BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for football, volleyball, and soccer on Monday. Student-athletes from Augsburg, Bethel, Carleton, Gustavus, Macalester, and St. Olaf claimed the Conference's weekly honors for October 10-16, 2022.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference's sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the fall season, team sports (football, soccer and volleyball) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (cross country) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.
To view each sport's 2022-23 Athlete of the Week home page, navigate to the 2022-23 Athlete of the Week archive for complete details on each week's selections and winners.
MIAC Football Offensive Player of the Week
Jaran Roste
Bethel University
Sr. | Quarterback
Alexandria, Minn.
Jaran Roste had a career-high day throwing for 423 yards on 34-of-39 passing with three touchdowns in the Royals' 45-7 win over Concordia on 10/15. His 423 yards are the second-most ever by a Bethel passer and moved him into second all-time in program history with 7,740 career passing yards. He also finished the game one completion shy of the 29-year-old program record (35). On the ground, Roste rushed for 68 yards on 10 carries including his program-leading 41st career rushing touchdown.
MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Ezekiel Sundberg
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr. | Safety
Lakewood, Colo.
Ezekiel Sundberg made two interceptions in the Gusties' 44-7 victory over Hamline on 10/15, highlighted by an 89-yard return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to put a stamp on the win. Sundberg also had a 16-yard interception return late in the third quarter and added one solo tackle in the victory.
MIAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Beau Nelson
Carleton College
Sr. | All-Purpose
San Diego, Calif. | Westview
Beau Nelson was a factor all over the field for the Knights in their 56-20 victory over St. Scholastica on 10/15. Nelson returned a punt 72 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter for his first career special teams score - the MIAC's first non-blocked punt return touchdown in four years and the conference's longest since 2017. Nelson also punted three times for an average of 39.3 yards and served as the holder on Carleton's first seven PAT conversions.
MIAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week
Kevin Boysen
Augsburg University
Sr. | Right Side
Rochester, Minn. | Mayo
Kevin Boysen hit .301 with 33 kills in the Auggies' two matches last week. In Augsburg's five-set loss to Macalester on 10/14, Boysen hit .271 with a match-high 18 kills while adding 16 digs for the double-double. In a 3-0 win over St. Olaf on 10/15, Boysen hit .343 and once again led both teams with 15 kills.
MIAC Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week
Maren Sundberg
Gustavus Adolphus College
Fy. | Defensive Specialist
Eagan, Minn.
Maren Sundberg led the defense for the Gusties, posting 62 digs over three matches last week, including a 33-dig performance against Cornell that tied her season- and career-high performance from earlier in the year. Sundberg added a trio service aces across the three victories as well.
MIAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Thomas Dono
Macalester College
Sr. | Forward
Plymouth, Mich. | Salem
Thomas Dono accounted for three goals - his first of the season - in two victories for the Scots last week. Dono scored an unassisted insurance goal less than 13 minutes into a 4-0 win at St. Scholastica on 10/11 before punching in the first two goals of the game in a 3-0 home win against Carleton on 10/14.
MIAC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Juan Valdivia Cortes
Bethel University
Jr. | Goalkeeper
Minneapolis, Minn. | Cristo Rey
Juan Valdivia Cortes played all 180 minutes of action between the posts and collected a combined 16 saves in leading the Royals to wins over Saint John's (10/12) and Saint Mary's (10/15) last week. Against the Johnnies, Valdivia Cortes collected a career-high 13 saves before picking up his third shutout of the year with three saves on four shots against the Cardinals.
MIAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Tessa Anderson
St. Olaf College
Sr. | Forward
Albuquerque, N.M. | Albuquerque Academy
Tessa Anderson had two goals and two assists to lead the Oles to a pair of MIAC wins last week. The senior scored the eventual game-winning goal and had two assists in St. Olaf's 3-0 victory against Saint Mary's on 10/12 before scoring the lone goal of the game in a 1-0 win at Gustavus on 10/15.
MIAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Maddie Black
St. Olaf College
Jr. | Goalkeeper
West Palm Beach, Fla. | Suncoast Community
Maddie Black stopped all 12 shots she faced to post back-to-back shutout victories for the Oles last week. The junior made a career-high nine saves in a 1-0 win at Gustavus on 10/15 after stopping three shots in a 3-0 victory against Saint Mary's on 10/12.