BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for basketball and hockey on Monday. Student-athletes from Augsburg, Gustavus, 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 winter season, team sports (basketball and hockey) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (swimming & diving and indoor 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.
To view each sport’s 2021-22 Athlete of the Week home page, navigate to the MIAC’s Awards page or visit the 2021-22 Athlete of the Week news archive for complete details on each week’s selections and winners.
MIAC Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
Joe Palmer
Augsburg University
Jr. | Guard
Faribault, Minn.
Joe Palmer averaged 25.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the floor in a 2-0 week for the Auggies. He scored 21 and added a career-high 16 rebounds with a block and a steal in Augsburg’s win over Concordia on 1/12 and recorded 30 points and 10 rebounds in the Auggies’ win over Saints John’s on 1/15.
MIAC Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
Anja Smith
Augsburg University
So. | Forward
Kewaskum, Wis. | Saint Mary’s Springs
Anja Smith averaged 12.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field in the Auggies’ 3-0 week. She scored a team-high 19 points and recorded a career-high 22 rebounds in the Auggies’ win over Saint Mary’s on 1/10 and notched 16 points and nine rebounds while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor in a win over Saint Benedict on 1/15.
MIAC Men’s Hockey Athlete of the Week
Sean Walsh
St. Olaf College
Fy. | Forward
Hopkinton, Mass.
Sean Walsh had a four-point weekend as the Oles extended their unbeaten streak to four games with road wins against UW-River Falls and UW-Stout over the weekend. With the Oles trailing 2-1 after one, the first-year scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in the second and third periods on 1/14 to help St. Olaf to its first win over the Falcons since 2008. Walsh also assisted on the Oles’ opening goal in the game for a career-best three-point night. On 1/15, he assisted on the opening goal of the game to ignite St. Olaf’s three-goal first period in a 4-3 win in Menomonie, Wis.
MIAC Women’s Hockey Athlete of the Week
Emily Olson
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr. | Forward
Delano, Minn.
Emily Olson had a seven-point series as the Gusties swept St. Olaf to remain undefeated in conference play. Olson tallied a goal and three assists in a 7-0 win in Northfield on 1/14 and followed that performance with a goal and two assists in a 4-0 win in Saint Peter on 1/15. Olson posted a +7 rating over the two games and had zero penalties.
