Four Hope College student-athletes have been named MIAA Athletes of the Week in their respective sports: men’s swimmer Ben Catton, women’s diver Abby Koops, football running back Dan Romano, women’s swimmer Laurel Wasiniak.
This is the fifth career MIAA weekly honor for Koops and the first for Catton, Romano and Wasiniak.
Koops is the MIAA Women’s Diving Athlete of the Week for the first time this season.
The sophomore from Grand Rapids, Michigan (Forest Hills Northern HS) won the 1-meter dive at a quad meet hosted by NCAA Division II Davenport University last weekend by posting a six-dive score of 254.34 points.
A nursing major, Koops finished third on the 3-meter board and was the top Division III entrant with a six-dive total of 254.48 points.
Wasiniak is the MIAA Women’s Swimming Athlete of the Week. The freshman from Northville, Michigan (Northville) broke a Hope College individual and relay record during the D3 Shootout at the University of Chicago last weekend.
Wasiniak started her weekend anchoring the 200 medley relay with a field-leading split of 22.97. The relay finished third in the meet and currently ranks fifth in the country. Two events later, she broke Hope’s 200 free record by finishing second with a time that currently ranks third nationally (1:59.63). Her third event on Friday was the 800 free relay. Wasiniak and her teammates combined to break the meet record and Hope’s school record, along with posting a time that is currently second in the country.
On Saturday, Wasiniak anchored the 400 medley relay in 50.01. The relay’s final time currently ranks second nationally. Her second swim on Saturday was the 100 free where she placed second in a time of 51.32, which is currently the No. 2 time in the country. In Wasiniak’s final swim of the weekend, she led off the third-place 200 free relay in a time of 23.78. The relay currently ranks seventh nationally, but Wasiniak’s leadoff is currently the fifth-fastest 50 freestyle in Division III.
Catton is the MIAA Men’s Swimming Athlete of the Week. The junior from Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian) excelled during the D3 Shootout at the University of Chicago last weekend.
Catton’s first event of the weekend was the 200 medley relay. He posted the fastest 50 back in the field, leading off the medley relay. Catton’s second event was the 50 free where he placed fourth with a top-25 time in the NCAA so far this year. Later, Catton swam the 100 back and placed third in a time of 50.70 which is currently the seventh-fastest time in the country.
On Saturday, Catton swam the butterfly leg of the medley this time around. The medley relay’s fourth-place finish and time of 3:25.08 is currently seventh in the country. He later swam in the 100 fly event and went 49.54, which is currently the eighth-fastest time in the country. Catton concluded the weekend as the leadoff in the mixed 400 freestyle relay, where they placed second. His leadoff time also sits in the top 25 of 100 freestyles this season.
Romano, the MIAA Football Offensive Athlete of the Week, ran for a game-high 224 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries during a 28-21 victory at Trine University on Saturday.
The senior from Royal Oak, Michigan (Shrine Catholic) recorded his second career 200-yard game and scored the Flying Dutchmen’s first touchdown of the game.
A biomedical and bioelectrical engineering major, Romano helped seal the victory and a season-ending, three-game winning streak with a 41-yard run during the game’s final drive.
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