BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for basketball and hockey on Monday. Student-athletes from Augsburg, Bethel, Gustavus, Hamline, Macalester, Saint Mary's, St. Olaf, and St. Scholastica claimed the Conference's weekly honors for November 14-20, 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 Men's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Nick Carlson
The College of St. Scholastica
Gr. | Guard
Canyon, Minn. | South Ridge
Nick Carlson averaged 21.5 points and shot 55 percent from the field in a pair of victories for the Saints last week. Carlson scored 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting in a win over Northwestern-St. Paul on 11/16 before pouring in 19 points on an 8-for-14 performance in a win over Concordia on 11/19.
MIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Badou Ba
Macalester College
So. | Forward
Dakar, Senegal | Williston Northampton (Mass.)
Badou Ba helped the Scots defeat Augsburg with five blocks and a steal to go with career-highs of 13 rebounds and 14 points in a 72-53 win on 11/19. He also grabbed seven boards and blocked a shot while scoring 12 points in a 73-70 victory over North Central on 11/15. For the week, Ba averaged 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, and 0.5 steals.
MIAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Lydia Lecher
Hamline University
Jr. | Forward
St. Paul, Minn. | Concordia Academy
Lydia Lecher averaged 19.0 points in a pair of wins for the Pipers last week. She shot .570 (8-for-14) with 23 points in a 78-49 win over Martin Luther on 11/16 and added another 15 points in a 5-for-10 performance as Hamline topped St. Catherine, 56-43, on 11/19.
MIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Rachel Kelly
St. Olaf College
Sr. | Forward
Northfield, Minn.
Rachel Kelly averaged 15.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game in a 1-1 week for the Oles. The senior pulled down 14 rebounds and blocked seven shots to go with 11 points in an overtime loss to Saint Benedict on 11/19 after having 19 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, and two steals in a 64-45 win over Minnesota-Morris on 11/16. Kelly's seven blocked shots against CSB were tied for the third-most by an Ole since 2000 and are tied for the sixth-most in a game in NCAA Division III this season.
MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Daniel Chladek
Augsburg University
Jr. | Forward
Anaheim, Calif. | Canyon
Daniel Chladek scored two goals with two assists on the weekend in No. 5-ranked Augsburg's sweep of Saint Mary's to open MIAC play. He had an assist in the Auggies' 4-0 win in Winona on 11/18, then scored two goals with another assist in the Auggies' 5-2 home win on 11/19.
MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Austin Ryman
Bethel University
So. | Goaltender
Fairbanks, Alaska | Wenatchee
Austin Ryman collected his first collegiate shutout in the Royals' 4-0 win over Gustavus on 11/19. Stopping everything that came his way, Ryman collected 19 saves while giving BU its second MIAC shutout over the last seven seasons.
MIAC Women's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Clara Billings
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr. | Forward
Rochester, Minn. | Lourdes
Clara Billings scored seven points across the Gusties' three victories last week. Billings scored two goals and added two helpers against UW-Superior on 11/15, logged another assist in the Gusties' 4-1 win at Bethel on 11/18, and then put up two more goals in the team's 7-1 victory versus the Royals on 11/19. Three of Billings' goals were scored on the power play, giving her six on the season - the most in the nation.
MIAC Women's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Jordan Keeley
Saint Mary's University
Gr. | Goaltender
St. Peter, Minn. | Minnesota River
Jordan Keeley opened last weekend with a then-season-high 39-save effort - including 20 in the first period - in the Cardinals’ 4-2 win over the Auggies on 11/18. Keeley then kicked out a career-high 49 Augsburg shots - with 21 saves coming in the third period - in Saint Mary’s 3-2 loss to the Auggies on 11/19.