BLOOMINGTON, Minn. –Â The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) launched its league-wide Athlete of the Week program ahead of the 1999-2000 academic year. In the two decades since, the conference has recognized hundreds of student-athletes for exceptional performances in competition. In the absence of competitive athletics this fall, the MIAC will take time each week to revisit some memorable performances from the last 20 years of the Athlete of the Week program.
Today’s Athlete of the Week Rewind revisits some outstanding achievements for the dates of November 3-9 over the last 20 years.
MIAC Football Offensive Player of the Week
John Gould (November 3, 2014)
University of St. Thomas
Jr. | Quarterback
Mendota Heights, Minn. | St. Thomas Academy
John Gould contributed five total touchdowns – including the game-winner late in the fourth quarter – while leading St. Thomas to 509 yards of total offense in Saturday’s thrilling 35-32 upset of then-No. 18-ranked Concordia. Gould was both efficient and dynamic, as he completed 15-of-23 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns (with one interception) and he ran for 22 yards and a score on five carries to total five TDs and 320 yards. Gould came through when it mattered most – after Concordia scored with less than five minutes to play to take the lead, he answered with a 59-yard touchdown pass on the very next play from scrimmage to put UST back on top for good.
MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Isaac Sieling (November 8, 2004)
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr. | Linebacker
Watertown, Minn. | Watertown-Mayer
Isaac Sieling recorded 17 tackles – including three quarterback sacks – recovered a fumble, and intercepted a pass to help the Gusties defeat Carleton 40-27 in Northfield. With Gustavus trailing 13-3 in the second quarter, Sieling intercepted a pass and returned it 30 yards to the Carleton 25-yard line. The Gusties scored five plays later to cut the lead to 13-10. Two possessions later, Sieling recovered a fumble at midfield and the Gusties would score on their next possession to take the lead for good at 17-13. In the game, Sieling broke the school record for tackles in a season. The previous mark was 136 set in 1999. Sieling now has 148 tackles with one game left to play. He leads NCAA Division III in tackles with an average of 16.4.
MIAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Willie Julkes IIIÂ (November 4, 2019)
Concordia College
Sr. | Linebacker
Mesa, Ariz. | Desert Ridge
Willie Julkes III blocked two extra points – including the game-deciding point-after in overtime – in the Cobbers’ one-point win over No. 4 Saint John’s over the weekend. In addition to his game-changing extra point blocks, Julkes set the tone in the game by returning the opening kickoff 78 yards. Julkes has blocked a school-record five punts or kicks this season, the most in Division III.
MIAC Men’s Soccer Athlete of the Week
Mohamed Sankoh (November 9, 2010)
Augsburg College
Fy. | Forward
St. Paul, Minn. | Como Park
Mohamed Sankoh scored the game-tying goal near the end of regulation, and the game-winner in overtime to give the Auggies the MIAC Playoff title, and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Playoffs. With just 10:55 left in the game, Sankoh took a nice feed from teammate Chad Gilmer in front of the net and slid the ball past the Concordia keeper to tie the score at 2-2. In a similar situation 8:08 into overtime, Sankoh was in perfect position again to rebound a Gilmer shot and put it in the net to give Augsburg the game, and the championship. All three Auggie goals came in the game’s final 28 minutes, and the result was a joyous celebration on the turf at Edor Nelson Field last Friday night.
MIAC Women’s Soccer Athlete of the Week
Danielle Mendez (November 3, 2015)
St. Catherine University
Sr. | Goalkeeper
Bloomington, Minn. | Academy of Holy Angels
Danielle Mendez was stellar in wins over Saint Mary’s and Concordia, registering two shutouts and stopping all 14 shots she faced in the crucial victories to help St. Catherine secure a spot in the MIAC Playoffs for the first time in program history. Mendez started off the week by making five saves to lead her team to a 2-0 win over Saint Mary’s that was played in 30-degree weather with 20 mile-per-hour winds. She was even better Saturday in the team’s regular-season finale, stopping all nine shots she faced to give her team a thrilling 1-0 victory over the Cobbers and its first-ever trip to the postseason. The St. Catherine senior now has 19 career shutouts, which is a new school record.
MIAC Volleyball Hitter of the Week
Jill Greenfield (November 5, 2013)
University of St. Thomas
Jr. | Outside Hitter
Minnetonka, Minn. | Hopkins
Jill Greenfield racked up 21 kills, 27 digs, and six total blocks while notching the 1,000th kill of her career as she led her team to a share of the MIAC title. The Tommies started the week on Wednesday with a decisive 3-0 nonconference victory over Northwestern-St. Paul. Greenfield had 11 kills, 16 digs, and three blocks in the win. Then, the Toms wrapped up the regular season with a 3-0 win at Saint Mary’s on Saturday to claim their stake in the MIAC championship. Greenfield was again a big contributor with 10 kills, 11 digs, and three blocks. Her eighth kill of the match was the 1,000th of her career. Greenfield’s two double-doubles helped UST improve to 40-4 in her career when she reaches double figures in both kills and digs.
MIAC Volleyball Setter/Libero of the Week
Katie Koch (November 4, 2019)
College of Saint Benedict
Jr. | Setter
Bloomington, Minn. | Jefferson
Katie Koch notched 40 or more assists for the 11th time last week as she racked up 43 in CSB’s sweep of Concordia on Saturday after collecting 37 against nationally-ranked St. Thomas on Wednesday. Koch averaged 14.33 assists per set and also had nine digs to help the team wrap up the regular season with a win and secure the No. 3 seed in the MIAC Playoffs. Her 43 assists also pushed her over the 1,000-assist mark for the season.
MIAC Men’s Hockey Athlete of the Week
Alex Reichle (November 9, 2015)
Concordia College
So. | Goaltender
Wildwood, Mo. | Eureka
Alex Reichle had a huge weekend in the net, stopping 69 of 72 shots while leading the Cobbers to just their second-ever sweep of Saint John’s at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. Reichle allowed a goal in the second minute of Friday’s game, but was a wall the rest of the way, stopping all of Saint John’s remaining 32 shots to help his team earn a 3-1 victory that was aided by a late empty-net goal. On Saturday, Reichle stopped the first 21 shots he faced to help Concordia build a 2-0 lead, and he stopped 16 of 17 shots in the third period to give the Cobbers the 3-2 win.
MIAC Women’s Hockey Athlete of the Week
Amanda DiNella (November 5, 2018)
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr. | Goaltender
Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. |Â Willowbrook
Amanda DiNella eclipsed 50-plus saves for the second time in her career with a 51-stop performance against No. 9-ranked Wis.-Eau Claire on Saturday. The Gusties were outshot 53-21 on the night and DiNella logged a save percentage of .962 on the night to help Gustavus tie the Blugolds, 2-2.
MIAC Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week
Nelson Westby (November 7, 2005)
St. Olaf College
Fy.
Salem, Ore.
Nelson Westby was a triple winner this past weekend at the Northfield Quad Invitational. Westby recorded a national qualifying “B” standard in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 58.30, which also tied the pool record. In the 100 butterfly, Nelson touched first with a time of 51.97. He also swam butterfly (22.55) in the winning 200 Medley Relay (1:35.76), which was a new pool record.
MIAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week
Marie Marsman (November 8, 2004)
Carleton College
Sr.
Mountain View, Calif.
Marie Marsman was the top finisher in all of her individual events this past weekend. On Friday, Marsman won the 50 free with a time of 24.45, hitting the NCAA B standard mark. She anchored both the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay to victories as well. On Saturday at the Northfield Classic Invite, Marsman set NCAA “A” qualifying times in the 50 free (23.45), 100 free (51.61), and 200 free (1:53.29). All times are the fastest to be posted thus far in the nation for Division III.
