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 17-23 over the last 20 years.
MIAC Football Offensive Player of the Week
Joey Sonnenfeld (November 17, 2014)
Augsburg College
Jr. | Wide Receiver
Maple Grove, Minn. | Osseo
Joey Sonnenfeld shattered a 24-year-old conference record by nearly 50 yards with an incredible total of 334 receiving yards in Augsburg’s 62-61 double-overtime victory versus nationally-ranked Bethel. Sonnenfeld’s historic day included the record 334 yards and three touchdowns on 15 catches for an average of 22.3 yards per catch. His three scores came on catches of 80, 68, and 20 yards, and his yardage total was the second-best in Division III this season. The previous MIAC record of 285 yards was set in 1990 by Carleton’s Jim Bradford and had stood for 24 years until Saturday. Sonnenfeld’s exploits contributed to two other MIAC records as well, as the 123 combined points made it the highest-scoring game in conference history, and teammate Ayrton Scott set a new MIAC single-game record with 630 yards of total offense.
MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Landon Mathis (November 18, 2013)
Bethel University
So. | Linebacker
Anoka, Minn.
Landon Mathis posted a game-high 17 total tackles as he helped Bethel limit Saint John’s to just one scoring drive en route to completing an undefeated regular season and earning the MIAC championship. Mathis had seven solo tackles and 10 assists to finish with a total of 17 tackles in the win, and he also racked up a sack, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Mathis led a defense that held perennial powerhouse Saint John’s to 260 yards and one score on its home field.
MIAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Hakeem Bourne-McFarlane (November 18, 2013)
Augsburg College
Sr. | Return Specialist
Bloomington, Minn. | Kennedy
Hakeem Bourne-McFarlane closed his career in style Saturday, setting a new Auggie record for kick return yards in a game while taking two all the way back for a pair of special-teams touchdowns. Though the Auggies came up just short in a 49-45 thriller at Carleton, Bourne-McFarlane certainly did his part to keep Augsburg in contention. He had an 86-yard kick return touchdown in the second quarter, then out-did himself by three feet in the fourth quarter with an 87-yard score. He added a 20-yard return for a school-record 193 yards on just three attempts. The previous school record, set by Bob Dorgan in 1979, was 176 yards and it came on eight attempts. Bourne-McFarlane also contributed five tackles as a defensive back in the loss.
MIAC Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
Booker Coplin (November 19, 2018)
Augsburg University
Jr. | Guard
Shakopee, Minn.
Booker Coplin led Augsburg to a pair of victories at the Redlands Tip-Off Classic over the weekend, averaging 31.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in victories over Ottawa (Ariz.) and Redlands (Calif.). Coplin posted a 26-point, 12-rebound double-double with three assists in an 87-69 win over Ottawa on Friday and came back with a career-high 37-point performance on 14-of-19 shooting in an 82-77 victory over previously-unbeaten Redlands on Saturday.
MIAC Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
Kaitlin Langer (November 21, 2016)
University of St. Thomas
Sr. | Center
Stillwater, Minn. | Hill-Murray
Kaitlin Langer – the reigning MIAC Player-of-the-Year – picked up where she left off with a strong start to the 2016-17 campaign. Langer led the Tommies to two weekend wins in Maryland, including a 31-point road win over McDaniel, which had a record of 45-11 record over the last two seasons. She played just 24 minutes per game but averaged 27 points, nine rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 62 percent from the floor and 86 percent from the line. She had a career-high 32 points to go with 13 rebounds in a win over Juniata for her 17th career double-double, and she added 22 points and five boards in the win over McDaniel.Â
MIAC Men’s Hockey Athlete of the Week
Brice Parks (November 21, 2000)
Hamline University
So. | Forward
Eagle River, Alaska
Brice Parks led the Piper men’s hockey team this past weekend as Hamline posted back-to-back victories over the Milwaukee School Of Engineering. Parks knocked in a total of 6 goals, scoring two at full strength, two on power-plays, and two short-handed, in the game. Parks also tallied one assist to accumulate a total of seven points for the weekend.
MIAC Women’s Hockey Athlete of the Week
Katie Jacques (November 19, 2001)
Concordia College
Jr. | Forward
Tempe, Ariz. | Corona Del Sol
Katie Jacques tallied five goals and two assists in Concordia’s two-game sweep over Bethel last weekend. Jacques scored both game-winning goals and was a part of seven of Concordia’s nine goals on the weekend. In Friday’s 5-1 victory, Jacques scored three goals and had an assist. In Saturday’s game, Jacques scored two goals and had an assist. For the weekend, Jacques was a +7 with 13 shots on goal.
MIAC Men’s Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week
Mike Lanz (November 17, 2015)
University of St. Thomas
Sr.
Maple Grove, Minn.
Mike Lanz had a five-for-five performance to lead the Tommies to a team victory at the Macalester Roger Ahlman Invite last week. Individually, Lanz was victorious in the 50-yard freestyle (21.87), 100-yard butterfly, and 200-yard butterfly (50.70). He also led the Tommies’ 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay teams to victory to give him five wins in five events. His time in the 100-fly ranks fourth in Division III this season, and his time in the 200-fly ranks ninth in the nation.
MIAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week
Jordyn Wentzel (November 19, 2019)
St. Catherine University
So.
Corcoran, Minn.
Jordyn Wentzel broke her own program record with a time of 2:03.07 to win the 200 butterfly at last weekend’s JoAnn Andregg Invitational, which was one of five first-place finishes for the St. Catherine sophomore. She also finished with the top times this season in Division III in the 200-yard individual medley (2:04.65) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:19.50). In addition, Wentzel was part of victorious relay teams in the 400 and 800 freestyles and helped the 200 free relay team to a second-place result.
