over Albion, striking out nine batters, including two looking, while allowing just four hits across seven innings. She held 30 batters faced to a .148 batting average. Clark also made a relief appearance in the second game against the Brits, recording one strikeout in one inning while allowing just one hit and no runs. She currently ranks sixth in the conference with 72 strikeouts.
MIAA Softball Position Player of the Week - Emma Lee, Trine University
Senior Emma Lee helped the Thunder to a 4-0 week with series sweeps versus Saint Mary's and Albion. Lee hit .538, slugging 1.615 with an on-base percentage of .571. In 13 at bats, she totaled seven hits, scoring nine times, with a triple, four home runs, and 10 runs batted in. Lee also went perfect in the field with three putouts plus 1 stolen base. She currently leads the conference with a 1.516 OPS and a slugging percentage of .985.
MIAA Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week - Caleb Bartels, Calvin University
Sophomore Caleb Bartels is currently on an eight-match winning streak, with seven victories at No. 2 singles and one at No. 1 singles. This week, he earned a 6–4, 6–2 win over Trine’s Sammy Yin at No. 2 singles to help secure a 6–1 team victory. He followed with an impressive 6–3, 6–2 win at No. 1 singles against Lawrence Tech’s Carlos Patricio (10.13 UTR) on the road. During his streak, Bartels has also recorded wins over Hope, Carthage, Connecticut, Albion, Olivet, and the University of Northwestern (MN), consistently proving to be a clutch performer for his team.
MIAA Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week - Emma Kealy, Saint Mary's College
Senior Emma Kealy went 2–0 at No. 1 singles last week with wins over Adrian and Calvin. She defeated Adrian’s Hye Jin Elliott 6–1, 6–1 and Calvin’s Marina Ribeiro 6–2, 6–0, extending her MIAA No. 1 singles win streak to six matches. At No. 1 doubles, Kealy and partner Shannon Dudy fell 6–3 to Adrian’s Claire Earley and Elliott, but bounced back with a 6–4 win over Calvin’s Ryan Morey and Ribeiro.
MIAA Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Cooper Bright, Albion College
Senior Cooper Bright broke Albion’s school record in the 100m dash at Hillsdale’s GINA Relays, clocking a 10.49 that ranks tied-for-23rd nationally. He also won the 200m dash with a time of 21.80.
MIAA Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week - Yrral Campbell, The University of Olivet
Sophomore Yrral Campbell won the open hammer throw at the Calvin Knight Invitational with a mark of 52.36m. The throw ranks second in the MIAA and second all-time in Olivet program history. It also represents an 11m personal best and sits just behind his teammate, who is currently ranked fourth in the nation.
MIAA Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Sophie Bull, Calvin University
Senior Sophie Bull delivered a historic performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific, clocking a 10:07.18 in the 3,00m steeplechase. Her time leads the nation by more than 10 seconds, ranks fourth all-time in NCAA Division III history, and breaks her own school record by four seconds. Bull’s mark also leads the MIAA by nearly a full minute.
MIAA Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week - Olivia Andrews, Trine University
Sophomore Olivia Andrews competed at the Hillsdale GINA Relays on Saturday, winning the women’s pole vault with a mark of 3.72m. She broke her own school record for the second-consecutive weekend and currently ranks first in the conference, second in the region, and 23rd nationally.