Kansas City, Mo. – Central Oklahoma’s Clay McKenzie has been named the MIAA/AstroTurf Football Offensive Athlete of the Week. ESU’s A.J. West earned Defensive Athlete of the Week honors with PSU’s Slade Nordic earning Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors.

MIAA/AstroTurf Offensive Athlete of the Week
Clay McKenzie, RB, Central Oklahoma

McKenzie powered UCO to its fourth win in five games with a 48-17 road rout of Northeastern State, rushing for 248 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries. The sophomore running back scored on runs of 3, 6 and 40 yards in the third-highest rushing game in school history, with his 40-yard TD scamper breaking an early 3-3 tie to give UCO the lead for good. McKenzie also caught three passes for 28 yards, giving him 276 all-purpose yards for the 8th-best game in school history. The 5-11 sophomore running back is a native of Callisburg, Texas where he competed at Callisburg High School.

MIAA/AstroTurf Defensive Athlete of the Week
A.J. West, DB, Emporia State

West had seven tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception return for a touchdown in the Hornets 47-21 win over Washburn. He recovered a fumble on WUs first possession of the second quarter and returned it ten yards to the Ichabod 21 yard line. Three plays later the Hornets scored to go up 23-0. The Hornets held the Ichabods without a first down on their first four possessions of the game until midway through the second quarter. On their fifth drive West intercepted a pass and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown and a 30-0 lead with 8:21 left in the half. The 5-10 sophomore defensive back is a native of Yukon, Okla. where he competed at Yukon High School.

MIAA/AstroTurf Special Teams Athlete of the Week
Slade Nordic, KR, Pittsburg State

Nordic sparked Pittsburg State University by returning the opening kickoff of the game 100 yards for a score, setting the tone early in the Gorillas 41-14 victory over Missouri Southern State University Saturday (Oct. 31). The Bartlesville, Okla., became the fourth player in Pitt State history to record a 100-yard kickoff return, the first since John Brown did so against Washburn on Nov. 5, 2011. He also became the 17th player in MIAA history to return a kickoff 100 yards. Nordic is a redshirt freshman return specialist who came to Pitt State from Bartlesville (Okla.) High School.

— MIAA Press Release —