FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its Athletes of the Week for the period covering March 30 - April 5. 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 pitcher Bryan Carney led Olivet to a 6–2 win at Alma on Friday, delivering a dominant performance on the mound. In seven innings, he struck out 14 batters, including two looking, while allowing just three hits, four walks, and no runs across 27 batters faced. Carney currently leads the conference with a 0.96 ERA, seven runs allowed, five earned runs allowed, 75 strikeouts, and just three doubles allowed.
MIAA Baseball Position Player of the Week - Grady Pieratt, Alma College
Freshman infielder Grady Pieratt helped Alma to a 2–2 week, highlighted by a 23–13 win over Hope and a 16–7 victory at Olivet. Batting leadoff for much of the weekend, Pieratt reached base in 11-consecutive plate appearances at one point. He finished with a .667 batting average, a .933 slugging percentage, and a .714 on-base percentage while playing flawless defense and adding three stolen bases.
MIAA Men's Golf Athlete of the Week - Garrett James, Trine University
Senior Garrett James led the Thunder to a tie-for-third-place finish at the Illinois Wesleyan Invitational, competing against some of the top teams in the country. He carded rounds of 74 and 72 to finish tied-for-14th individually.
MIAA Women's Golf Athlete of the Week - Natalie Kulka, Trine University
Junior Natalie Kulka earned All-Tournament Team honors with a 10th-place finish out of 82 competitors at the WashU Spring Classic in Farmington, Missouri. Battling windy conditions, she shot an 80 in the opening round and followed with an even-par 72 on day two, highlighted by four birdies. Kulka fired a 33 (-3) on the front nine before closing with a 39 on the back.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Cal Stearns, Albion College
Senior midfielder Cal Stearns led the Brits to a 21–5 victory at Alma, tying the Albion single-game record with 12 points despite playing just one half. He totaled nine goals and three assists while posting a .727 shots-on-goal percentage and adding three ground balls. Stearns currently leads the MIAA with 43 goals, 3.91 goals per game, 162 shots, and 14.73 shots per game, and ranks second in the league with 57 points and 5.18 points per game.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Jack Balmforth, Hope College
Senior goalie Jack Balmforth helped lead the Flying Dutchmen to a 2–0 week with a 14–7 win at Transylvania and a 14–1 victory over Kalamazoo. He recorded 19 saves across the two games, posting a .731 save percentage against Transylvania and .750 versus the Hornets. Balmforth also excelled in clearing and commanded the defense, which allowed just eight total goals on the week. He added seven ground balls and currently ranks among the league’s top seven with a 6.83 goals-against average, a .559 save percentage, and 6.45 saves per game.
MIAA Men's Lacrosse Specialist of the Week - Nate Hanson, Calvin University
Senior faceoff midfielder Nate Hanson led the Knights to a 2–0 week with an 8–7 win at Trine and a 23–2 victory over Alma. He posted a .688 faceoff win percentage across the two games, securing key possessions, including the final faceoff against Trine to seal the one-goal victory. Hanson was dominant on Saturday, going a perfect 15-for-15 at the X in the first half against Alma. He currently ranks second in the league with 71 ground balls and 6.45 ground balls per game, and sits fifth in the MIAA with a .613 faceoff percentage.
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Offensive Athlete of the Week - Morgan Bethard, Calvin University
Senior attacker Morgan Bethard helped the Knights to a 1–1 week, highlighted by a 19–11 win at Trine. Across the two games, Bethard totaled 12 points on 10 goals and two assists while adding two ground balls and a caused turnover. She scored five goals on six shots (.833) against Hope and followed with five goals on seven shots (.714) versus Trine.
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Defensive Athlete of the Week - Ireland Brown, Hope College
Sophomore midfielder Ireland Brown anchored the Flying Dutch defensively during a 3–0 road week, playing a key role in transition defense and possession control. In a 23–9 win at Piedmont, she recorded five ground balls and five caused turnovers, showcasing her ability as an on-ball defender against top offensive threats. Brown’s speed and strength helped limit fast-break opportunities, consistently slowing opposing attacks in the midfield. She also made a crucial caused turnover in transition during a 17–15 win at Calvin, intercepting a goalie clear, and added two ground balls in a 12–11 victory at Adrian while helping contain one of the league’s top attackers. Brown’s decision-making and ability to secure possession were instrumental throughout the week, and she currently ranks third in the conference with 1.78 caused turnovers per game.
MIAA Women's Lacrosse Specialist of the Week - Kennedy Hynde, Kalamazoo College
Junior midfielder Kennedy Hynde helped the Hornets to a 1–1 week, highlighted by a 21–5 victory over Alma. Across the two games, Hynde totaled 17 draw controls, seven caused turnovers, four ground balls, three goals, and one assist. She currently leads the conference with 80 draw controls this season.
MIAA Softball Pitcher of the Week - Morgan Westall, Alma College
Senior pitcher Morgan Westall delivered a strong week for the Scots, earning two wins as part of a 3–0 stretch that included a matchup with Ohio Northern. Across 13 innings, Westall threw two complete games, recording 16 strikeouts against 46 batters faced while allowing just seven hits and no runs. She currently ranks among the conference’s top five with a 1.97 ERA, a 10–1 record, seven complete games, three shutouts, 17 earned runs allowed, and 59 strikeouts.
MIAA Softball Position Player of the Week - Tyra Marcum, Trine University
Junior infielder Tyra Marcum led Trine to a doubleheader sweep over Adrian with a dominant offensive performance. She batted .571 with 10 RBIs, including a grand slam and two additional home runs, while scoring five runs and drawing two walks. Marcum finished with a 1.875 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage. She currently leads the MIAA with six home runs and a .855 slugging percentage, and ranks among the conference’s top three with a 1.317 OPS and 28 RBIs.
MIAA Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week - Juliana Pullen, Kalamazoo College
Junior Juliana Pullen helped lead the Hornets to a 7–0 victory at Trine on Saturday. At No. 1 doubles, Pullen teamed with Addison Lyons for a 6–3 win over Elina Locane and Alexis Maloney, handing Trine just its third loss of the season at the top doubles flight. She followed with a dominant 6–1, 6–1 victory at No. 1 singles against Locane, who entered the match with a 15–0 record.
MIAA Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Luke Bellino, Hope College
Freshman Luke Bellino competed in the 200m and 400m dash events at Troy University's Doc Anderson Invitational over the weekend, posting times of 21.81 in the 200m and 48.94 in the 400m. Bellino now leads the MIAA in both events.
MIAA Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week - Zach Hartemink, Calvin University
Freshman Zach Hartemink recorded a lifetime personal best in the pole vault at the GVSU Early Meet on Friday, clearing 4.55m. His mark ranks second in the conference, tied-for-44th nationally, and ninth all-time in Calvin program history.
MIAA Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week - Sofia Fisher, Hope College
Sophomore Sofia Fisher recorded two personal bests at the Centre Invitational in Kentucky on Saturday. She ran 12.04 in the 100m dash and broke 25 seconds for the first time in the 200m dash with a time of 24.92. Her performances rank 16th and 24th nationally, respectively, and first and second in the MIAA.
MIAA Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week - Jaidyn Klimp, Hope College
Freshman Jaidyn Klimp competed in her first career heptathlon at Troy University’s Doc Anderson Invitational last week, scoring 4,826 points. The mark is the best in the MIAA in 19 years and included four personal-best performances. Klimp currently ranks first in the conference and second in the NCAA.