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 December 1-7, 2025, on Tuesday.
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 winter season, Performers of the Week will be recognized every week on Monday (basketball) and Tuesday (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:
Men’s Swim and Dive Performer of the Week
Matthew Strada, Lake Forest College
Strada posted a pair of victories at the Carthage Classic over the weekend. His time of 16:38 in the 1650-freestyle was the best in the 25-swimmer field by more than 12 seconds while his clocking of 1:54.60 in the 200-IM was just 0.14 seconds better than that of the runner-up. He also helped the Foresters place third in the 800-freestyle relay (7:09.05) and 400-medley relay (3:33.05), fifth in the 200-medley relay (1:37.41), and sixth in the 400-freestyle relay (3:15.58).
Women’s Swim and Dive Performer of the Week
Isabella Rozenbergas, Lake Forest College
Rozenbergas won all four of her individual events, contributed to three relay victories, broke three school and two Midwest Conference records, and posted a pair of NCAA B-cut qualifying marks at the Carthage Classic over the weekend. The sophomore's first conference record and B-cut came in the prelims of Friday's 200-IM, which she finished in 2:04.66. She won the event in the finals that evening and added a triumph in the 100-butterfly with a time of 55.87 later in the session. The second school record for Rozenbergas was her 2:06.19 in the 100-butterfly prelims on Sunday and she nearly matched that time while prevailing in the final that night. The other B-cut and MWC record was recorded in Saturday evening's 400-IM final, which she won by 16 seconds in 4:25.36. In addition to the four individual events listed above, Rozenbergas also owns the fastest 50-freestyle time in the league this season with a 24.26 to lead off the Foresters' victorious 200-freestyle relay. She helped the 800-freestyle and 200-medley relays finish first as well.
Men’s Indoor Track Performer of the Week
Lucas Fadden, Grinnell College
Fadden made a splash on the national scene Friday night, becoming the third-fastest athlete to run a 60-meter dash at the NCAA Division III level during the Grinnell Indoor Opener. Fadden tied the Bear Center Field House facility record of 6.72 seconds in the prelims, a mark that was established at the 2016 NCAA D-III Championships, and then shattered that with a lightning-fast clocking of 6.66 seconds in the final. Only Sam Blaskowski of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Davian Willems of UW-Oshkosh have run faster at the D-III level. Fadden currently has the fastest time in D-III by .07 of a second. Fadden was also on the 4x200 relay team that set a school record in 1:30.50.
Men’s Indoor Field Performer of the Week
Melvin Hodge, Illinois College
Hodge got his season off to a strong start by setting a school record on the opening night of the season at the Illinois Wesleyan First Chance Meet on Friday. Hodge won the weight throw with his school record toss of 18.85 meters. He also finished third in the shot put with a 13.38-meter mark.
Women’s Indoor Track Performer of the Week
Aleese Trimingham, Illinois College
Trimingham opened the season by winning the 60-meter hurdles at the Illinois Wesleyan First Chance Meet on Friday. Trimingham’s 9.14-second performance was the second-fastest time in IC history.
Women’s Indoor Field Performer of the Week
Kayla Braun, Monmouth College
Kayla Braun had two big throws in her first meet of the season at the St. Ambrose Frigid Bee Opener on Saturday. She had the best D3 shot put throw at the event and her 12.68m performance leads the MWC this season by 1.3m and she ranks 11th nationally in the event. Braun tied for first in the weight throw with teammate Jillian Toth as both threw 15.26m. That throw ranks Braun 2nd in the MWC so far this season and 26th nationally.