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MIAC Athletes of the Week - April 28, 2026

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for outdoor track & field and golf on Tuesday. Student-athletes from Bethel, 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 spring season, team sports (baseball, softball, and tennis) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (outdoor 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 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
Tyler Heil / Jade Anstine / Conner Martens / Nick Brauer
Gustavus Adolphus College
 
The Gustavus men's sprint medley relay squad of Tyler Heil, Jade Anstine, Conner Martens, and Nick Brauer broke a 26-year-old program record with a Division III-best time of 3:25.11 at the Drake Relays on 4/24. The previous Gustie record of 3:32.00 had stood since 2000. The time of 3:25.11 in the event is the fastest in NCAA Division III this season by more than six seconds.
 
MIAC Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
Trent Beseth
The College of St. Scholastica
Sr.
Stanchfield, Minn. / Cambridge-Isanti
 
Trent Beseth reached finals in three throwing events at two meets last week, recording four first-place finishes and a pair of national top-15 marks along the way. Before taking top honors in the shot put, discus, and hammer at the Dan Conway Classic on 4/25, Beseth won the shot put with a heave of 18.14 meters (59' 6.25") at the University of Minnesota's Gary Wilson Invitational on 4/22. That mark now ranks fifth in NCAA Division III this season. Beseth also recorded the 13th-best hammer throw in Division III with a distance of 57.70 meters (189' 4") at the same meet. His discus mark of 47.87 meters (157' 1") was good for seventh overall and second among D-III competitors at the meet.

MIAC Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week
Madi Pelowski / Ashley Slaybaugh / Hannah Bingham / Shalom Sulungaine
Bethel University
 
The Bethel women's 4x400-meter relay squad of Madi Pelowski, Ashley Slaybaugh, Hannah Bingham, and Shalom Sulungaine set a new program record with a time of 3:44.97 in prelims at the Drake Relays on 4/25. The time ranks fourth in NCAA Division III this season and surpassed the previous program mark of 3:45.75, which had stood since 2018.
 
MIAC Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week
Anna Speratos
Bethel University
Sr.
Farmington, Minn. / Farmington
 
Anna Speratos broke her own program record in the hammer throw with a toss of 55.59 meters (182' 4") at the University of Minnesota's Gary Wilson Invitational on 4/22. That distance briefly led all of NCAA Division III and currently ranks fourth in the nation this season. Speratos also placed third among D-III competitors in the hammer throw at the Drake Relays with a distance of 53.21 meters (174' 7") on 4/25.

MIAC Men's Golf Athlete of the Week
Jesse Balc
Bethel University
Jr.
Geneva, Ill. / Geneva
 
Jesse Balc shot a 4-under-par 139 (69-70) to tie for second on the individual leaderboard at the Saint John's Spring Invitational on 4/25-26. Balc's first-round score of 69 matches his collegiate low, while his 70 in the second round was his MIAC-leading 11th round of par or better this season.

MIAC Men's Golf Athlete of the Week
Charles Looker
Gustavus Adolphus College
Fy.
Cottage Grove, Minn. / Park

Charles Looker finished the Saint John's Spring Invitational with a two-round score of 139 (72-67, -4) to tie for second on the individual leaderboard. After shooting an even-par 72 in round one with five birdies and five bogeys, Looker maintained his under-par pace with five more birdies while cutting his bogeys down to just one in round two for a collegiate-best score of 67 to close out the tournament.

MIAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Week
Cynthia Lu
Carleton College
Sr.
Redmond, Wash. / Redmond
 
Cynthia Lu notched her first career victory by capturing medalist honors at the Northfield Open on 4/25-26. Lu carded an opening round 73 with a 75 in the final round to finish at 148 (+4), propelling Carleton to the team title. Lu wrapped up round one with an eagle on the par-5 18th hole. She added four more birdies in the second round and tallied a field-best eight birdies overall during the tournament.