INDIANAPOLIS- The Great Midwest Athletes of the week for October 7th, 2024 are based on student-athlete performance from September 30th, 2024- October 6th, 2024.
 
Football
 
Defense: Chris Jones / Walsh University/ R-So. / Outside Linebacker / Youngstown ,Ohio
Jones stood out in Walsh’s 63-34, historic win over the Lake Erie College Storm. In the 97-point showdown, he totaled five tackles, three for a loss, two sacks, and two pass breakups. He kept up the pressure with four quarterback hurries as well. Now, through the opening five weeks of play, he sits tied for third in tackles for a loss and passes defended in the conference.
 
Offense: Alex Johnson / Tiffin University/ Jr. / Quarterback / Bellevue, Wash.
The Tiffin Dragons responded this week with a convincing 51-10 win over Thomas More, which saw Johnson air it out an impressive amount of times. He tossed 33 passes, completing 26, for 365 yards and three passing touchdowns. The Dragons in totaled racked up 516 yards of offense with Johnson leading the charge.
 
Special Teams: A.J. Rhodes / Ashland University / Jr. / Kicker / Wooster,Ohio
Ashland kicker A.J. Rhodes picked up his second honor of the season as a G-MAC Special Teams Player of the Week. This time around, he one-upped his previous performance as he set a conference record in field goals in a game. He knocked down all five of his field goal attempts, with two coming from 40 yards out. He also added an extra point and five touchbacks in the Eagles’ 26-6 win over the Ohio Dominican Panthers.
 
Men’s Cross Country
Nate Slater / Ashland University/ Jr. / Mansfield, Ohio
This Friday at the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational, Slater won the Men’s 8K with a PR of 25:23.8. His impressive performance helped the Eagle’s to a second-place finish in the 22-team field. 
 
Women’s Cross Country
Lilly Dowdell / Ashland University / Sr. / Rochester, Ohio
Dowdell’s winning time of 22:03.6 at the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational is a new Ashland PR in the women’s 6K. Dowdell led the Eagle’s to a 7th place finish as a team in the 17-team field. 
 
Men’s Golf
Jonah Graham/ Kentucky Wesleyan College/ Sr. / Connersville, Ind.
Graham tied for 11th in a 96-player field at the Midwest Regional Preview, leading Wesleyan to a 9th place team finish out of 17 teams. Graham had an impressive showing in the second round, shooting an even-par score and helping him finish +4 overall. 
 
Women’s Golf
Lisa Marie Schumacher / Tiffin University/ Sr. / Leipzig, Germany
Schumacher placed second at the William Beall Fall Classic and was named to the All-Tournament team after finishing the tournament with a score of 215. She aided in the Dragon’s team effort to break the 54-hole record with an 899, surpassing the previous record of 916 that was set during the 2021-22 season. 
 
Men’s Soccer
Defensive:
Felix Graf/ Tiffin University/ So. / Goalkeeper/ Bendorf, Germany
Graf went 2-0 for the week in the net, pitching two shutouts in a 4-0 win over Northwood and a 5-0 win over Ohio Dominican. He led a TU defensive effort that allowed just 3 shots on goal for the week, limiting his opponents to just 11 total shots.
 
Offensive:
Anelson Azard / Tiffin University/ Fr. / Forward/ Indianapolis
Azard had 3 goals in the Dragons' 2-0 week, one coming in their 4-0 victory over Northwood and the other two coming in a 5-0 win over Ohio Dominican. He led the TU offensive attack which outshot their opponents 29-11 for the week.
 
Women’s Soccer
Defensive:
Lindsay Jacob / Northwood University / So. / Goalkeeper/ St. Claire Shores, Mich.
Jacob led the Timberwolves to a 2-0 record last week with two clean-sheet victories over Findlay (2-0) and Tiffin (3-0). She totaled 11 saves, while allowing zero goals and playing 180 minutes on the week.
 
Offensive:
Hannah Stein / Walsh University/ Gr. / Forward/ Canfield, Ohio
Stein was a key factor to the Cavalier’s offense this week, contributing 3 goals and 2 assists in two games. She is currently tied for third in the conference for goals and assists, and second in the conference in points. 
 
Men’s Tennis
Mattia Coli / Tiffin University/ Sr. / Crevoladossola, Italy
At the ITA Regionals in Allendale, Mich., Colli reached the quarterfinal round of the C singles bracket and the semifinal round of the C doubles bracket. In singles play, he beat William Jewell, Indianapolis, and Michigan Tech, before falling to Purdue Northwest 7-6, 6-4. In doubles action, he teamed up with Janis Auslands where they were able to take down Roosevelt 9-8, 8-6.
 
Women’s Tennis
Elina Ivanova / University of Findlay / Sr. / Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Ivanova helped lead the Findlay Oilers in defeating the University of Northwestern Ohio. She was a winner in her first doubles appearance, 6-2, and also won a second singles by a score of 6-1, 6-3.
 
Volleyball
North Division
Sydney Hasenfratz / Northwood University/ R-Jr. / Middle Back/ Clarkston, Mich.
Hasenfratz averaged 3.89 kills and 1.44 blocks per set in three matches this past weekend for the Timberwolves. She recorded 35 kills and five errors on 59 attempts with an impressive .508 hitting percentage on the week. Against Kentucky Wesleyan, she finished with 11 kills and four blocks while marking a .733 hitting percentage. Her efforts has pushed her into the top five in kills per set, blocks per set and hitting percentage in the G-MAC.
 
South Division
Hadley Wolfe / Kentucky Wesleyan College / So. / Middle Blocker/ Henderson, Ky.
The Panthers were led by Wolfe, as she recorded 16 kills and three blocks in two matches this past week. Against both Michigan schools, Hillsdale and Northwood, she had team-highs in kills and blocks.
 
East Division
Sammie DiBease / Walsh University / Jr. / Outside Hitter / Perry, Ohio
DiBease has yet again found herself with conference honors as she helped lead the Cavaliers to their fourth and fifth wins in a row. Both games ended in sweeps for Walsh, as she had 55 kills, four aces, 13 digs and nine blocks this past week.