MIAC Athletes of the Week

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for baseball, softball, and tennis on Monday. Student-athletes from Gustavus, Macalester, and St. Olaf 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 (golf, outdoor track & field) 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 Baseball Player of the Week
Josh Planko
Macalester College
Jr. | First Base
Northville, Mich.

Josh Planko batted .500 (8-for-16) with five runs, a double, a home run, and seven RBI in four games for the Scots last week. In a split with Carleton on 4/15, Planko drove in three runs in a 7-1 victory and went 4-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI in a 14-13 defeat. Planko added three more hits, including a home run and two RBI, in Macalester’s split with Hamline on 4/19.

MIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Adam Biewen
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr. | Left-handed Pitcher
Golden Valley, Minn. | Robbinsdale Armstrong

Adam Biewen struck out a career-high 14 batters in a complete-game victory over Hamline on 4/15. Biewen tossed six scoreless innings – including four three-up, three-down frames – before the Pipers tallied their lone run of the game in the seventh. Biewen allowed just four base runners against 24 batters faced, with three hits and one walk issued as Gustavus earned an 8-1 win.

MIAC Softball Player of the Week
Medora Rylee
St. Olaf College
Sr. | Catcher
Chaska, Minn.

Medora Rylee got on base in 13 of her 14 plate appearances in the Oles’ 4-0 week, going 10-for-11 (.909) at the plate with five doubles, two triples, three walks, seven runs scored, and seven RBI to post a .929 on-base percentage and 1.727 slugging percentage. Rylee had multiple hits in three of the four games, including going 4-for-4 with three doubles, two RBI, and three runs scored in game one against Augsburg on 4/16. Rylee was also 3-for-3 with two triples, two runs scored, and three RBI in game one at Hamline on 4/19.

MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Roxanne Ring
St. Olaf College
Jr. | Pitcher
Somerset, Wis.

Roxanne Ring threw a one-hit shutout in game one of the Oles’ road sweep of Hamline on 4/19. The junior allowed only a third-inning single and two walks while striking out two over 5.0 innings in the second shutout of her career.

MIAC Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week
Gage Gohl
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr.
Sioux Falls, S.D. | Lincoln

Gage Gohl won both his singles and doubles matches in the Gusties’ win over nationally-ranked Carleton on 4/19. Gohl started the match with a convincing 8-1 doubles win at the No. 1 spot before collecting a 6-2, 7-5 win at No. 1 singles.

MIAC Women’s Tennis Athlete of the Week
Kaya De Bruijn
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr.
Maasland, Netherlands | Stedelijk Gymnasium

Kaya De Bruijn helped the Gusties claim their first win over nationally-ranked Carleton in the teams’ last five meetings with a 6-3 road victory on 4/19. De Bruijn won at No. 1 doubles, completing the 3-0 doubles sweep, and clinched the match with a battle at No. 2 singles. De Bruijn won her first set 6-3, but dropped her second of the match to force the super-breaker. The singles match saw seven tied scores before De Bruijn rattled off the next three points to clinch the victory and leave the Gusties as the only women’s tennis team still unbeaten in MIAC play this season.