BRIGHTON, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its Athletes of the Week for the period covering September 14-20. 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 - Vaughn Meyer, Calvin University
Junior Vaughn Meyer finished 18th overall and was the top MIAA finisher at the Knight Invitational. Competing in muddy and wet conditions, Meyer posted a time of 26:13.6 to help lead the Knights to a narrow fourth-place team finish with 100 points, just behind Division II Davenport (95 points) and NAIA No. 16 Goshen (91 points).
MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week - Hailey Erickson, Calvin University
Senior Hailey Erickson finished 10th overall at the Knight Invitational, leading Calvin at its home meet with a time of 22:33.8. All nine runners ahead of Erickson represented Division II powerhouse Grand Valley State. Erickson was the top MIAA finisher and the highest-placing non-GVSU runner in the field of 137 competitors.
MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week - Daniel Avila, The University of Olivet
Junior quarterback Daniel Avila led the Comets to a 56–33 victory over Manchester on Saturday. Avila completed 26-of-32 pass attempts for 325 yards and six touchdowns while adding 50 rushing yards on 12 carries. He was nearly perfect in the first half, completing 20-of-21 passes for 279 yards and all six of his touchdowns as Olivet built a 42–20 halftime lead. Avila’s six touchdown passes tied the school record for passing touchdowns in a game. He currently leads the MIAA with 673 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns while completing 75.7 percent of his passes.
MIAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week - Kanye Tucker, Trine University
Junior outside linebacker Kanye Tucker helped lead the Thunder to a 59–7 victory over Bluffton with a disruptive defensive performance. Tucker recorded eight tackles, including four tackles for loss totaling 21 yards, and three sacks for a loss of 18 yards. His pressure helped Trine limit Bluffton to just seven points in the victory.
MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week - Carsen Moat, Kalamazoo College
Senior punter Carsen Moat helped Kalamazoo to a 42–17 victory over Anderson on Saturday. Moat totaled 131 yards on three punts, averaging 43.7 yards per punt. He recorded a long of 50 yards and placed one punt inside the 20-yard line, pinning Anderson at its own 10-yard line.
MIAA Women's Golf Athlete of the Week - Kennedy Kehres, Adrian College
Senior Kennedy Kehres earned medalist honors at MIAA Jamboree No. 1 at Marshall Country Club on Monday. Kehres carded a 76 to finish first individually while helping lead the Bulldogs to a first-place team finish in the opening conference jamboree.
MIAA Men's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Seth Walters, Hope College
Senior forward Seth Walters led the Flying Dutch to a 1–1 record on the week, including a 4–1 victory at Roanoke and a narrow 2–1 loss to No. 10 Lynchburg. Walters had a hand in all four goals against Roanoke, scoring the first three goals to complete a hat trick before assisting on the fourth. In the second match of the week, Walters recorded an assist on Hope’s lone goal against Lynchburg. He currently leads the MIAA with 28 shots, 13 shots on goal, six goals, five assists, and 17 points.
MIAA Men's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Nicholas Van Port Fleet, The University of Olivet
Senior goalkeeper Nicholas Van Port Fleet earned the shutout in Olivet’s 4–0 victory at Earlham, recording six saves in the Comets’ third-consecutive shutout. Van Port Fleet currently ranks among the conference’s top five in goals against (0), save percentage (1.000), shutouts (2), and saves per game (6.0).
MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Kelsi Green, Albion College
Junior forward Kelsi Green helped lead the Britons to a 1–1 week, including a 6–1 victory over Manchester. Green scored four goals in the victory and continued to create scoring opportunities against Capital. She currently leads the league with seven goals and 15 points while ranking among the conference’s top three with 11 shots on goal and two game-winning goals.
MIAA Women's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Mya Pofahl, Alma College
Senior goalkeeper Mya Pofahl helped lead the Scots to shutout victories over Bluffton (1–0) and Elmhurst (1–0). Pofahl played all 180 minutes across the two contests, recording eight saves while allowing zero goals. Her performances helped Alma secure three road victories during the week. Pofahl currently leads the MIAA with a 0.15 goals-against average, a .966 save percentage, and five shutouts.
MIAA Volleyball Player of the Week - Caroline Carens, Saint Mary's College
Senior middle hitter Caroline Carens delivered a record-setting week for the Belles across five matches. Carens totaled 76 kills while hitting .357, averaging 4.00 kills and 5.03 points per set. She recorded double-digit kills in all five matches and added five service aces, two solo blocks, and 25 block assists. Carens set school records with 12 total blocks and 10 block assists against Wheaton, while also posting a career best .700 hitting percentage with 14 kills and no errors on 20 attempts against Concordia-Chicago. She finished the week with 95.5 points and averaged 1.42 blocks per set. Carens currently leads the MIAA with 162 kills and 3.95 kills per set, while also leading the conference with 198 points and 4.83 points per set.
MIAA Volleyball Specialist of the Week - Brooke Hehl, Hope College
Sophomore setter Brooke Hehl helped lead the Flying Dutch to a 4–0 weekend, including straight-set victories over No. 21 St. Olaf and Gustavus Adolphus, which received votes in the national poll. Hehl totaled 133 assists across 13 sets, averaging 10.23 assists per set while directing a Hope offense that hit .242 for the weekend. She also contributed 14 kills, 30 digs, and 15 total blocks. Hehl highlighted the weekend with 36 assists in a 3–0 win over St. Olaf and 35 assists in a 3–1 victory over Gustavus Adolphus.