BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for basketball, hockey, softball, and tennis on Monday. Student-athletes from Bethel, Carleton, Concordia, Gustavus, Hamline, Saint John's, 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. Transitioning into the spring season, team sports (basketball, hockey, softball, and tennis) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (indoor track & field 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 Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Peyton Podany
Saint John's University
Fy. | Guard
Anoka, Minn. / Anoka
Peyton Podany averaged 25.5 points in 29.5 minutes per game in two playoff-clinching road wins for the Johnnies last week. Podany shot 17-for-30 (.567) from the floor, including a 6-for-13 (.462) from three-point range, and was 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. He posted a career-high 34 points and fell one rebound shy of a double-double in an 89-81 win at Macalester on 2/11 and scored a game-high 17 points in a 74-72 win at Hamline on 2/14.
MIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Patrick Smith
Carleton College
Jr. | Center
Duluth, Minn. / Duluth East
Patrick Smith averaged 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals in the Knights' 2-0 week that included a win over nationally-ranked Gustavus on 2/11 and a playoff-clinching victory over Bethel on 2/14. Smith tied for the game-high with nine rebounds against the Gusties and pilfered a career-best six steals - the most by a Knight this year - in the win over the Royals.
MIAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Maya Metcalf
Concordia College
So. | Forward
West Fargo, N.D. / West Fargo Sheyenne
Maya Metcalf averaged 24.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in two Cobber wins last week. Metacalf became the 10th player in program history to score at least 30 points in a single game when she posted 32 in the Cobbers' win at St. Catherine on 2/11. She backed that up by scoring 17 points in just 19 minutes in a win over Macalester on 2/14. Metcalf shot 60.0 percent from the field (18-for-30) and 57.1 percent (4-for-7) from long range on the week.
MIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Josie Schmidt
Hamline University
So. | Guard
Belle Plaine, Minn. / Belle Plaine
Josie Schmidt helped the Pipers secure a spot in the MIAC Playoffs with a win over nationally-ranked Bethel on 2/11 and a postseason-clinching victory over Saint Benedict on 2/14. Schmidt had four steals in a six-point win over the Royals and tallied three steals and a block against the Bennies.
MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Jackson Borst
Saint John's University
Jr. | Forward
Edina, Minn. / Edina
Jackson Borst totaled four points and a plus/minus rating of +4 in the Johnnies' sweep of Augsburg on 2/12-13 to secure a spot in the five-time MIAC Men's Hockey Playoffs. Borst scored SJU's third goal and assisted its second in a 5-3 series-opening victory on 2/12. He assisted on two more goals in the Johnnies' 6-1 win at Augsburg the following night, including the game-winner. Borst is currently riding a four-game point streak with one goal and five assists during the stretch.
MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Jon Howe
Saint John's University
Sr. | Goaltender
Chanhassen, Minn. / Totino-Grace
Jon Howe went 2-0 with a 2.01 goals-allowed average and a .933 save percentage with 56 stops in the Johnnies' sweep of Augsburg on 2/12-13. Howe made 30 saves in the series opener on 2/12 and stopped 26 shots on 2/13.
MIAC Women's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Abigail Chamernick
Hamline University
Jr. | Defender
Warroad, Minn. / Warroad
Abigail Chamernick recorded a hat trick and added an assist in the Pipers' high-scoring, 8-6 win over St. Catherine on 2/13. Two of her three goals in the game came on power play opportunities. Chamernick found the back of the net again on 2/14 for a five-point weekend and series sweep.
MIAC Women's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Ashley Hess Gustafson
Bethel University
Sr. | Goaltender
Zimmerman, Minn. / Elk River
Ashley Hess Gustafson picked up two wins for the Royals in a series sweep of Concordia on 2/13-14. Gustafson made 25 saves and allowed one goal in a 2-1 win over the Cobbers on 2/13 before stopping all 26 shots she faced in a 4-0 shutout on Valentine's Day.
MIAC Softball Player of the Week
Peyton Berg
Saint Mary's University
Sr. | First Base
Chatfield, Minn. / Chatfield
Peyton Berg opened the 2026 campaign with a 6-for-12 performance at the plate in a 4-0 weekend for the Cardinals. Berg collected ten total bases with four singles, a double, and a home run in starts against Northwestern (2/14), Nebraska Wesleyan (2/14), Bethany Lutheran (2/15), and UW-River Falls (2/15).
MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Makayla Steffes
Saint Mary's University
Jr. | Pitcher
Winona, Minn. / Winona
Makayla Steffes struck out 18 batters in three pitching appearances and 14.2 innings of work to help the Cardinals open the season 4-0. Steffes earned a complete-game victory over Northwestern on 2/14 and picked up a save against Nebraska Wesleyan later in the day. She returned to the circle on 2/15, tossing 6.1 innings of shutout ball in a 4-0 win at Bethany Lutheran.
MIAC Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Gage Gohl
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr.
Sioux Falls, S.D. / Lincoln
Gage Gohl picked up a 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) win at No. 1 singles against Bethel on 2/13. Gohl also helped the Gusties to points with a 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles against the Royals and a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles against Division I North Dakota on 2/14.
MIAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Giana Marks
Carleton College
Fy.
Scarsdale, N.Y. / Scarsdale
Giana Marks did not drop a game in her victories at No. 1 singles and doubles against Saint Mary's on 2/14. Following a 6-0 win at top doubles, Marks went 6-0, 6-0 in singles play to help the Knights improve to 6-0 on the season and 4-0 against conference opponents.