Release courtesy of Laura Johnson ’18, Gustavus Sports Information Intern
ST. PETER, Minn. – Gustavus Junior Women’s Basketball Guard Mikayla Miller (Goodhue, Minn.) and Sophomore Swimmer Tanner Sonnek (North Mankato, Minn.) have been selected as the Gustavus Adolphus College November Female and Male Student-Athletes-of-the-Month, presented by Thrivent Financial and voted on by the Gustavus Sports Information Department.
Mikayla Miller
Women’s Basketball
Hometown: Goodhue, Minn.
High School: Goodhue
Major: Education
Parents: Dave and Joy Miller of Goodhue, Minn.
In the month of November, the Gustavus women’s Basketball team owned a 6-0 record and was led by Miller who recorded 35 made field goals (.432) and tallied a impressive 88.5 percentage (23-26) from the free throw line, totaling 102 points which ranks second in the MIAC. She leads the MIAC and ranks second in the NCAA with a notable 31 steals. Miller ranks second in the MIAC in scoring at 17.0 points per game and recently put up a career-high 34 points in a 67-47 win against UW-La Crosse (Nov. 22), followed by a 26-point performance in the Gusties’ 83-71 win against Buena Vista (Nov. 26). For her performances during that week, Miller was named MIAC Athlete of the Week as well as U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Player of the Week. In a matchup against Buena Vista, Miller missed only one of her 20 free throw attempts and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. After starting six games, she averages 5.2 assists per game and 3.3 rebounds per game.
Tanner Sonnek
Men’s Swimming
Hometown: North Mankato, Minn.
High School: Mankato West
Major: Undeclared
Parents: Troy and Julie Sonnek of North Mankato, Minn.
Gustavus swimmer Sonnek has shown consistently outstanding performances this season and has lead his team to victory on several occasions. In the Gusties first meet of the season facing UW-Stevens Point, Sonnek placed first in 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 58.73 along with a first place finish in the 200-yard breastroke at 2:10.77 (Nov. 5). Sonnek placed first in all three of his events against St. Olaf, achieving season highs of 57.94 in 100-yard breastroke, which ranks second in the MIAC, and 2:00.46 in 200-yard IM, moving him up to second fastest in the MIAC. Most recently at the Gusties’ home Grace Goblirsch Invitational, Sonnek won both of his individual events, racing to victory in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:10.75 and the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:01.56, that ranks him ninth fastest in the MIAC. His two first-place finishes helped Gustavus rack up 1,321 total points to win by a wide margin, en route to earning MIAC Athlete of the Week. This season, Sonnek ranks first in the MIAC in the 200-breast by more than four seconds with his season-best time of 2:09.69.