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 January 12-18, 2026, 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. This week, honorees are recognized on Tuesday and Wednesday following the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
 
The Performer of the Week award winners are as follows:
 
Men’s Basketball Performer of the Week
Zay Brown, Monmouth College
With a monster week and a career-high in scoring, Zay Brown led the Scots to two wins and an 8-0 start in MWC play. Brown had a career-high 34 points on Tuesday in a first-place battle against Grinnell that resulted in a 12-point Monmouth win. He added 10 rebounds and four assists. On Saturday on the road, Brown made 12 of 16 shots and scored 28 points in a 13-point win at Lawrence. He added nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals. For the week Brown averaged 31 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5 assists while shooting 62% from the field and 77% from the free throw line.
 
Women’s Basketball Performer of the Week
Erin Knowles, Cornell College
Knowles set single-game school records for free throws made (16) and attempted (22) during a 34-point outing in Cornell's key 69-63 road win over Knox. It was the sophomore's third 30-point effort in the last eight games. Knowles ranks fifth nationally in scoring at 21.7 points per game.