Posted: Oct 08, 2018
MIAA Players of the Week - October 8, 2018
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced the student-athletes selected as Athletes of the Week, for the week of competition ending on October 7, 2018.
The MIAA Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by coaches following one week of competition, and selected by a panel of MIAA Sports Information Directors, including the MIAA Director of Media Relations.
This week's winners are listed below with their respective achievements during last week's competition.
MIAA Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Ryan Vreeke, Calvin
Freshman
Lakewood, Calif.
Placed 18th overall and ninth among intercollegiate competitors at the Lansing Community College Invitational Oct. 5 with a time of 26:23, a 35-second personal best for an 8K race. Vreeke, the top MIAA finisher in the race, helped Calvin place fourth out of 19 teams.
MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Rachael Gallap, Kalamazoo
Sophomore
Kalamazoo, Mich.
Gallap was the top MIAA finisher at the Lansing Community College Invitational Oct. 5, setting a personal best of 19:58.1 to finish 29th overall. Among intercollegiate competitors, Gallap was 18th overall.
MIAA Football Offensive Player of the Week
Mason Opple, Hope
Junior, Quarterback
Hudsonville, Mich.
Opple accounted for four touchdowns - two passing, one rushing, and one receiving - in Hope's 29-24 road win over previously unbeaten Albion Oct. 6. Opple threw for 280 yards on 21-29 passing, connecting on two touchdowns via the air. Opple also gathered his first career touchdown reception in the third quarter to break a 17-17 tie; then, in the fourth quarter, his one-yard run proved to be the game's deciding score.
MIAA Football Defensive Player of the Week
Kimani Dooley, Hope
Senior, Defensive Back
Detroit, Mich.
Dooley accounted for two interceptions for Hope in helping defeat Albion Oct. 6, 29-24. His first came in the end zone in the second quarter to stymie Albion's drive that had advanced to the Hope 10-yard line. His second interception came in the fourth quarter, helping Hope hold onto their late lead. Dooley added a broken-up pass in the third quarter on an Albion drive that eventually led to a punt two plays later.
MIAA Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Douglas Pollard, Olivet
Junior, Kicker
Monroe, Mich.
Pollard went 3-for-3 in field goals, with a long of 40 yards, in Olivet's 50-22 win over Adrian Oct. 6. His field goals - including two of 24 yards - helped Olivet take a 43-6 halftime lead. Pollard added a 5-of-6 day in extra points to total 14 points while kicking three touchbacks.
Nick Ludka, Kalamazoo
Senior
Saginaw, Mich.
Ludka shot a career-low 69 to tie for second at the MIAA Jamboree #4 at Watermark Country Club Oct. 1. Ludka's effort was one stroke behind medalist honors and aided the Hornets to a third-place finish.
MIAA Women's Golf Athlete of the Week
Lauren Read, Saint Mary's
Junior
Bremen, Ind.
Read earned medalist honors with her two-over 74 at the first round of the 2018 MIAA Fall Final Oct. 5. Read aided Saint Mary's in posting a 304 team score to win the round by 32 strokes; the Belles also captured the 2018 MIAA Championship with a team average of 310.6 strokes over the five-round season.
Bobby McCaw, Calvin
Senior, Forward
Dubuque, Iowa
McCaw erupted for five goals over a two-game span to start the MIAA season last week. In Calvin's 5-0 win over No. 19 Hope Oct. 3, McCaw shook the nets in the 30th and 59th minutes for the Knights' second and third goals of the contest. Then, in Calvin's 7-0 win over Trine Oct. 6 to end the Thunder's seven-game unbeaten streak, McCaw scored the game-winner in the fourth minute and added his second goal less than two minutes later; he completed his hat trick with a second-half strike.
Chris Morrish, Calvin
Sophomore, Goalkeeper
Bradenton, Fla.
Morrish held Calvin's first two MIAA opponents scoreless, making four saves in the Knights' 5-0 victory over No. 19 Hope Oct. 3. Morrish then followed with two saves against Trine Oct. 6 in a weather-shortened contest to give the Thunder their first loss in eight outings; Calvin prevailed, 7-0.
Megan Louwers, Adrian
Sophomore, Midfielder
Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Louwers helped Adrian improve to 4-0 and stay atop the MIAA standings against two regionally-ranked opponents last week. In Adrian's 2-0 win over Kalamazoo Oct. 7, Louwers assisted on what proved to be the game-winning goal just 59 seconds into the game; she then added an insurance goal in the 63rd minute for the Bulldogs. Earlier in the week, Adrian defeated previously-nationally ranked Calvin, 1-0, Oct. 2.
Sarah Brannan, Adrian
Freshman, Defender
Saline, Mich.
Brannan not only helped the Adrian defense post two shutout wins against MIAA foes last week, but added the game-winning goal in the second half at Calvin Oct. 2. Then, later in the week in Adrian's 2-0 win against Kalamazoo Oct. 7, Brannan aided the Bulldogs in allowing just two Kalamazoo shots on goal.
Joshua McGarry, Albion
Senior
Macomb Twp., Mich.
In Albion's 7-2 dual win over Alma Oct. 4, McGarry was a two-time winner with victories at No. 1 doubles and No. 1 singles. McGarry was a 6-2, 6-2 winner in singles and paired for an 8-2 victory at No. 1 doubles.
Anna Kamp, Calvin
Senior, Outside Hitter
Orland Park, Ill.
Kamp led Calvin to a pair of MIAA victories last week, averaging 5.9 points per set to fuel the Knights. Against Trine Oct. 2, Kamp gathered 24 kills in the four-set win, hitting .467 with just three errors on 45 total attacks; she added eight digs in the win. Three days later against Albion Oct. 5, Kamp hit .538 with 15 kills to one error in Calvin's three-set win while adding eight digs.
Haley Novak, Alma
Sophomore, Setter
Midland, Mich.
Novak had 41 assists in Alma's three-set win against Saint Mary's Oct. 6 while adding nine kills and eight digs for Alma's second MIAA win of the week. On Oct. 2, Novak and the Scots fended off Albion for a key 3-2 road win; the sophomore setter tallied 50 assists to go with 11 digs in the five-set thriller.
