ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners Tuesday in the sports of football, volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, and men's and women's golf. The awards are nominated by UMAC coaches and athletics communications staff and selected each week by the latter group.
FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Keegan Zdybel, Junior, Westminster Blue Jays
Slater, Mo. / Slater
- Zdybel had 233 total yards and five total touchdowns; three passing and two rushing.
FOOTBALL DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Rudy Criner, Senior, Crown Polars
San Antonio, Texas / Cornerstone Christian
- Criner set a school record with 19 tackles, 10 of them solo. He also added a forced fumble and 2 tackles for loss in a monster banner game for the senior. He also had two kickoff returns totaling 37 yards.
FOOTBALL SPECIAL TEAMS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Will Schleicher, Sophomore, Northwestern Eagles
Victoria, Minn. / Chanhassen
- Schleicher averaged 40.2 yards per punt over 6 punts Saturday at UW-Stout, with a long of 49 yards. The sophomore two-way player also caught an 8-yard pass.
VOLLEYBALL OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Addy Gangl, Sophomore, UW-Superior Yellowjackets
Nashwauk, Minn. / Nashwauk-Keewatin
- Gangl had a fine weekend at the Wartburg Invite. Competing in all 12 sets, she set a new season-high of 20 kills, coming against Simpson where the Yellowjackets came out on top 3-2. She finished the weekend with an attack percentage of .337 while accounting for 42 kills.
VOLLEYBALL SETTER OF THE WEEK
Grace Brigson, Senior, North Central Rams
West Salem, Wis. / West Salem
- Brigson was the x-factor for the Rams as she totaled 157 assists (9.24 per set), 44 digs, and 4 block assists as NCU went 4-1 on the week. The senior also surpassed 2,000 career set assists.
VOLLEYBALL DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Jenna Anderson, Senior, UW-Superior Yellowjackets
Bemidji, Minn. / Bemidji
- Anderson's weekend at the Wartburg Invite was historic. She scooped 84 digs across three matches, and in the process collected her 2,000th career dig as a Yellowjacket. Her weekend-best 37 digs helped the 'Jackets knock off Simpson in five sets.
MEN'S SOCCER OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Freddy Watson, Junior, UW-Superior Yellowjackets
Wendover, England / Berkshire College of Agriculture
- Watson ended last week's contests with five points, scoring two goals versus North Central and dishing an assist against Minnesota Morris as the Yellowjackets scored a collective 14 goals in two matches.
MEN'S SOCCER DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Leo Roque, Junior, Crown Polars
Cancun, Mexico
- Roque totaled six saves and two clean sheets in the Polars two victories this week.
WOMEN'S SOCCER OFFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Niya Wilson, Senior, UW-Superior Yellowjackets
Superior, Wis. / Superior
- Wilson collected nearly a third of the Yellowjackets' goals last week. Entering UMAC play, the all-time leading scorer notched a hat trick versus North Central, while finding the back of the net twice at Minnesota Morris, garnering 10-0 and 4-2 victories.
WOMEN'S SOCCER DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Maria Vik, Freshman, Martin Luther Knights
Fort Atkinson, Wis. / Lakeside Lutheran
- Vik recorded another shutout in the Knights' 1-0 win against Minnesota Morris on the road on Wednesday. Vik finished with six saves in her shutout effort.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Austin Carlson, Senior, Crown Polars
Montrose, Minn. / Delano
- Carlson led the Crown men with a time of 27:21.0 in the 8k men's race at the St. Olaf Invitational.
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Ella Dufault, Sophomore, Crown Polars
Scottsdale, Ariz. / Saguaro
- Dufault led the Crown women in the 6k race at the St. Olaf invitational with a time of 23:57.1 good for 19th place.
MEN'S GOLF ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Keaton Ginter, Junior, Bethany Lutheran Vikings
Faribault, Minn. / Faribault
- Ginter had a career week for the Vikings, opening his week on Tuesday with medalist honors in a dual with MLC by posting a career low score of 1-over 71. He then topped that on Thursday, shooting 2-under 68 to set a new program record and earning medalist honors in a dual meet with Crown.
WOMEN'S GOLF ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Paige Johnson, Sophomore, Northwestern Eagles
Zimmerman, Minn. / Homeschool
- Johnson tied for 8th individually and led UNW to a 10th place finish out of 33 teams at the Midwest Region Classic over the weekend. The sophomore tied her career best on Friday with a 77 (+5), then broke that best mark with a 76 (+4) on Saturday.
The UMAC is an NCAA Division III member comprised of eight full-time member schools from Minnesota and Wisconsin: Bethany Lutheran College, Crown College, Martin Luther College, North Central University, Northland College, University of Minnesota Morris, University of Northwestern, and University of Wisconsin-Superior.
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