Contact: Brock Reisler, Assistant Executive Director, breisler@midwestconference.org
OSHKOSH, Wisconsin – The Midwest Conference (MWC) announced its Performers of the Week award recipients for games played November 3-9, 2025, on Monday.
MWC sports information directors nominate student-athletes for the Performer of the Week honor by sport and vote as a committee to select the winners.
For the fall and winter seasons, Performers of the Week will be recognized every week on Monday (football, soccer, basketball) and Tuesday (cross country, women’s tennis, volleyball, swimming and diving, indoor track and field) once their seasons have been triggered (three MWC institutions competing) and will conclude the week prior to the sport-specific Conference tournament/championship.
The Performer of the Week award winners are as follows:
Football Defensive Performer of the Week
Malik Byndom, Illinois College
Byndom grabbed a pair of interceptions and had four solo tackles while helping the Blueboys to their fourth straight win, including their third shutout of the season in the 24-0 win at Cornell on Saturday.
Football Offensive Performer of the Week
Lucky Carton, Grinnell College
Carton shattered the school record for rushing touchdowns in a game when he scored five in the Pioneers’ 63-6 drubbing of Lawrence University Saturday. The previous mark of four had been held by three people, most recently in 2004. The five touchdowns by Carton ranks eighth all-time in the MWC. Carton’s efforts helped Grinnell to 464 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, both school records. The rushing yards total beat the previous mark by nearly 100 yards, and the touchdown tally eclipsed the previous school mark of six set in 1985. The team’s point output of 63 ranks third all-time, just three points shy of the modern-day GC record.
Football Special Teams Performer of the Week
Ben Bortel, Grinnell College
Bortel broke the school record for kicking points in a game with 13 as the Pioneers rolled over Lawrence University 63-6 Saturday. The previous mark was 12, most recently in 2012. Bortel also kicked seven extra points, fifth all-time at GC, and booted field goals of 46 and 41 yards. The 46-yarder is the sixth-longest in program history.
Men’s Basketball Performer of the Week
Casey Schoenecker, Lawrence University
Schoenecker had himself a great opening week to the season averaging 19.5 points and 10 rebounds this weekend through 2 games. He helped propel Lawrence to a 2-0 start to the year with wins on the road against Lakeland University and Wisconsin Lutheran College. During the Lakeland game he was a dominant force in the paint where he finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 1 blocked shot shooting 10-18 from the field in 28 minutes of play. He followed that performance up the next night in a win against Wisconsin Lutheran, where he finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks shooting 5-9 from the field in 33 minutes of play.
Women’s Basketball Performer of the Week
Sophie Schlieve, Ripon College
Schlieve was crucial on both sides of the ball this week as the Red Hawks defeated UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire. She averaged 18.5 ppg on an efficient 58.3% shooting from the field, adding in 5 rebounds per game, 2.5 steals per game and 1 block per game.