Marlborough, Mass.- The NEWMAC has announced its Athlete of the Week honorees for the week ending 9/28/25, presented by SKYBOKX 109.  The full list of honorees can be found below.
 
Field Hockey
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Meredith Wu (Fy., F/M), MIT
 
First year Meredith Wu (Southborough, Mass.) produced two goals and an assist in a 2-0 week for MIT. On Wednesday, she scored in the 13th minute at No. 9 Amherst as the Engineers went on to capture a 2-1 victory (2-0 in the shootout). In a 5-2 win over Clark on Saturday, Wu registered the first goal of the game after 3:02 elapsed and earned an assist on MIT's final goal, which came in the 54th minute.
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Maeve Zimmer (Jr., GK), MIT
 
Junior Maeve Zimmer (Rockville, Md.) collected 13 saves and allowed only two goals in a 2-0 week for MIT. On Wednesday, she generated eight saves during regulation and stopped all four attempts in the shootout to help the Engineers defeat No. 9 Amherst, 2-1 (2-0 shootout). In 53 minutes of action against Clark on Saturday, she made five saves and kept the Cougars off the scoreboard until the 48th minute as MIT posted a 5-2 victory.
 
Football
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Matthew LaBouliere (Jr., WR), U.S. Coast Guard Academy   
 
Junior Matthew LaBouliere (Pipersville, Penn.) turned in a record-setting performance in Saturday’s 49-21 win over WPI. The wideout hauled in eight receptions for 119 yards and found the end zone four times, setting a new single-game program record for touchdown receptions. His dominant effort powered the Bears’ offense and highlighted a statement conference victory.
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- James Minotti (So., LB), Salve Regina University
 
Sophomore James Minotti (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) paced the Seahawks’ defense with eight tackles, including five solo stops, and added an interception in the team’s 28-20 victory over SUNY Maritime.
 
Special Teams Athlete of the Week- Tyler Paladino, (Sr., DB), Springfield College
 
Senior Tyler Paladino (Cross River, N.Y.) returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown in Springfield's 31-7 win at MIT on Saturday. The senior defensive back also recorded an interception, two pass breakups, and a pair of tackles as Springfield opened its NEWMAC title defense with a victory.
Men’s Soccer
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Aidan Doyle (Sr., M), Wheaton College
 
Senior Aidan Doyle (Kingston, Mass.) tallied five points in two matches for Wheaton. The senior factored into all three goals against No. 18 Brandeis University on September 24 in Waltham, Mass. Doyle netted a pair of goals and assisted on the Lyons' third goal to give them a tie and preserve their unbeaten start to the 2025 season.
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Samuel Linkous (Jr., GK), U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Junior Samuel Linkous (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) was outstanding between the pipes, helping the Bears to a 2-0 week. He made three saves in a 3-1 victory over Rhode Island College on Tuesday before turning in a clutch performance on Saturday, stopping three shots—including a key save in the final five minutes—to preserve a 1-0 shutout over MIT.
 
Women’s Soccer
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Kaleigh Quinn (GS, F), Smith College
 
Graduate student Kaleigh Quinn (Bristol, R.I.) set the program record for goals in a game when she scored five against Nichols College in an 8-0 win, breaking a 15-year-old record. 
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Hailey Forman (So., GK), Emerson College  
 
Sophomore Hailey Forman (Saratoga, Calif.) had an incredible showing in Emerson's only match of the week. She made 11 saves in a NEWMAC road contest against Salve Regina on Saturday (Sept. 27), allowing her team to come from behind and pick up the three points with a 2-1 win. After getting beaten by the first shot she faced in the 12th minute of the match, Forman locked in. She stopped five Seahawks opportunities in the first half and six in the second to help push the Lions to 2-0 in the conference standings.
 
Volleyball
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Madeline Barton (Sr., OH), Mount Holyoke College
 
Senior Madeline Barton (Brookfield, Wis.) averaged 5.19 points, 4.50 kills, a .301 attack percentage, 0.63 aces, and 3.75 digs per set in a 1-1 week for the Lyons. Barton had 19 kills with a .390 attack percentage, 3 aces, and 15 digs in a 3-1 win over Salve Regina on Saturday, after posting 17 kills and 15 digs in a 3-1 loss to Emerson. Barton leads the NEWMAC with 4.11 kills and 4.63 points per set.
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Daphne Gavros (Sr., L), MIT

Senior Daphne Gavros (Belle Tiburon, Calif.) tallied 32 digs, 10 assists, and three aces in a 2-0 week for No. 16 MIT. She produced 18 digs, four assists, and two aces in a 25-15, 25-22, 21-25, 25-20 victory at WPI on Tuesday. Her performance resulted in her becoming the 18th player in program history to record 1,000 career digs. Gavros then led all players with 14 digs and added six assists and an ace in a 25-20, 25-19, 25-17 win at Coast Guard on Saturday.
 
About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.