BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for indoor track & field Tuesday. Student-athletes from Gustavus and St. Scholastica claimed the Conference's weekly honors for November 28 - December 12, 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, indoor track & field) 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 Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Samuel Eben Ebai Jr.
The College of St. Scholastica
Jr.
Yaounde, Cameroon | P.S.S. Mankon
Samuel Eben Ebai Jr. won the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash at The CSS Opener on 12/10. His time of 6.84 seconds in the 60-meter dash broke the facility record and currently ranks sixth in NCAA Division III. His 200-meter dash time of 22.07 ranks ninth in the nation.
MIAC Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Sam Schulze
Gustavus Adolphus College
So.
Sam Schulze took fifth place in the heptathlon at the Ice Breaker Open last weekend. Schulze scored 3,849 points, taking first in the 1000 (2:51.93), third in the 60-hurdles (9.23), fifth in the pole vault (10-4), seventh in the 60-meter (7.71), seventh in the long jump (19-4.25), seventh in the high jump (5-3.25), and eighth in the shot put (24-4.25).
MIAC Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Birgen Nelson
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr.
Edina, Minn.
Birgen Nelson won the 60-hurdles prelims at the University of Minnesota Ice Breaker Open on 12/9 in a field of NCAA Division I, II, and III athletes. Nelson set the NCAA Division III record in the 60-hurdles with a time of 8.38, breaking the previous record of 8.44 set by Adriana Wright of Lehman in 2015. An hour later, Nelson won the 300-meter with a school record time of 40.03, marking the third-fastest time in Division III history. Nelson finished the season opener with another first place result, this time in the 200-meter with a time of 25.21. Nelson’s time in the 200 broke her own school record and ranks second in Division III this season.
MIAC Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Lily Beneke
The College of St. Scholastica
So.
Green Isle, Minn. | Sibley East
Lily Beneke won the weight throw at The CSS Opener on 12/10 with a throw of 16.21 meters (53-02.25). That throw smashed her previous personal record and placed her at the top of the MIAC leaderboard by more than a meter. It is also currently the ninth best throw in NCAA Division III this season.