Posted: Jan 27, 2020
MIAA Athletes of the Week - January 27, 2020
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced the 10 student-athletes selected as its Athletes of the Week, for the week of competition ending on January 26, 2020.
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 Basketball Athlete of the Week
Jamezell Davis, Jr., Albion
Junior, Guard
Ypsilanti, Mich.
Jamezell Davis, Jr. averaged 24.5 points in a 2-0 week for Albion, including the Britons' 88-82 win at Trine Jan. 25 in the last contest of unbeatens in MIAA play. Against Trine, Davis tallied 32 points to go with six rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 34 minutes of play. Earlier in the week, Davis scored 17 points in 22 minutes during Albion's 84-62 win against Adrian Jan. 22. Davis added four steals and two rebounds in the mid-week game.
MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week
Shay Herbert, Trine
Junior, Forward
Pinckney, Mich.
Shay Herbert posted two double-doubles in two MIAA wins for Trine last week, improving to 14-4 on the year and 8-1 in league play thanks to a current six-game winning streak. Herbert started the week with 11 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in a 54-39 win at Adrian Jan. 22. Herbert then followed up with a 13-point, 11-rebound performance at Kalamazoo Jan. 25 to aid in Trine's 66-39 victory; Herbert added three blocked shots on Saturday.
MIAA Men's Diving Athlete of the Week
Sam Ankley, Kalamazoo
Freshman
Kalamazoo, Mich.
Sam Ankley won on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards in Kalamazoo's tri-meet at Calvin with Olivet Jan. 25. Against six divers, Ankley scored 281.30 on the 1-meter board for a Regional Qualifying Score; Ankley then scored 268.75 on the 3-meter board against five divers.
MIAA Men's Swimming Athlete of the Week
Liam Faber, Hope
Sophomore
East Kentwood, Mich.
Liam Faber's points in the 400 IM, the final individual event, helped Hope defeat NCAA Division II foe Saginaw Valley State Jan. 25, 147-146. Faber placed fourth in the 400 IM in 4:33.81, part of a 12-7 Hope scoring advantage in the event. Faber also scored points in the 100 breaststroke (fourth, 1:03.90) and the 200 breaststroke (fourth, 2:20.03).
MIAA Women's Swimming Athlete of the Week
Emily Gunderson, Calvin
Senior
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Emily Gunderson won the 50 free in the Calvin vs. Kalamazoo and Olivet tri-meet Jan. 25, posting a time of 24.60. Gunderson also had a 27.84 split in the leadoff of Calvin's 200 medley relay team.
MIAA Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Josh Izenbart, Hope
Senior
Glenwood, Ill.
Josh Izenbart finished second in the heptathlon at the Saginaw Valley State University's Jet's Pizza Invitational. Izenbart scored 4,429, aided by a first-place finish in the high jump (1.92m) and a second-place mark in the shot put 911.97m). Izenbart's total was the top NCAA Division III effort at the event and in front of multiple NCAA Division I and Division II competitors, and ranks 13th in the nation.
MIAA Men's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Kyle McDowell, Olivet
Sophomore
Kalkaska, Mich.
Kyle McDowell ran a collegiate personal best of 1:58.04 in the 800m run at Saginaw Valley State University Jet's Pizza Invitational, a time that ranks first in MIAA this season. McDowell also ran legs on Olivet's distance medley relay (10:53.00) and 4x400m relay (3:26.76) teams, which also rank first in the MIAA. The DMR converted time of 11:01.88 ranks 26th nationally.
Valerie Obear, Trine
Evie Bultemeyer, Trine
MIAA Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Valerie Obear, Trine
Sophomore
Fishers, Ind.
Valerie Obear threw a lifetime best mark in the weight throw of 16.13m Jan. 24 at North Central College. Obear's mark is good enough for the top of the MIAA and 24th in the country.
MIAA Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Evie Bultemeyer, Trine
Junior
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Evie Bultemeyer took to the track for the first time of the indoor season, finishing the 1-mile run in 4:59.94 at the North Central Snow Day Invitational Jan. 24. Bultemeyer finished first overall with a time that ranks third nationally.
MIAA Wrestling Athlete of the Week
Cole Wiegers, Adrian
Freshman, 141
Clarkston, Mich.
Cole Wiegers pinned Trine's Justin Davis in 2:15 in part of Adrian's 37-9 win over the Thunder Jan. 23 to help Adrian finish 2-1 in the MIAA season.
