ST. PAUL, Minn.-- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) announced their Athlete of the Week award winners Tuesday in the sports of men’s and women’s basketball, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s indoor track and field. The awards are nominated by UMAC coaches and athletics communications staff and selected each week by the latter group.
Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
Carmello McNeal, Sr, North Central, G
Minneapolis, Minn./Twin Cities Academy
McNeal averaged 29.5 points and 3.0 steals per game. The senior guard helped the Rams secure their first-ever outright UMAC Regular Season Title with a career-high 40-point performance in Saturday’s win over BLC. He shot a highly efficient 56% (16-34) from the field and 50% (11-22) from three on the week.
Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
Arinn McGee, Sr, Bethany Lutheran, C
Pipestone, Minn./Pipestone
McGee helped Bethany claim the UMAC regular season championship with wins over UM-Morris and North Central. McGee matched a season-high 17 points against Morris with 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. She also posted a season-high six assists with two blocks. Against North Central, McGee registered 12 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.
Softball Player of the Week
Orla Keys, Sr, Bethany Lutheran, 2B
Costa Mesa, Calif./Calvary Chapel
Keys helped Bethany go 4-0 during the final weekend of its dome invitational. She hit .500 (7-14) with eight RBI, three runs, and a triple. Keys extended her hitting streak to eight to open the season and moved her batting average to .520. In the field, she made seven putouts and two assists.
Softball Pitcher of the Week
Emily Meyer, Bethany Lutheran
Swea City, Iowa/North Union
Meyer helped Bethany go 4-0 during the second weekend of its dome invitational. Meyer made three appearances with two complete games and 5.2 innings of relief, earning the win in all three games. She started the weekend with a 13-strikeout performance against Dominican and closed out the tournament with a shutout against Gustavus. Meyer pitched 19.2 innings, allowing eight earned runs (2.84 ERA) on 16 hits with 22 strikeouts.
Men’s Tennis North Division Athlete of the Week
Ean Clarke, Fr, Crown
Granite Falls, Minn./Yellow Medicine East
Clarke went 4-0 on the week across two matches in two #1 doubles wins and two #2 singles wins. Both doubles wins were by a score of 6-4. Against Simpson College, he won his singles match 6-3, 7-6. In the team’s loss to Saint Mary's, he dominated his singles match 6-2, 6-1.
Men’s Tennis South Division Athlete of the Week
Ernesto Botero, Sr, Principia
Cartagena, Colombia/Gimnasio Cartagena
Ernesto went 2-0 at #2 singles on Saturday, including a hard-fought victory against Illinois Wesleyan, winning both sets in a tiebreaker, 7-6(3), 7-6(5). At #2 doubles vs IWU, he and his partner barely lost in a tiebreaker 6-7(5). Ernesto was the lone player to win a match against Illinois Wesleyan. Later in the day against Monmouth, Ernesto won 6-1, 6-0 at #2 singles and 6-1 at #2 doubles to help the Panthers win their first match of the season.
Women’s Tennis North Division Athlete of the Week
Jhazlyn Wynne, Jr, Minnesota Morris
Grand Forks, N.D./Grand Forks Central
Wynne helped the Cougars win their first match of the season by going 2-0 against Buena Vista. In doubles, Wynne led the No. 1 pair to a 6-0 victory. In singles, after dropping the first set 5-7, she bounced back to take the second set 7-5 before sweeping the third set 6-0 en route to a 5-2 Minnesota Morris victory.
Women’s Tennis South Division Athlete of the Week
Saray Hernandez Cisneros, Sr, Principia
Puebla, Mexico/Centro Esc Niños Héroes de Chapultepec
Despite the team going 0-2, Saray went 2-0 at #2 singles this past week. She defeated a D2 player from Truman State (6-4, 6-3) and the #2 from Illinois Wesleyan (6-3, 6-3). She also played at #1 doubles but lost both matches.
Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Dylan Uitto, Jr, UW-Superior
Ashland, Wis./Ashland
Uitto competed at the Snowshoe Open this weekend, setting a new PR in the mile at 4:26.62. His time places him first in the UMAC.
Men’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Sam Plocher, Jr, Martin Luther
Kent, Wash./Evergreen Lutheran
Plocher set a season-best mark in the High Jump at 2.02 meters, tying him for second in the event against tough competition at the Maverick Open hosted by Minnesota State. Plocher also participated in the triple jump, reaching 13.07 meters for fifth place.
Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week
Ella Dufault, Jr, Crown
Waseca, Minn./Waseca
Dufault finished 7th at the Snowshoe Open in the mile with a PR time of 5:15.13. This is best in the UMAC on the indoor season thus far.
Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Week
Kat Placido, Jr, Minnesota Morris
Rainier, Ore./ Rainier
Placido set a personal best in the weight throw at the Maverick Indoor Open. Her throw of 13.38 meters was the best throw in the conference by .95 meters and placed her 16th in the event.