BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for swimming & diving and indoor track & field Tuesday. Student-athletes from Carleton, Gustavus, Hamline, Macalester, and Saint Benedict claimed the Conference's weekly honors for January 3-16, 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, 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 Swimming Athlete of the Week
George Hubbard
Hamline University
Sr.
Orange City, Iowa | MOC-Floyd
George Hubbard placed in the top two of pair of freestyle races in the Pipers' dual with St. Olaf on 1/7. Hubbard won the 500-yard freestlye in 5:01.19 and placed second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:48.93.
MIAC Men's Diving Athlete of the Week
Andrew Jensen
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr.
Wyoming, Minn. | Forest Lake
Andrew Jensen helped the Gusties top Carleton in a dual meet on 1/13 with a pair of diving victories. Jensen won the 1-meter competition with a score of 236.10 and claimed the 3-meter title as well with a score of 215.50.
MIAC Women's Swimming Athlete of the Week
Skye Schmit
Macalester College
Fy.
Stillwater, Minn.
Skye Schmit won the 1,000-yard freestyle at the six-squad Norse Sprint Invite on 1/14, helping the Scots take home the team title. Schmit's time of 10:54.70 in the event is the best in the MIAC this season and ranks in the top 80 of NCAA Division III. Schmit also swam the 100 fly in 1:05.88 and competed on the Scots' 200 freestyle and medley relay teams.
MIAC Women's Diving Athlete of the Week
Kaija Pratt
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr.
Minnetonka, Minn. | Hopkins
Kaija Pratt helped the Gusties earn a team win in their dual versus Carleton on 1/13 with a sweep of the diving events. Pratt totaled 232.25 off the 1-meter board and 220.50 in the 3-meter competition.
MIAC Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Gabe Nichols
Carleton College
Fy.
Grove City, Penn.
Gabe Nichols won both of his events at the Ole Opener, each time posting the MIAC’s top mark this season. Nichols won the 1,000-meter run with a time of 2:35.67 in his collegiate debut, good for a 6.75-second margin of victory. Less than an hour later he was back on the track, taking first place in the 3,000-meter run with a time of 8:45.06.
MIAC Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Michael Braun
Hamline University
Jr.
Rogers, Minn.
Michael Braun registered a career-best leap of 1.92 meters in the high jump at the UST Invitational on 1/13 to post the MIAC's best jump of the season. He also placed third in the long jump with a distance of 6.47 meters.
MIAC Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Fiona Smith
College of Saint Benedict
Jr.
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Fiona Smith won the 3,000-meter run at the Mondo College Invite in Winston-Salem, N.C. on 1/14. Smith clocked in at 9:40.53 for the 3K title and the second-best time in NCAA Division III this season.
MIAC Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Jen Valley
Hamline University
Sr.
Forest Lake, Minn.
Jen Valley won the long jump at the UST Invitational on 1/13 with a distance of 5.33 meters. The jump ranks second in the MIAC and 33rd in NCAA Division III this season.