INDIANAPOLIS- The Great Midwest Athletes of the week for April 27th, 2026 are based on student-athlete performance from April 20th, 2026- April 26th, 2026.
 
Player
Chris Franks / University of Ashland / Grad. Sr. / OF / Wooster, Ohio
Chris Franks was 7-15, including 3 doubles in the series against Northwood. Ashland is 20-8 in conference and 32-14 overall.  
South Division:
 
Pitcher
Finn Schmitt / University of Malone / So. / RHP / Wadsworth, Ohio
Finn Schmitt picked up the pitching win after going 5.0 innings and allowed zero earned runs and struck out a team-high eight for the week against Thomas More.
 
Player
Jacob Riegel / Kentucky Wesleyan College / Jr. / IF / Clearwater, Florida
Riegel went 9-13 with one double, one triple, two home runs, eight RBIs, and five walks to lead the Panthers to a 3-1 weekend versus Ohio Dominican. Riegel's best performance came in Wesleyan's series-opening victory, in which he recorded a double and hit two home runs in the same game to power KWC to a 16-3 win.  
 
Men’s Outdoor Field
Carter Smith / University of Ashland / So. / South Point, Ohio
Carter Smith competed in the Pole Vault and went 5.25. This jump puts him at 8th in the nation.
 
Men’s Outdoor Track
Jon Lutz / University of Ashland / Fr. / Celina, Ohio
Jon Lutz competed in the 110h and ran 13.91 putting him 10th in the nation.
 
Women’s Outdoor Field
Sophia Boonzaaijer / Hillsdale College / Fr. / Peoria, Arizona
Sophia Boonzaaijer set a new Hillsdale school record in the discus with a throw of 49.09 meters in her first outdoor collegiate meet, placing second at the Hillsdale Tune-Up. The third-best discus throw in G-MAC history and 14th best in NCAA DII so far this year. 
 
Women’s Outdoor Track
Zanri Black / University of Findlay / So. / Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Zanri Black won the 400m with a time of 55.94 at the Hillsdale Tune UP. 
 
 
Softball
Pitcher:
Emma Grau / Ohio Dominican University/ So. / Pitcher / Canton, Mich.
Ohio Dominican Panther Emma Grau went 3-0 for the week with 20 scoreless innings.  She allowed 12 hits and one walk with nine strikeouts; additionally, she shut out Lake Erie, Malone and Northwood.
 
 
Player:
Delanie Gail / Northwood University/ Sr. / Right Field / Union Mills, Ind.
Northwood Timberwolves Delanie Gale hit .548 over right games.  Gale had three home runs, seven doubles, three triples and eight RBIs.  She finished the week with a 1.129 slugging percentage with at least two hits in eight of the games played.  She also set a school record for career runs (152) and total bases (357).