BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for football, volleyball, and soccer on Monday. Student-athletes from Augsburg, Gustavus, Saint Benedict, St. Catherine, Saint John's, and St. Olaf 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. Transitioning from the fall to winter seasons, team sports (football, soccer, and volleyball) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (cross country and swimming & diving) 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 Football Offensive Player of the Week
Tyrone Wilson
Augsburg University
Sr. | Wide Receiver
Ellendale, Minn. / New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva
Tyrone Wilson caught nine passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns, including scores of 56 and 51 yards on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter of the Auggies' 32-21 come-from-behind win at Macalester on 10/18. Wilson's 181 receiving yards marked his third 100-yard-plus receiving game of the season and the eighth of his collegiate career.
MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
RJ Chakolis
Augsburg University
Jr. | Linebacker
Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Hopkins
RJ Chakolis collected a season-high 17 tackles - 12 solo and 2.5 for a loss - with two sacks and a fumble recovery in the Auggies' 32-21 victory over Macalester on 10/18. With Augsburg trailing 14-6 after halftime, Chakolis blocked a punt on the opening drive of the third quarter and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown to spark the Augsburg comeback.
MIAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Matt Hansen
Saint John's University
Jr. | Kicker
Longmont, Colo. / Niwot
Matt Hansen drilled a pair of field goals in the second quarter, including a 47-yarder on the final play of the first half, in the Johnnies' 41-6 win at Concordia on 10/18. The 47-yard field goal tied Hansen for the seventh-longest in program history and was the longest by a Johnnie since 2012. He made all five PAT tries and averaged 37.3 yards on three punts and 50.9 yards on seven kickoffs, which included a pair of touchbacks.
MIAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week
Kali Jones
College of Saint Benedict
Jr. | Outside Hitter
Annandale, Minn. / Annandale
Kali Jones recorded the 32nd double-double of her collegiate career with a 17-kill, 17-dig performance in the Bennies' four-set victory at Saint Mary's on 10/18. Jones hit a season-best .483 on 29 attacks with four service aces and three errors. Jones also eclipsed 800 digs for her career in the win.
MIAC Volleyball Specialty Player of the Week
Sahara Morken
Gustavus Adolphus College
Fy. | Setter
Mabel, Minn. / Mabel Canton
Sahara Morken averaged 14.33 assists per set with 43 total assists and no set errors in the Gusties' 3-0 sweep of Bethel on 10/18. Morken added 10 digs, two blocks, two service aces, and a kill in the critical conference win.
MIAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Ronan O'Connor
Saint John's University
So. | Forward
Woodbury, Minn. / Hill-Murray
Ronan O'Connor registered eight points in a 1-0-1 week for the Johnnies. O'Connor scored on his first penalty attempt of the season in a 1-1 tie with Carleton to earn SJU a crucial point in the conference standings on 10/15. His equalizer came just 30 seconds after Carleton scored on its own PK attempt. O'Connor then factored in on four of the Johnnies' seven goals against UW-Superior on 10/17. O'Connor assisted the first and second goals and scored the third and sixth tallies.
MIAC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Cole Hanson
Saint John's University
Fy. | Goalkeeper
Urbandale, Iowa / Urbandale
Cole Hanson backstopped the Johnnies to an undefeated week, making a combined 12 saves in a conference tie and non-conference rout. Hanson made seven saves against Carleton in a 1-1 draw on 1/15, with the only goal allowed coming on a penalty kick. Hanson made an additional five saves and allowed one goal against regionally-ranked UW-Superior in a 7-2 victory on 10/17. Hanson has now made five or more saves in four different games this season.
MIAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Bella Meier
St. Catherine University
Sr. | Forward
Hastings, Minn. / Hastings
Bella Meier powered the Wildcats to a 3-0 week, factoring into the scoring of all three contests with one goal and two assists to her name. Meier found the back of the net in the team's 3-0 win against St. Scholastica on 10/14 and assisted on goals in victories over Saint Benedict (10/18) and UW-Superior (10/19).
MIAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Rachael Wilson
St. Olaf College
Sr. | Defender
Downers Grove, Ill. / North
Rachael Wilson helped the Oles extend their shutout streak to eight games with back-to-back clean sheets on the road last week. Wilson played 168 of a possible 180 minutes at center back as she helped to hold Saint Mary's (10/14) to four shots and Concordia (10/18) to one in two conference victories. St. Olaf has not allowed a goal in a program-record 804:11. Wilson also netted her first goal as an Ole with a shot from the top of the box in the second half of the team's 5-0 win at Concordia.