NEWTOWN, Pa. – Seven Lebanon Valley College student-athletes from five teams were honored by the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) for their contributions during the last week of competition, as the conference office announced its weekly awards in a release on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Senior guard
Riley Hevelow was recognized for her production in the past two victories for Lebanon Valley's women's basketball team, as she was named the MAC Freedom Player of the Week. Senior goaltender
Chris Branch was also chosen as the MAC Ice Hockey Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the LVC men's ice hockey team's split of its series with King's. Additionally, first-year forward
Addi Alaoui was selected as the MAC Ice Hockey Offensive Player of the Week for playing a key role in Lebanon Valley's women's ice hockey team sweeping the weekend series against King's College.
Lebanon Valley College's men's and women's indoor track and field teams both swept the conference weekly honors after delivering strong performances in the Dutchmen Invitational. For the men's squad, senior
Sam Rothstein was listed as the MAC Track Athlete of the Week, and junior
Graison Michajluk received MAC Field Athlete of the Week accolades. LVC's women's indoor track and field program was also recognized, as first-year
Gabrielle Welter was named the MAC Track Athlete of the Week, and sophomore
Tola Oyinkolade earned MAC Field Athlete of the Week honors.
Hevelow powered Dutchmen Women's Basketball to two conference wins while extending the program's win streak to 10 games. The senior totaled 34 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals across the week while playing 79 of a possible 80 minutes. She opened with 21 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals in a 73-66 win at King's on Wednesday, Jan. 7, scoring 11 points in the final five minutes to fend off a comeback. Hevelow added 13 points and three steals in a 62-43 win over Misericordia University on Saturday, Jan. 10, playing all 40 minutes and helping LVC build a 12-point halftime lead. This marks the senior's third MAC Freedom Player of the Week award of the season, and her fifth career conference weekly honor. The Dutchmen have now been presented with four weekly awards from the conference during the campaign.
Branch made 63 saves in a weekend split with King's as Lebanon Valley's men's ice hockey team returned from the semester break. He opened with 30 saves in a 5-1 road win, stopping 11 of 12 shots in the third period. Branch followed with 33 saves in Saturday's 5-4 loss, including a perfect 13-for-13 effort in the third period. This is Branch's second MAC Ice Hockey Defensive Player of the Week honor of the winter, marking the fifth time he has been presented with the award in his career. The goaltender has earned each of LVC's two weekly honors this season.
Alaoui totaled seven points in the LVC women's ice hockey team's dominant sweep of King's, as the Dutchmen outscored the Monarchs 17-0. The first-year scored three goals—including a game-winner—and added four assists while finishing +7 on the ice. She opened the weekend with a goal and two assists in a 7-0 victory on Friday, Jan. 9, and then posted two goals and two assists in a 10-0 win on Saturday, helping LVC set a program record for goals and points in a single game. This is Alaoui's first career conference weekly award. Lebanon Valley has earned seven weekly honors from the MAC thus far in the 2025-26 campaign.
Rothstein broke an 11-year facility record in the mile at the Dutchmen Invitational on Friday, running a MAC Championships–qualifying time of 4:29.96 for Lebanon Valley's men's indoor track and field team, eclipsing the previous facility record set in 2015. His converted time of 4:28.37 ranks second in the MAC, sixth in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and 49th nationally this season. Rothstein's first weekly award of the season marks the second of his career, as he was also named the MAC Track Athlete of the Week on Jan. 22, 2024.
Michajluk set a new school record in the heptathlon with a total of 4,141 points, qualifying for the MAC and AARTFC Championships. The junior broke the previous program record set in 2017 and posted career-best marks in three events, including the 55 meters, long jump, and pole vault. His converted score of 4,147 ranks second in the MAC, fourth in the AARTFC, and 24th nationally. Michajluk's first MAC Field Athlete of the Week honor is the second of his career. He was recognized on Jan. 13, 2025, as well. Additionally, Lebanon Valley's sweep of the awards marks the men's indoor track and field team's first two honors of the season.
Welter broke a 31-year-old school record in the 55-meter dash at the Dutchmen Invitational on Friday, running 7.39 in the prelims and 7.40 in the finals for LVC's women's indoor track and field team. Her converted 60-meter time of 7.96 seconds ranks second in the MAC and eighth in the Mid-Atlantic Region. She also placed in the 300 meters with a time that ranks fourth in program history. This is Welter's first career conference weekly award.
Oyinkolade delivered two of the top jumping performances in the conference at the Dutchmen Invitational on Friday. She recorded a career-best long jump of 5.31 meters, ranking second in the MAC and 40th nationally, and followed with a career-best triple jump of 10.60 meters, the top mark in the conference. She also posted a career-best time in the 55 meters. This also marks Oyinkolade's first career MAC weekly award. The sweep of the weekly honors marks the women's indoor track and field team's first two of the campaign.
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