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 February 16-22, 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 and spring seasons, Performers of the Week will be recognized every week on Monday (basketball, baseball, softball) and Tuesday (swimming and diving, indoor track and field, men’s tennis, outdoor 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 Indoor Track Performer of the Week
Isaac vanWestrienen, Cornell College
VanWestrienen clocked the nation's eighth-fastest 5000-meter time at the University of Iowa Open. The senior crossed in an MWC-leading time of 14:07.22 for second place behind UW-La Crosse's Aidan Matthai (13:58.61).
Men’s Indoor Field Performer of the Week
Finn Gruver, Lake Forest College
Gruver won the long jump at the University of Chicago's Margaret Bradley Invitational on Sunday. The sophomore's leap of 6.90m ranks him third in the league and tied-for-72nd nationally.
Women’s Indoor Track Performer of the Week
Ava Claussen-Tubbs, Cornell College
Claussen-Tubbs ran under her school record in the 800-meter run on back-to-back days. The senior posted the nation's 22nd-fastest mark at the University of Iowa Open, placing third in 2:14.77 behind two Division I competitors. Claussen-Tubbs won the 800 at the Liz Wuertz Invitational, beating 38 competitors in 2:15.16.
Women’s Indoor Field Performer of the Week
Riley Gardner, Illinois College
Gardner took the title in the high jump at the Hilltop Invitational on Friday, clearing 1.60 meters.
Men’s Tennis Performer of the Week
Albert Bostoen, Grinnell College
Bostoen and Lucas Willett ’26 teamed up to beat a nationally-ranked doubles team in the Pioneer’s 6-1 victory at Carleton College Sunday. Bostoen and Willett posted a convincing 6-3 win over the Carleton duo, which was ranked 16th nationally and sixth in the region.