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 April 20-26, 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 Outdoor Track Performer of the Week
Jake Bach, Cornell College
Bach clocked the fastest 1500-meter time in the MWC – and No. 25 in Division III – at the Kip Janvrin Open. The junior placed 11th out of 102 finishers in 3:51.35. Bach also ran on the third-place distance medley relay at the Drake Relays. The group finished in 10:01.37.
Men’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Week
Melvin Hodge, Illinois College
Hodge set a school record for the third straight week by uncorking the nation's third-best hammer throw mark of the year with a toss of 60.60 meters at the Monmouth Thursday Twilight Special. Hodge then competed at the Drake Relays on Saturday and placed 15th in the hammer throw with a toss of 58.84 meters.
Women’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Week
Ava Claussen-Tubbs, Cornell College
Claussen-Tubbs was the top Division III finisher in the Unseeded University/College Division 800-meter Run at the Drake Relays, placing 11th out of 20 competitors in 2:13.97. The senior also anchored the school-record setting distance medley relay at Drake. The relay finished runner-up in the Iowa College Division in 12:18.22.
Women’s Outdoor Field Performer of the Week
Kayla Braun, Monmouth College
Kayla Braun jumped to fourth nationally with a new PR of 14.00m in the shot put at Thursday night's home meet. Her throw ranks third in Monmouth history and leads the MWC by 1.33m. Braun won the discus on Thursday night at 39.47m, a season-best throw that ranks second in the MWC. She also set a new PR in the hammer at 45.19 which finished third on the meet and ranks third in the MWC this season.