BRIGHTON, Mich. -- The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) has announced its Athletes of the Week for the period covering September 1-6. 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 - Lucas Hopkins, The University of Olivet
Junior Lucas Hopkins won the Comet Open 5K by nine seconds last Tuesday at Broadway Acres Golf Course, finishing with a time of 16:11. The meet also featured Kellogg Community College and MIAA competitors from Hope, Adrian, and Albion.
MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week - Adelaide Lulich, Saint Mary's College
Freshman Adelaide Lulich won the Comet Invite last Tuesday in her first collegiate race. Competing on a very muggy night, Lulich ran solo for approximately two-thirds of the race before capturing the individual title. She finished 27 seconds ahead of the runner-up with a time of 18:47.23.
MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week - RJ West II, Trine University
Senior quarterback RJ West led the Thunder to a season-opening 48–34 victory over UChicago last Thursday. West completed 26-of-38 pass attempts for 420 yards and five passing touchdowns while also adding a rushing touchdown. He currently leads the MIAA in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.
MIAA Football Defensive Athlete of the Week - Michael Brown, Adrian College
Sophomore defensive back Michael Brown helped clinch Adrian’s 17–10 victory over Ohio Northern with a standout performance. Brown recorded five tackles, including three solo stops, two pass breakups, a quarterback hit, and two interceptions. His first interception resulted in a pick-six that gave the Bulldogs a 10-point lead, while his second came in the final minute to seal the victory.
MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week - Cooper Tracy, Adrian College
Sophomore punter Cooper Tracy helped Adrian secure a 17–10 victory over Ohio Northern in the season opener on Saturday. Tracy totaled 377 yards on nine punts, averaging 41.89 yards per punt, while pinning four punts inside the 20-yard line. He also recorded two punts of more than 50 yards, including a long of 61 yards. Tracy currently leads the conference with four fair catches, four punts inside the 20, and a 41.9-yard average.
MIAA Men's Golf Athlete of the Week - Pierson Curry, Kalamazoo College
Freshman Pierson Curry earned medalist honors at the 2026 Lou Collins Invitational, hosted by Olivet at Medalist Golf Club. Curry carded a 76 in the opening round before firing a one-under-par 71 in the second round for a two-day total of 147. He finished atop a field of 72 players to claim the individual title in his first collegiate competition.
MIAA Women's Golf Athlete of the Week - Rachel Fay, Adrian College
Sophomore Rachel Fay opened the season by earning medalist honors at the Kyle Campbell Memorial Tournament. Fay carded rounds of 75 and 71 for a two-day total of 146, finishing first in the event while helping lead the Bulldogs to a second-place team finish, just one stroke behind the winner. Her second-round 71 also set a new school record for an 18-hole round.
MIAA Men's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Marcel Jackson, The University of Olivet
Sophomore forward Marcel Jackson helped lead the Comets to a 2-0 start to the season. Jackson scored a hat trick in Olivet’s season-opening 4–3 victory over Rochester Christian, including the game-winning goal in the 89th minute. He followed with the opening goal in Olivet’s 2–1 win over Michigan-Dearborn. Jackson currently leads the MIAA with 22 shots, 11 shots on goal, four goals, and eight points.
MIAA Men's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Benjamin Smitley, Hope College
Junior midfielder Benjamin Smitley anchored a defense that recorded back-to-back shutouts to open the season. The Flying Dutch posted a 2–0 victory over Adrian in a non-conference contest before following with a 9–0 shutout at Concordia-Chicago.
MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week - Mia Johnson, Saint Mary's College
Sophomore forward Mia Johnson helped lead the Belles to a 2–1 start to the season. In Saint Mary’s 4–0 victory over Governors State, Johnson scored two goals, including the game-winner. She added two more goals in the Belles’ 5–1 win at Earlham. Johnson currently leads the league with four goals and eight points.
MIAA Women's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week - Bri Aikens, Adrian College
Senior outside back Bri Aikens led Adrian to two victories and a draw in its opening week. Aikens helped the Bulldogs record a clean sheet against Wilmington, as Adrian conceded just two goals across its three contests. She also scored in victories over Heidelberg and Manchester, including the game-winning goal in the Bulldogs’ 2–1 win over Manchester.
MIAA Volleyball Player of the Week - Caroline Carens, Saint Mary's College
Senior middle hitter Caroline Carens was difficult to stop during the Belles’ 3–2 start to the season. Across five matches, Carens hit an impressive .393, recording 71 kills on 145 swings while converting nearly 50% of her attacks into kills. She tallied 15 or more kills in four of five matches and hit .400 or better in four contests, averaging 3.74 kills per set. Carens was equally impactful defensively, recording 20 blocks for an average of 1.05 blocks per set, while finishing with 86.5 points and averaging 4.55 points per set. Carens currently leads the MIAA in hitting percentage (.393), kills (71), kills per set (3.74), and points (86.5).
MIAA Volleyball Specialist of the Week - Paige Williamson, Albion College
Senior defensive specialist Paige Williamson led Albion to a 3–0 weekend, including a 3–0 shutout over Bradford, a 3–1 victory over St. John Fisher, and a 3–2 win over MSOE. Williamson recorded a career-high 35 digs against MSOE and committed just one receiving error across the weekend. Her passing helped keep the Britons in system, contributing to a .221 team hitting percentage. Williamson currently ranks second in the conference with 6.33 digs per set.