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 Bethel, Concordia, Gustavus, Saint John's, St. Olaf, and St. Scholastica claimed the Conference's weekly honors for January 9-15, 2023.
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 and 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 Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Mitchell Plombon
Saint John's University
Sr. | Post
St. Cloud, Minn. | Cathedral
Mitchell Plombon averaged 23.5 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 76 percent (19-for-25) from the field, in a pair of Johnnie wins last week. Plombon played a career-high 41 minutes against Concordia on 1/11 and totaled 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and fifth of his career in the 70-63 overtime win. He led all scorers again with 22 points and fell one rebound shy of his third-straight double-double in an 83-69 victory over Bethel on 1/14.
MIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Nick Carlson
The College of St. Scholastica
Gr. | Guard
Canyon, Minn. | South Ridge
Nick Carlson pulled down 20 rebounds and came away with six steals and two blocked shots in a pair of games for the Saints last week. Carlson posted eight boards, three steals, and a block against Gustavus on 1/11 before matching his career-high with 12 rebounds, three steals, and one block in a one-point loss to Saint Mary's on 1/14.
MIAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Emily Beseman
Concordia College
Sr. | Guard
Swanville, Minn.
Emily Beseman had a career-high 28 points in the Cobbers' win at Hamline on 1/14, helping the team to a 2-0 week in conference play. Beseman averaged 22.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in the Cobbers' two victories, scoring 16 against Saint Benedict on 1/11 and 28 against the Pipers on 1/14. Beseman also went 19-for-20 from the free throw line during the week which helped Concordia post the second-best team free throw percentage in all of NCAA Division III.
MIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Courtney Nuest
Bethel University
So. | Guard
Becker, Minn.
Courtney Nuest paced the Royals to a 3-0 week by averaging 12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.0 steals per game. Nuest posted the second double-double of her career with 17 points and a personal-best 11 rebounds while matching a career-high six steals in a one-point win over Saint Mary's on 1/11. She also tallied five boards and four steals against St. Catherine on 1/9 and seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots against Saint Benedict on 1/14.
MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Arkhip Ledenkov
The College of St. Scholastica
Jr. | Forward
Polotsk, Belarus | Ostroshitsko-Gorodokskaya
Arkhip Ledenkov tallied three goals and an assist in a 1-1 week for the Saints against non-conference WIAC foes. Ledenkov had two goals - including the game-winner - and an assist against UW-River Falls on 1/13 before scoring once more against UW-Eau Claire on 1/14. He has scored at least one goal in four straight games.
MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Bailey Huber
Saint John's University
So. | Goaltender
Mahtomedi, Minn.
Bailey Huber made a career-high 41 saves in the Johnnies' 3-2 neutral-site upset of No. 10 UW-Stevens Point on 1/14. Huber improved to 7-2-2 on the year and leads all MIAC goaltenders in both goals allowed average (1.44) and save percentage (0.945) this season.
MIAC Women's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Emily Olson
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr. | Forward
Delano, Minn.
Emily Olson helped the Gusties to another perfect MIAC weekend, contributing on four of the Gusties' five goals in a 5-2 victory over Saint Benedict on 1/13. Olson leads Gustavus with 12 helpers on the season, while her power-play score added to the Gusties' national lead, which improved to 25 over the weekend.
MIAC Women's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Hannah Fritz
St. Olaf College
Fy. | Goaltender
Woodbury, Minn. | Cretin-Derham Hall
Hannah Fritz stopped 37 of the 38 shots she faced for St. Olaf in a 2-1 win over Saint Mary's on 1/14. The first-year goaltender's 37 saves were a career-high total and included double-digit saves in each period.