BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for golf and cross country on Tuesday. Student-athletes from Augsburg, Carleton, Gustavus, and St. Scholastica claimed the Conference's weekly honors.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference's sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Throughout the fall season, team sports (football, soccer, and volleyball) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (cross country and golf) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week archive has complete details on each week's selections and winners.
MIAC Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Mohammed Bati
Augsburg University
Jr.
Dodola, Ethiopia | GAP School
Mohammed Bati paced the 305-runner field with the individual title in the men's 8k at the St. Olaf Invitational on 9/21, clocking a time of 24:42.30 to win the race by more than 30 seconds. His time set a new meet record at the St. Olaf Invite, breaking the previous record of 24:47.30 set by St. Olaf's Will Kelly in 2023. The junior has now competed in 15 races in his collegiate career, claiming the individual crown in nine of them.
MIAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Hannah Preisser
Carleton College
Jr.
Chapel Hill, N.C. | Carrboro
Hannah Preisser picked up her second collegiate cross country victory after being the top finisher as the Knights won the 22-team St. Olaf Invitational on 9/21. Preisser posted a winning time of 21:57.8, good for an eight-second margin of victory. With Preisser leading the way, the Knights posted a team score of 35 in a field that included four other squads that were either nationally or regionally ranked.
MIAC Men's Golf Athlete of the Week
Chris Gutuza
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr.
Johannesburg, South Africa | Bishops Diocesan College
Chris Gutuza led the Gusties at the prestigious Williams Invitational held on 9/21-22 at Taconic Country Club in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Gutuza was the only player in the 99-competitor field to shoot in the red over the 36-hole tournament, collecting medalist honors for the first time in his collegiate career with a two-round score of 141 (73-68, -1). Gutuza shot par or better on 17 holes in the second round, helping Gustavus claim the team win by nine shots.
MIAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Week
Carissa Oberding
The College of St. Scholastica
Sr.
Cottage Grove, Minn. | Park
Carissa Oberding made personal and program history by winning the D3 Classic at Emerald Greens Golf Course in Hastings, Minnesota on 9/21-22. Not only did she become a medalist for the first time in her collegiate career, Oberding also carded the first under-par round in program history with a second-round 70 (-2). Oberding finished the 36-hole tournament at 146 (76-70, +2), placing first in the 75-competitor field with a one-shot margin of victory.