BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for basketball, hockey, baseball, softball, and tennis on Monday. Student-athletes from Bethel, Carleton, Concordia, Gustavus, Saint Benedict, Saint John's, Saint Mary's, St. Olaf, 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. Transitioning into the spring season, team sports (basketball, hockey, baseball, 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 scored 34 points for the second time in his last three games as the Johnnies locked up the No. 2 seed in the MIAC Playoffs with an 81-79 win over Augsburg on 12/21. Podany finished 13-of-21 from the field, including 6-for-11 from three-point range, and grabbed seven rebounds in 32 minutes.
MIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Jacob Cook
Concordia College
Sr. | Forward
Ashby, Minn. / Ashby
Jacob Cook averaged 16.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks and posted double-doubles in both of the Cobbers' wins last week to secure a tie for second place in the conference standings and the program's highest regular-season finish since 2013. Cook started the week by grabbing 18 rebounds in the Cobbers' win over St. Olaf on 2/18 before adding 14 more in the season finale at St. Scholastica on 2/21. His 32-rebound week helped Cook finish the season by leading the MIAC in rebounding. Cook finished the year by posting double-doubles in the last four games and had a league-leading 13 during the regular season.
MIAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week
Ayla Olson
Saint Mary's University
Fy. | Forward
New York Mills, Minn. / New York Mills
Ayla Olson averaged 28.5 points for the Cardinals in a pair of matchups against playoff-bound teams last week. Olson led all scorers with 25 points against Hamline on 2/18 before posting a career-high 32 points against Gustavus on 2/21.
MIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Whitley Ronn
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr. | Forward
Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South
Whitley Ronn helped the Gusties defeat two playoff-bound teams last week, recording five steals in a six-point victory over St. Scholastica on 2/19 and posting three steals and three blocks in a two-seed-clinching win against Saint Mary's on 2/21. Two of Ronn's five steals against St. Scholastica came on the Saints' final two possessions of the game.
MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Kyle Doll
Gustavus Adolphus College
Fy. | Forward
Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North
Kyle Doll scored four goals in the Gusties' weekend series sweep of Hamline, highlighted by a hat trick in the regular season finale. After scoring an unassisted goal against the Pipers on 2/20, Doll tallied the first multi-goal game of his collegiate career with the hat trick on 2/21.
MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Austin Ryman
Bethel University
Sr. | Goaltender
Fairbanks, Alaska / Wenatchee
Austin Ryman registered a 37-save shutout in a 2-0 victory over St. Olaf on 2/20. Ryman's save total was his second-highest of the season. The win helped Bethel secure the No. 4 seed and a home game in the conference quarterfinals.
MIAC Women's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Shae Stinnett
College of Saint Benedict
Jr. | Forward
North Oaks, Minn. / Hill-Murray
Shae Stinnett scored twice in back-to-back games over the weekend to help the Bennies lock down the No. 3 seed and a bye to the semifinals of the MIAC Playoffs. Stinnett was credited with the game-winning goals in both victories over Concordia, including a 3-1 win on 2/20 and a 3-2 win on 2/21. Stinnett scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in the regular-season finale. The game-winner came with 43 seconds left in regulation, which gave CSB the tiebreaker over Gustavus for the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.
MIAC Women's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Makenzie Cole
The College of St. Scholastica
Sr. | Goaltender
Cohasset, Minn. / Grand Rapids
Makenzie Cole totaled 56 saves in the Saints' weekend sweep of St. Catherine. Cole stopped 30 pucks in a 2-1 win on 2/20 before recording a 26-save shutout in her final collegiate game on 2/21. Cole finished her CSS career as the program's all-time leader in saves with 2,316 in four seasons, a total that now ranks fifth all-time in MIAC women's hockey history.
MIAC Baseball Player of the Week
Gavan Schulte
Saint Mary's University
Sr. | Left Field
Sartell, Minn. / Sartell St. Stephen
Gavan Schulte hit .417 (5-for-12) with two runs batted in, two extra-base hits, two walks, and a pair of runs scored in the Cardinals' three-game series with Luther over the weekend. After reaching base twice in the season-opener on 2/20, the Cardinals' lead-off hitter went a combined 5-for-9 at the plate in the next two games against the Norse, collecting a double and a stolen base in an 11-8 win on 2/21, and driving home a run on a triple in a 6-5 win on 2/22. Schulte also added four catches and six putouts from the outfield in the series.
MIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Logan Feeney
Gustavus Adolphus College
So. | Left-Handed Pitcher
Le Sueur, Minn. / Le Sueur-Henderson
Logan Feeney shut the doors on UW-Superior with four strikeouts and no hits or walks allowed against the nine batters he faced over three innings of relief in a 2-0 win on 2/15. The southpaw came on in the top of the fifth inning and struck out the first batter he faced before retiring four of the next five on ground balls. He struck out the side in the top of the seventh to secure the Gustavus win.
MIAC Softball Player of the Week
Elle Brandt
St. Olaf College
Sr. | Shortstop
Red Wing, Minn. / Red Wing
Elle Brandt went 3-for-6 (.500) at the plate with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI in the Oles' wins over UW-River Falls and Dominican on 2/21. Brandt doubled and blasted a two-run home run in the Oles' 4-2 victory over the Falcons before singling in a run and scoring in the 8-0 win against the Stars.
MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Kenzie Gatz
Saint Mary's University
Jr. | Pitcher
Oswego, Ill. / Oswego
Kenzie Gatz tallied 14 strikeouts and two hits allowed in 7.0 innings of work to help the Cardinals defeat UW-La Crosse and Minnesota Morris over the weekend. Gatz allowed one hit in each game and recorded a career-high ten Ks while facing 15 batters in the team's victory over the Cougars on 2/22.
MIAC Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Dominik Knutson
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr.
Dvur Kralove nad Labem, Czech Republic / SPOS
Dominik Knutson won all three of his matches at No. 2 singles while competing in the ITA Indoor Championships against three top-10-ranked programs over the weekend. Knutson won 6-2, 6-2 against No. 1 Denison; 6-3, 6-4 over No. 6 Emory; and 6-4, 6-0 against No. 8 Swarthmore. Knutson also picked up a victory at top doubles against No. 1 Denison, collecting a 7-6 (7-5) triumph.
MIAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Giana Marks
Carleton College
Fy.
Scarsdale, N.Y. / Scarsdale
Giana Marks picked up victories at the top singles and doubles positions against NCAA Division II Winona State on 2/21. After securing a 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles, Marks rallied back from a set down to win 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-3 at No. 1 singles.