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 Bethel, Gustavus, St. Catherine, Saint John's, Saint Mary's, and St. Scholastica claimed the Conference's weekly honors.
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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.
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Saint Mary's secured two defensive specialists in the first week of 2025 games, earning MIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
MIAC Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Jabari Sawyer
Saint Mary's University
Sr. | Guard
Chicago, Ill. | DePaul College Prep
Jabari Sawyer set a career-high with seven steals in the Cardinals' 77-67 victory at Caltech on 12/31. He added a steal and four rebounds against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps a day earlier and wrapped up the holiday break with four more boards against Concordia on 1/4.
MIAC Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week
Kali Olson
Saint Mary's University
So. | Forward
New York Mills, Minn.
Kali Olson enjoyed a career-best performance with an 18-point, 18-rebound double-double in the Cardinals' 63-58 road victory at Concordia on 1/4. Olson added four blocks and a steal in the win. Her 18 boards are the most by any MIAC women's basketball player in a game this year. She also had nine rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in a loss to nationally-ranked Hardin-Simmons on 12/28.
