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 March 23-29, 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 spring seasons, Performers of the Week will be recognized every week on Monday (baseball, softball) and Tuesday (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 Tennis Performer of the Week
Garvin Murray, Grinnell College
Murray dominated the competition as the 27th-ranked Pioneers blew past Coe College 6-1 on Saturday. Murray was a 6-2, 6-0 winner at the No. 3 singles spot and posted a 6-1 victory at No. 3 doubles with Gervase Ngo ’28.
Men’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Week
Isaac vanWestrienen, Cornell College
VanWestrienen recorded the sixth-fastest outdoor 5000-meter time in Division III history at the Wash U Distance Carnival. His school-record mark of 13:53.13 ranks No. 1 nationally this outdoor season. The five-time track & field all-American placed second in a field of 266 competitors that featured runners from all divisions.
Men’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Week
Melvin Hodge, Illinois College
Hodge opened the outdoor season by winning the hammer throw at Millikin’s Big Blue opener with a school-record toss of 57.11 meters. That mark ranks sixth nationally as well.
Women’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Week
Aleese Trimingham, Illinois College
Trimingham posted the 11th-best time in the nation and tops in the conference when she posted a 14.74-second effort in the 100 meter hurdles at Illinois State’s Joyce Morton-Kief Invitational. She also posted the league’s fastest time (and 34th nationally) in the 400 meter hurdles (1:05.65).
Women’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Week
Kayla Braun, Monmouth College
Kayla Braun's outdoor season picked up where her indoor campaign left off with strong throws in the shot put and discus at Illinois State's Redbird Challenge last weekend. Competing against mostly Division I athletes, Braun finished second in the shot put and ranks 24th nationally with a throw of 12.76m. Her throw leads the Midwest Conference by almost a full meter. She also had the best discus throw for any non-DI competitor at the meet and her 37.98m toss ranks second in the MWC. Braun's 41.32m hammer throw ranked second to teammate Jillian Toth among all non-DI throwers and also ranks top-five in the MWC this season.