Contact: Brock Reisler, Assistant Executive Director, breisler@midwestconference.org
HILBERT, Wisconsin – The Midwest Conference (MWC) announced its Performers of the Week award recipients for games played September 14-20, 2026, on Monday.
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 fall season, Performers of the Week will be recognized every week on Monday (football, soccer) and Tuesday (cross country, women’s tennis, volleyball) 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:
Football Offensive Performer of the Week
Nate Wrublik, Monmouth College
Nate Wrublik finished with 170 rushing yards and four touchdowns at Cornell on Saturday. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry and also added a 12-yard reception. Wrublik scored on runs of 14, 5, 2 and 34 with two touchdowns in each half of Monmouth's 42-7 win.
Football Defensive Performer of the Week
Desean Smith, Ripon College
Smith recorded three tackles for loss and a seven-yard sack in Saturday's 30-7 win over Knox. Smith also stuffed a rush attempt for a two-yard loss to force a safety in the fourth quarter and currently sits tied for fifth-most sacks in the MWC this season.
Football Special Teams Performer of the Week
Sean Medcalfe, Luther College
In Saturday’s 28-0 win at Beloit, Medcalfe punted five times for 236 yards for an average of 47.2 and a long of 54. Four of the five punts were inside the 20-yard line and two were 50 yards or more with no touchbacks. He also kicked off five times for 284 yards with two touchbacks and an average of 56.8. Medcalfe was also 4-for-4 on PATs.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Performer of the Week
Samuel Gojjam, Grinnell College
Gojjam was a scoring machine while helping Grinnell to a pair of victories. His goal in the 75th minute helped Grinnell beat Central College 4-1, and his goals in the second and 50th minutes propelled the Pioneers past Monmouth College 4-0. His efforts have helped Grinnell to a 6-0 mark, its best start since 1993. Gojjam ranks second in the league in goals per game with .833 and points per game with 2.17.
Men’s Soccer Defensive Performer of the Week
Jack Alexander, Grinnell College
Alexander continued his stingy performance at keeper, holding teams to no goals in 158 minutes of action over two contests. He posted two saves while working 81 minutes in a 4-1 victory over Central College and had three saves in 77 minutes against Monmouth College. His efforts have helped Grinnell to a 6-0 mark, its best start since 1993. Alexander leads the league in goals against average (0.36), save percentage (.885) and shutouts (2).
Women’s Soccer Offensive Performer of the Week
Annabelle Schroeder, Lake Forest College
Schroeder turned in her first career hat trick and added a pair of assists for an 8-point performance at Cornell on Sunday. The junior midfielder netted the game's first goal in the eighth minute and assisted on the next two scores. Her second tally of the contest made it a 5-0 game less than 30 minutes in and she accounted for the final score at the 51:17 mark. She played just 40 minutes on the day and tied the eighth-highest single-game point total in team history.
Women’s Soccer Defensive Performer of the Week
Gwendolynn Stewart, Knox College
Stewart has been outstanding for the Prairie Fire on the backline, playing disciplined defense. Against regionally ranked Illinois Wesleyan, Stewart played a big part in helping keep the Titan forwards at bay for 80 minutes of shutout soccer. She also helped Knox's defense shut out Ripon in the MWC opener on Saturday.