MADISON, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Three UW-Eau Claire student-athletes have been named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Athletes of the Week, WIAC Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations Matt Stanek announced today.

Selected this week were football running back Joel Sweeney (Jr.-Tomah, Wis.), men's hockey player Isaiah Bennis (Sr.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) and men's diver Nick Badilla (Sr.-Appleton, Wis./North).

Sweeney had a career day as the Blugolds beat UW-River Falls 28-7 on Nov. 10.  He completed the game with 281 rushing yards, a mark that ranks fourth best on the Blugolds' single game rushing records list.  He carried the ball 32 times, an average of 8.8 yards per carry. Sweeney also had two rushing touchdowns, the first being a 65-yard run, tying for the 19th-longest run in school history.  For the season, Sweeney finished with 1,223 rushing yards and 264 carries, which both rank fifth best in a single season for UW-Eau Claire.

Bennis helped lead the Blugolds to their sixth straight win as they defeated College of St. Scholastica (Minn.) twice.  In a 5-1 victory on Nov. 9, Bennis scored the Blugolds' second goal of the night, which eventually proved to be the game-winner, midway through the second period. He also scored the Blugolds' final goal and assisted on the team's first goal. On Nov. 10, Bennis scored the team's second goal of the night late in the first period and later scored on an empty net with 12 seconds remaining in the game as the Blugolds won 7-5.  He also assisted on the Blugolds' third goal of the game.  Bennis totaled 11 shots on the weekend, second most on the team.  For the season, he has four goals and two assists, all of which came this weekend.

In a 121-120 dual victory at UW-La Crosse on Nov. 10, Badilla won one diving event, while taking second in another.  He claimed the three-meter with a score of 295.95, while taking second in the one-meter with a score of 230.05.

-KM-