BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for football, basketball, and hockey on Monday. Student-athletes from Carleton, Gustavus, Hamline, Macalester, Saint John's, and St. Olaf claimed the Conference's weekly honors for November 7-13, 2022.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference's sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the winter season, team sports (basketball and hockey) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (swimming & diving) 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
Michael Nadeau
Macalester College
Jr. | Quarterback
Garden Grove, Calif. | La Quinta
Michael Nadeau was 36-of-54 for 411 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Scots past St. Olaf, 33-30, on the road on 11/12. Nadeau also caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the game. The performance was Nadeau's third game this season eclipsing 400 yards passing and his fourth contest with at least four touchdown throws. The win ended Macalester's 11-game losing streak to St. Olaf that dated back to 1996 and gave the Scots their first season with three wins against MIAC opponents since 1988.
MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Cooper Yaggie
Saint John's University
So. | Linebacker
Breckenridge, Minn.
Cooper Yaggie intercepted two passes, including one that he returned 61 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter, to lead Saint John's to a 28-10 conference championship-clinching victory over Bethel on 11/12. Yaggie also led SJU with 11 tackles - six solo - and had a sack, a pass breakup, and a quarterback hurry in the game.
MIAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Trent Ramirez
Carleton College
Sr. | Kicker
Denver, Colo. | George Washington
Trent Ramirez drilled a season-long 45-yard field goal to provide what became the game-winning points in the Knights' 17-14 victory over Concordia on 11/12. Ramirez also made both of his extra points in the game. His 45-yard boot is the longest in the MIAC this season and tied for the third-longest in the conference over the last five years. It was only the sixth time in recorded team history that a Knight made a field goal of at least 45 yards and just the second time since 2003. Ramirez also added a tackle on a kickoff return and averaged 50.0 yards on four kickoffs with a touchback in the game.
MIAC Men's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Caleb Williams
Macalester College
Jr. | Guard
Wild Rose, Wis.
Caleb Williams led the Scots to a pair of victories to open the season last week, averaging 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. Against Wartburg on 11/11, Williams poured in a career-high 36 points, including 10 of the Scots' 15 points in overtime, in a 79-71 win versus the Knights. He also grabbed nine rebounds in the victory. On 11/8, Williams tallied a game-high 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range while swiping six steals in a 91-52 triumph over Martin Luther.
MIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Badou Ba
Macalester College
So. | Forward
Dakar, Senegal | Williston Northampton (Mass.)
Badou Ba averaged 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks to go along with 6.5 points over two Scot victories last week. On 11/8, Ba grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots in a 91-52 win over Martin Luther. Three days later, he swatted six shots and tallied 11 boards to help the Scots defeat Wartburg in overtime, 79-71. Ten of his 19 rebounds for the week came on the defensive glass and he was whistled for only two fouls.
MIAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Amelia Solt
Carleton College
Fy. | Guard
Loveland, Colo. | Thompson Valley
Amelia Solt started her collegiate career last week with back-to-back 20-plus point performances. Solt began with a game-high 23 points in a come-from-behind victory against Bethany Lutheran on 11/9. The Knights put the ball in her hands late and the rookie made 7-of-8 free throws in the final minute to ice the game. Three days later, Solt poured in a game-high 25 points - including 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc - against Luther.
MIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Emma Henry
Carleton College
Jr. | Guard
Prior Lake, Minn. | Academy of Holy Angels
Emma Henry averaged 9.0 rebounds, 4.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks to go along with 7.5 points and 3.5 assists. She opened the season by narrowly missing a double-double with a nine-point, nine-rebound effort along with four steals in a come-from-behind victory at Bethany Lutheran on 11/9. Henry upped her thievery against Luther on 11/12, taking the ball away five times while once again pulling down nine rebounds.
MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Nick Michel
Saint John's University
Sr. | Forward
Waconia, Minn.
Nick Michel totaled five points with three goals and two assists as the Johnnies swept Concordia over the weekend. Michel tallied a goal and an assist in a 7-3 home win on 11/10 and added three points on the power play in a 5-1 victory in Moorhead on 11/12.
MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Thomas Lalonde
St. Olaf College
So. | Goaltender
Montréal, Québec, Canada
Thomas Lalonde recorded the first shutout of his collegiate career by stopping all 27 shots he faced in the Oles' 3-0 win over UW-River Falls on 11/10. The sophomore's performance in his season debut helped the Oles log their first shutout in 86 games dating back to 2/9/2018.
MIAC Women's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Brooke Power
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr. | Forward
Lakeville, Minn. | North
Brooke Power had a hand in five Gustie goals, helping the team to a weekend sweep of St. Scholastica. Power assisted on one score and added two goals of her own - one on a power play and one on a penalty kill - in the Gusties' 9-1 win on 11/10, and added two more assists in the Gusties' 3-1 win on 11/12. Power tallied 12 shots between the two games.
MIAC Women's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Olivia Rinzel
Hamline University
Jr. | Goaltender
Chanhassen, Minn.
Olivia Rinzel accumulated 44 saves for the Pipers in a week that included 3-0 and 4-1 conference victories over Saint Mary's. Rinzel notched 25 saves in the 3-0 shutout on 11/11 and added 19 stops in the 4-1 decision the following day.