The Scholar Athlete of the Week Award is presented to a MAC male and/or female student-athlete who has a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and performs well during that week's competition. An institution can nominate up to one male and one female student-athlete per week in any of that current season's sports. The winners are selected by a representative of the MAC's Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs).
Male Scholar Athlete of the Week: September 13th-17th, 2021
Institution: NIU
Name: Armin Koschtojan
Sport: Tennis
Position:
Year: Sophomore
GPA: 4.0
Major: Business Administration
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Koschtojan won both his singles and doubles flights this weekend as NIU men’s tennis opened its fall schedule with the River Forest Collegiate Invitational. He teamed up with Mikael Vollbach to go 3-0 in the number three doubles flight, defeating duos from Eastern Illinois, Xavier and Illinois State by scores of 6-0, 6-3 and 6-3 respectively. The sophomore was a perfect 3-0 in his singles flight, winning two of his matches in three sets.
Female Scholar Athlete of the Week: September 13th-17th, 2021
Institution: University of Toledo
Name: Taylor Alt
Sport: Volleyball
Position: Outside Hitter
Year: Sophomore
GPA: 3.875
Major: Speech Language Pathology
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Sophomore Taylor Alt averaged 3.62 kills/set and was named Tournament MVP over the weekend at Toledo’s Blue & Gold Tournament. She tallied two double-doubles, registering 19 kills and 10 digs against South Dakota State and 18 kills with 10 digs against Valparaiso. Alt has been one of the best players in the MAC this season, ranking first in scoring (4.56 points/set) and second in kills (3.68/set).
Other Male Nominees
Institution: Ball State
Name: Joey Ranieri
Sport: Golf
Position: Golfer
Year: Senior
GPA: 3.464
Major: Marketing
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
It was a phenomenal start to the 2021-22 season for Ball State senior golfer Joey Ranieri, as he carded a 54-hole score of 212 to finish tied for fifth among 84 golfers at the Hoosier Collegiate Invite.
After shooting 68 to tie for the lowest opening-round score Sunday at the Pfau Course at Indiana University, Ranieri followed with back-to-back rounds of 72 to conclude the two-day event at -1, four strokes behind event winner Drew Salyers from Indiana.
Ranieri's 68 in the opening round ties as the second-lowest round of his career, as does his 54-hole total score of 212. The last time he scored that low was at the Trinity Forest Invitational (Sept. 22-24, 2019) when he carded a career-low second round of 67 on the way to a total score of 212.
His lowest career 54-hole score, a 209, came one week earlier at the Golfweek Conference Challenge (Sept. 15-17, 2019). Led by Ranieri's effort, the Cardinals finished in a three-way tie for seventh among a strong 15-team field with a score of 888 (+36). Cincinnati and No. 10 Illinois tied for the team win, with each squad shooting 858 (+6). Host Indiana was third at 860 (+8).
Institution: Buffalo
Name: Jack Klenk
Sport: Football
Position: Offensive Line
Year: Senior
GPA: 3.833
Major: Operations & Supply Chain Management, MS
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Senior Jack Klenk helped lead an offensive line that again did not allow a sack as the Bulls went into Lincoln to face Nebraska. In all, the Bulls had 359 yards of total offense and overall, UB had four-minute advantage in time of possession.
Institution: Eastern Michigan
Name: Jake Julien
Sport: Football
Position: Punter
Year: Senior
GPA: 3.12
Major: Communications
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Senior punter Jake Julien, a nominee for the 2021 Ray Guy Award, got off to an excellent start to the 2021 season in EMU's 35-15, season-opening win over Saint Francis, Sept. 3. The Barrie, Ontario native booted four balls for a total of 184 yards. His 46.0 yards per punt average in the game was well above his 43.4 career average, which is already atop the EMU record books (tied with Rich Hanschu).
Julien followed his hot start with an even better game against Wisconsin, Sept. 11. Racking up eight punts for the third time in his career, Julien punted for 411 total yards, good for an average of 51.4 yards per kick.
Julien's 49.6 yards per punt in 2021 ranks seventh in the nation and first in the MAC.
Institution: Kent State
Name: Marquez Cooper
Sport: Football
Position: Running Back
Year: Sophomore
GPA: 3.434
Major: Physical Education
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Marquez Cooper rushed for a career-high 119 yards and a touchdown as the #FlashFAST offense put 60 points on the scoreboard for the fifth time in program history during Saturday’s home opener. Cooper’s 66-yard run during the second quarter was the longest by a Kent State player in nearly two years and helped the Golden Flashes total 494 rushing yards in the game, which is 75 more than any other FBS team this season.
Institution: Miami
Name: Mike Brown
Sport: Football
Position: Defensive Back
Year: Senior
GPA: 3.18
Major: Sport Leadership and Management
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Mike Brown had a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss and added seven stops in total as the RedHawks nearly upset Minnesota, falling 31-26. Brown and the Miami secondary allowed zero passing yards in the second half as the RedHawks nearly erased a 21-3 halftime deficit.
Institution: University of Toledo
Name: Bailey Flint
Sport: Football
Position: Punter
Year: Senior
GPA: 3.87 (Undergraduate)/3.95 (Graduate)
Major: Media Communication and Theater (Undergraduate)/Master of Liberal Studies w/ Theater focus
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Bailey Flint averaged 45.4 yards on seven punts, including boots of 68 and 57 yards in the first half in Toledo’s 32-29 defeat at No. 7 Notre Dame. His 68-yarder went out at the nine-yard line. He also pinned the Irish at their own four-yard line with a 35-yard kick in the second quarter.
Other Female Nominees
Institution: Buffalo
Name: Katherine Camper
Sport: Women’s Soccer
Position: Midfielder
Year: Senior
GPA: 3.987
Major: Biological Sciences
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Senior Katherine Camper had a strong performance for Buffalo as she scored a goal and assisted on the game-winner as the Bulls defeated Duquesne 4-0 on Sunday afternoon for the team’s fifth straight win and third consecutive shutout victory.
Institution: Eastern Michigan
Name: Raeven Chase
Sport: Volleyball
Position: Middle Blocker
Year: Redshirt Sophomore
GPA: 3.38
Major: Exercise Science - Intent
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Eastern Michigan posted a 2-1 record at the UIC Invitational last weekend with redshirt sophomore
Raeven Chase (Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Michael Power St. Joseph Catholic) leading both the Eagle offense and defense. Offensively, the middle blocker tallied 31 total kills for a 3.10 kills-per-set average over the three matches. Chase also boasted a team-high .482 hitting percentage (31-4-56) and averaged 3.90 points per set. Defensively, the redshirt sophomore recorded a team-high 11 blocks (5-6) for a 1.10 blocks-per-set average over the three matches. The redshirt sophomore opened the tournament with a team-best 10 kills with a .421 hitting percentage (10-2-19) and three blocks (2-1) in a three-set loss to Chicago State, Sept. 10. Then, Chase posted another 10-kill performance in a 3-1 win over the host UIC, Sept. 10. Additionally, the middle blocker boasted a .348% clip (10-2-23) and added four blocks (2-2). Chase finished the weekend strong with 11 kills, four blocks (1-3), two digs, and a season high in hitting percentage at .786 (11-0-14). The redshirt sophomore leads the Mid-American Conference averaging 1.07 blocks per set and ranks third on the team averaging 2.57 kills per set (72 total).
Institution: Kent State
Name: Luisa Knapp
Sport: Field Hockey
Position: Forward
Year: Senior
GPA: 3.794
Major: Human Development/Family Studies
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Luisa Knapp scored in both matches against ranked opponents and totaled five points to lead #23 Kent State this past weekend. Knapp scored the Golden Flashes’ lone goal against 5th-ranked Northwestern on Friday. She gave Kent State a 2-1 lead during the third period Saturday against #25 Maine and added an assist off a penalty corner for a 3-2 lead later in the period.
Institution: Miami
Name: Isabelle Perese
Sport: Field Hockey
Position: Goalkeeper
Year: Junior
GPA: 3.74
Major: Special Education
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Perese was stunning over the weekend, making nine saves on the weekend and allowing only two goals, both of which came on the road in a loss to No. 10 Virginia. UVA scored on a stroke and then on a field goal that was batted in from the air. iIn the game against Richmond, Perese made seven saves, many of the acrobatic variety, to keep a clean sheet in a 3-0 shutout.
Institution: NIU
Name: Ella Mihacevich
Sport: Volleyball
Position: Outside Hitter
Year: Sophomore
GPA: 3.511
Major: Accountancy
Week’s Achievements (detailed description of week’s events):
Mihacevich averaged over three kills per set and hit .356 for the weekend as NIU went 3-0 at the Buccaneer Invitational at Charleston Southern. She opened the tournament with 10 kills and a .350 hitting percentage in the Huskies’ 3-0 sweep of Bethune-Cookman Friday morning. On Friday night, Mihacevich filled the box score with eight kills, seven digs, two aces and three blocks in a four-set win over The Citadel. She put down a career-high 16 kills on Saturday morning in a 3-1 victory over Charleston Southern, hitting .481 with three digs and three blocks.
