Posted: Oct 21, 2019
MIAA Athletes of the Week - October 21, 2019
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced the 11 student-athletes selected as its Athletes of the Week, for the week of competition ending on October 20, 2019.
The MIAA Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by coaches following one week of competition, and selected by 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
Jack Beakas, Trine
Junior
Auburn, Ind.
Jack Beakas was the top MIAA finisher at the Inter-Regional Rumble, hosted by Oberlin Oct. 19. Beakas finished 15th overall with a time of 25:05.5, the top MIAA time by two seconds. Beakas aided Trine to a 13th-place finish at the 39-team event, which included five other MIAA teams.
MIAA Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week
Evie Bultemeyer, Trine
Junior
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Evie Bultemeyer won the 32-team, 283-runner Inter-Regional Rumble Oct. 19, hosted by Oberlin. Bultemeyer covered the course in 21:01.9 to improve on a personal best and set a Trine program record for the 6K. Bultemeyer won by an eight-second margin and was more than one minute in front of the next MIAA runner.
John Wester, Albion
Jack Wurzer, Adrian
Brendan Sine, Olivet
MIAA Football Defense Athlete of the Week
John Wester, Albion
Freshman, DB
Palmetto, Fla.
John Wester registered the fifth-longest interception return in NCAA Division III this fall with a 90-yard pick-six in Albion's 37-17 win at Kalamazoo Oct. 19. Wester's interception halted a 12-play, 76-yard series by Kalamazoo in the fourth quarter to give Albion a then 37-10 lead. For the game, Wester added four tackles in helping hold Kalamazoo to only four rushing first downs.
MIAA Football Offense Athlete of the Week
Jack Wurzer, Adrian
Sophomore, QB
Pinckney, Mich.
Jack Wurzer set an Adrian record with 403 yards passing, resulting in four touchdowns, in Adrian's 34-31 win over previous MIAA unbeaten Alma Oct. 19. Wurzer connected on touchdown passes of eight, 47, 61, and 30 yards as part of completing 24 of 32 passes for a 215.8 efficiency. Wurzer, who also added a rushing touchdown, found eight different receivers on those 24 completions, which is fifth-most in team history.
MIAA Football Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Brendan Sine, Olivet
Freshman, P
Charlotte, Mich.
Brendan Sine had three punts for 114 yards, including two of 45 yards, in Olivet's 34-17 win over Trine Oct. 19. Sine's third-quarter punt pinned Trine inside their 10-yard line. It was Sine's first collegiate start.
MIAA Men's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week
Daniel Wunder, Calvin
Freshman, GK
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Daniel Wunder anchored Calvin's defense in two MIAA shutout wins to keep the Knights atop the MIAA standings. Wunder tallied three saves in Calvin's 2-0 win over Adrian Oct. 19 In a battle of MIAA unbeatens against Alma Oct. 16, Wunder made one save in the shutout, the first of the first-year goalkeeper's career.
MIAA Men's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week
Sam Twigg, Calvin
Sophomore, D
Auckland, New Zealand
Sam Twigg was involved in all four goals in Calvin's 4-0 win over Alma Oct. 16 in a match between MIAA unbeatens. Twigg assisted on what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 24th minute and Calvin's second goal of the game in the 60th minute. Twigg then shook the nets twice in the span of 1:17 in the second half, scoring in the 63rd and 64th minutes.
MIAA Women's Soccer Defensive Athlete of the Week
Erin Powers, Hope
Freshman, D
Norton Shores, Mich.
Erin Powers played 180 minutes on defense in two MIAA shutout wins for Hope last week. In Hope's 2-0 win at Trine Oct. 15, Powers and the Hope defense allowed just five shot attempts by Trine; Powers also assisted on an insurance goal in the 32nd minute. Powers was also a key factor in helping stymie the Adrian offense, allowing the Bulldogs to attempt only seven shots and only two on goal in Hope's 1-0 win to hand Adrian their first MIAA setback of the season.
MIAA Women's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week
Libby Munoz, Kalamazoo
Senior, F
Leland, Mich.
Libby Munoz had a pair of two-goal games in a 2-0 week for Kalamazoo against MIAA challengers. Munoz scored both of Kalamazoo's goals in a 2-0 victory over previous MIAA unbeaten Albion Oct. 15, scoring 29 seconds into the game and adding a second strike in the 33rd minute. Munoz had a two-goal performance in Kalamazoo's 4-0 win over Saint Mary's Oct. 19, scoring insurance goals in the 31st and 68th minutes.
MIAA Volleyball Athlete of the Week
Kelsey Smith, Calvin
Sophomore, OH/RS
Vienna, Va.
Kelsey Smith hit .340 on the week as Calvin went 4-0, including a 3-0 sweep of MIAA foe Saint Mary's Oct. 16. Against Saint Mary's, Smith hit .385 (7-2-13) while adding three service aces, four digs, and one block. In Calvin's 3-1 win over No. 4 Carthage Oct. 19, Smith had a match-best 18 kills while adding two service aces and three blocks. Smith averaged 3.69 kills per set and 4.5 points per set.
Sarah DeVries, Calvin
MIAA Volleyball Specialist Athlete of the Week
Sarah DeVries, Calvin
Senior, MH/S
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Sarah DeVries had an all-around performance in four Calvin victories last week, with two triple-doubles and two double-doubles. Against Saint Mary's Oct. 16, DeVries hit .524 (11-0-21) while tallying 19 assists, 10 digs, three blocks, and two service aces in a 3-0 Calvin win. DeVries then just missed a quadruple-double in a three-set win over Ithaca Oct. 18 with 11 kills, 11 assists, 10 blocks, and eight digs. Against No. 4 Carthage, DeVries had 31 assists to go with 12 kills and seven digs in Calvin's 3-1 victory.
