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, Hamline, Saint Benedict, and Saint Mary's 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 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.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week archive has complete details on each week's selections and winners.
MIAC Men's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Wyatt Olson
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr. | Forward
St. Peter, Minn.
Wyatt Olson helped the Gusties remain undefeated in MIAC play by averaging 21.5 points and shooting 65.4 percent from the field in wins over Saint Mary's (1/15) and Bethel (1/18). Olson led the Gusties with a season-high 24 points against the Cardinals, shooting 9-for-15 from the floor and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Against the Royals, Olson once again led the Gusties with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
MIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Austin Holt
Hamline University
Sr. | Forward
Highlands Ranch, Colo. | Thunder Ridge
Austin Holt pulled down 18 rebounds in the Pipers' 63-57 win over St. Olaf on 1/15. His 18 boards are the most in a game by any MIAC player this season. Holt also scored his 1000th collegiate point in the win.
MIAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Elly Schmitz
Bethel University
Sr. | Forward
Hermantown, Minn.
Elly Schmitz helped keep the Royals unbeaten in conference play by averaging 18.0 points and shooting 59.1 percent from the field in a pair of wins last week. In a 77-47 victory over Carleton on 1/15, Schmitz recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Handing nationally-ranked Gustavus its first loss of the season, Schmitz shot 60 percent from the floor and led all players with 19 points in the game.
MIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Yasmeen Abed
Hamline University
So. | Guard
Roseville, Minn. | Mounds View
Yasmeen Abed totaled eight steals and two blocks in a pair of conference wins for the Pipers last week. Abed had had three steals and a block in a 55-43 road win over St. Olaf on 1/15 before registering five steals and another block in a 74-45 win over St. Catherine.
MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Nikolai Dulak
Hamline University
So. | Forward
Mahtomedi, Minn.
Nikolai Dulak scored two goals and assisted on two more in a split week for the Pipers. Dulak figured into all three scores in the Pipers' loss to UW-Stevens Point on 1/17, scoring once and assisting twice. Dulak then scored the game-deciding goal in a 3-1 win over UW-Eau Claire on 1/18.
MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Dane Couture
Concordia College
So. | Goaltender
Little Falls, Minn.
Dane Couture stopped 44 of the 46 shots he faced in helping the Cobbers record a sweep at St. Scholastica over the weekend. Couture made 29 saves to record his first MIAC shutout in the Cobbers' 4-0 win on 1/17. He turned around and stopped 15 shots in a 3-2 overtime win on 1/18.
MIAC Women's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Emily Wendorf
College of Saint Benedict
So. | Defender
Mound Westonka, Minn. | Southwest Christian
Emily Wendorf had two goals and two assists to lead the Bennies to a sweep of St. Catherine on 1/17-18. Wendorf tallied a goal and an assist in both games and scored the game-winner on 1/17.
MIAC Women's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Magali Fillion
Saint Mary's University
Sr. | Goaltender
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Magali Fillion recorded her third shutout of the season with a 2-0 victory over nationally-ranked Gustavus on 1/18. Fillion set a career-high with 37 saves to secure the victory.