Marlborough, Mass.- The NEWMAC has announced its Athlete of the Week honorees for the week ending 1/4/26, presented by SKYBOKX 109 Bar & Grill in Natick, Massachusetts. The full list of honorees can be found below.
 
Men’s Basketball
 
Offensive Athlete of the Week- Dimetri Iafrate (Jr., G), Wheaton College
 
Junior Dimetri Iafrate (Johnston, R.I.) averaged 26.0 points and 5.5 assists per game over two games to go with a gaudy 61.2% (19-31) field goal percentage, including a remarkable 58.3% (7-12) clip from three-point range, in addition to pulling down 4.0 rebounds and coming up with 4.0 steals per game. The guard erupted for a career-high 29 points on 11-19 shooting, including 4-7 from long range and added four assists, five boards and three steals in a 82-78 win over Middlebury College in the opening round of the Dr. Carol V. De Costa/Go 4 the Goal Tournament hosted by Medgar Evers College on December 28 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Iafrate came back the next day to net 23 points on a tidy 8-12 from the field and was 3-5 from three-point range, while handing out seven assists, grabbing three rebounds and coming up with five steals vs. Bridgewater College (Va.) in the tournament's championship game. The Ocean State native was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
 
Defensive Athlete of the Week- Tyler Lauder (Sr., F), Babson College
 
Senior Tyler Lauder (Malvern, Pa.) finished with a season-high four blocked shots and grabbed 11 rebounds in last Wednesday’s 83-77 OT loss at No. 22 Johns Hopkins. He recorded all four of his blocked shots and nine of his 11 rebounds in the second half and overtime. 
 
Women’s Basketball
 
Offensive and Defensive Athlete of the Week- Amanda Leary (Sr., G), Springfield College
 
Senior Amanda Leary (Westbury, N.Y.), was named the MVP of the 2026 Naismith Classic following victories for the Pride over Rivier and No. 25 Colby College, as she totaled 37 points (18.5 per game) and 22 rebounds (11 per game) to go along with four assists, four steals and one block in just over 50 minutes on the court. Leary shot at a .714 clip from the floor, burying 15 of her 21 attempts, and went 7 for 9 at the free-throw line. Leary and the Springfield defense held the nationally ranked Mules to a season-low 39 points, a season-low 15 field goals made, and a season-low 29.4 percent shooting from the floor.
 
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.