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 Bethel, Carleton, Gustavus, Saint Benedict, and Saint John's claimed the Conference's weekly honors for January 23-30, 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
Peyton Richardson
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr.
Crystal Lake, Ill.
Peyton Richardson won the 100 backstroke in 54.17 and the 200 backstroke in 1:58.33 at the Gusties' dual versus Saint John's on 1/28. Richardson also won the 200 IM in 2:00.24 and was on the winning 200 medley relay team, which finished in 1:36.34.
MIAC Men's Diving Athlete of the Week
Jack Grabinski
Saint John's University
Sr.
Sauk Rapids, Minn. | Sauk Rapids-Rice
Jack Grabinski scored a 277.45 on the 1-meter board and a 309.65 in the 3-meter event to win both dives in the Johnnies' dual loss to Gustavus on 1/28.
MIAC Women's Swimming Athlete of the Week
Ellen Hofstede
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr.
St. Paul, Minn. | Hopkins
Ellen Hofstede highlighted the Gusties' dual meet versus Saint Benedict on 1/28 by breaking a 28-year-old pool record in the 100 free with a time of 52.83. Hofstede also won the 50 free in 24.37, the 100 butterfly in 1:00.12, and was on the winning 200 medley relay team that clocked in at 1:50.61.
MIAC Women's Diving Athlete of the Week
Kaija Pratt
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr.
Minnetonka, Minn.
Kaija Pratt won the 1-meter in a dual meet with Saint Benedict on 1/28 with a score of 239.85. Pratt won the 3-meter competition as well with a total of 226.70 points.
MIAC Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Landen Liu
Bethel University
Fy.
Blaine, Minn. | Centennial
Landen Liu broke a Bethel program record for the second straight week, this time by winning the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.02 at the St. Olaf Invitational on 1/28. The mark ranks seventh in NCAA Division III this season, is the fourth-fastest 200-meter indoor time in the MIAC since 2000, and is the fastest the conference has seen since 2009.
MIAC Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Ian Mortensen
Carleton College
Jr.
Seattle, Wash. | Shorecrest
Ian Mortensen posted a personal-best total of 4,370 points in winning the St. Olaf Invitational heptathlon on 1/28. That score puts him atop the MIAC leaderboard this season by more than 300 points. He ranks No. 5 all-time at Carleton and No. 25 in NCAA Division III for the 2023 indoor season. Mortensen finished first or second in all seven events, including PRs in the 60-meter dash (7.42), 60-meter hurdles (9.17), high jump (1.75 meters), and shot put (11.86 meters).
MIAC Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Fiona Smith
College of Saint Benedict
Jr.
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Fiona Smith clocked the fastest 5K time in NCAA Division III this season at 16:28.97 to place second at the Mark Schuck Open and Multi at Minnesota State Mankato on 1/28. Smith also ranks second in D-III at the 3K distance this season.
MIAC Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Annika Poe
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr.
Big Lake, Minn.
Annika Poe won the shot put at the St. Olaf Invitational on 1/28 with a distance of 14.38 meters. The distance ranks third in NCAA Division III this season and is a quarter-inch shy of the Gustavus program record.