Vote now: Who should be SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week?

By Chris Short 

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for April 24-30. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, email nate@scorebooklive.com. 

Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes who receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified. 

Marcus Blount, Clinton Prince of Peace Catholic boys soccer

The Irish senior had a goal and two assists to teammate Carso DeBo in a 4-3 win over Beckman Catholic. He also scored his team’s only goal in a 7-1 loss to West Branch, a 2-1 loss to Columbus Catholic and 7-1 loss to St. Albert. Blount has 22 goals and nine assists – both team highs.

Adrienne Buettner-Cable, Des Moines Roosevelt girls track

The Roughriders’ senior won the 800 (2:10.62) and the Elite mile (4:49.58) at the Drake Relays. Buettner-Cable trailed for the first three laps but closed with the fastest 400 split of the race at 1:11.21.

Jeena Carle, Council Bluffs Lincoln girls tennis

The Lynx standout No. 1 won all three of her matches at the CB City Meet and won a pair of matches against Sargent Bluff-Luton and LeMars to improve to 14-0 on the season.

Morgan Crees, Panorama girls soccer

The Panthers’ freshman had an outstanding game with three goals and three assists in an 8-2 triumph over Ballard. She followed by scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Sioux City North. She has 24 goals on the season.

Addi Dorenkamp, West Des Moines Valley girls track

The Valley Tiger finished third in 4:51.45 in the Elite Mile at the Drake Relays.

Duke Faley, Dubuque Wahlert boys field

The Golden Eagle senior picked up the Drake Relays discus title with a throw of 187-5.

Ali Fransden, Ames girls track

The senior was a double winner at the Drake Relays. She won the 100-meter hurdles crown in 14.33 Friday at Drake Stadium and returned to the track Saturday and took the 400 hurdles title in 1:01.16. She became the seventh girl in meet history to win both individual hurdle events at Iowa’s most famous meet.

Gesser Gutierres, Greene County boys soccer

The junior led the Rams to a pair of victories, scoring four goals in a 10-0 rout of Logan-Magnolia and all three goals in a 3-2 triumph over Perry. Gutierres is second in the state and tops in Class 2A in scoring with 24 goals.

Grayson Hartman, Cedar Rapids Xavier boys track

The Saints senior clocked a sizzling time of 14.10 to win the Drake Relays 110 hurdles title. He earlier ran a time of 14.05 in the prelims. Both times are the best in the state this season.

Jackson Heidesch, West Des Moines Dowling boys track

The Maroon finished second behind Oregon commit Simeon Burnbaum of Stevens (SD) in the Drake Relays Elite Mile. Heidesch, who will run at Duke, clocked a 4:02.76 just behind Burnbaum’s 4:02.36. Heideisch had the lead at both the 400 and 1,200 marks, but could not hold off Burnbaum, who closed in 58.94 to the 59.61 time of Heidesch. Those were the two fastest splits of the race.

Natalie Henson, Marshalltown girls golf

The Bobcat sophomore turned in the state’s best 18-hole score, shooting a 68 to win the Linda Bloom Invite at the American Legion Post #46 golf course in Marshalltown.

Addison Hoben, Spencer girls soccer

The Tigers rolled to three blowout victories last week, outscoring opponents 33-0 behind the play of Hoben. The sophomore scored five goals in a 10-0 victory over Sioux City West, then hit the back of the net four times in a 12-0 win over Storm Lake, and finished the week with a seven-goal performance in an 11-0 triumph over Western Christian. She leads the state with 38 goals – 10 ahead of the next closest scorer.

Caden Johnson, Glenwood boys soccer

The Rams’ senior scored four goals in a 10-0 rout of Kuemper and hit the back of the net three times in a 6-2 win over Harlan. He has 23 goals, placing him third in the state.

Spencer Kessel, Louisa-Muscatine boys track

The Falcon won the shot put with a throw of 62-3.5 and picked up a fifth in the discus. He became the first L-M athlete to win a Drake Relays title.

Jacob Kieler, Cedar Falls boys track

The Tiger senior was the lone athlete to safely make it over the bar at 6-foot-10, earning himself the high jump title at the Drake Relays.

Chase Lauman, Pella boys track

The Dutch senior clocked a time of 9:06.71 to hold off Sioux City North’s Gabe Nash in earning the title in the 3,200-meter race at the Drake Relays. The UNI recruit clocked 400 splits of 67 seconds, 66 seconds and 66 seconds before closing in a final lap time of 1:01.41.

Eden Lohrbach, Gilbert girls golf

The Tiger junior claimed medalist honors at the Turk Bowman Invite with a 75 at Veenker Golf Course in Ames

Ethan & Easton Moon, North Polk boys tennis

The brother tandem both went 4-0 last week for the Comets. Ethan, a senior, is 13-0 on the season in Position 1 matches, while sophomore Easton is also 13-0 from Position 2.

Charlee Morton, Hampton-Dumont/CAL girls track

The Bulldog claimed golds in both throwing events at the Drake Relays, winning the shot put with a hurl of 43-3.5 and discus with a throw of 146-3. Morton’s winning throw is the best in the state this season and broke her own school record by 13 feet.

Paityn Noe, Ballard (Huxley) girls track

The Bombers’ distance runner won the 3000 in 9:28.89 at the Drake Relays and just missed out on a title in the Elite Mile, placing second. She set the pace for the first three laps and finished with a time of 4:49.91.

Tyler Nolder, Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys soccer

The senior has been dishing out assists all season long, and last week was no different as Nolder had four assists in both wins over Hudson and Belmond-Klemme, He also scored a goal in a 2-0 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock and 8-1 win over B-K. He has 28 assists and 13 goals on the season for the 11-0 Rebels.

Isabelle Noring, Carlisle girls field

The Wildcat senior repeated as the long jump champion at the Drake Relays. She leaped 18-10 on her third attempt in preliminary competition after defaulting on her first two tries.

Maddie Olson, Sheldon girls field

The Orab went over the bar at 5 feet 8 inches to win the Drake Relays high jump.

Lucas Persson, North Scott boys tennis

The Lancers’ Position 1 ace had a big week, winning all three singles matches by a combined 30-4 in the Clinton Invitational and also won dual meet matches vs. Davenport Assumption and Clinton to improve to 13-1 on the season.

Maura Peters, Pleasant Valley girls golf

The Spartan senior claimed medalist honors, edging Addie Berg of Cedar Rapids Prairie by a stroke with a 71 at the Linn-Mar Invitational at Hunters Ridge Golf Course. Her round of 71 is the second lowest score in the state this spring.

Isabella Pettersen, Iowa City Liberty girls golf

The Lightning junior fired a 71, which is tied for the second lowest score in the state, in the Iowa City Invitational at Pleasant Valley Golf Course.

Hannah Pettitt, Waukee Northwest girls golf

The Wolves’ junior carded a 71, which is tied for the second lowest score in the state, in the Linda Bloom Invite in Marshalltown.

Morgan Russmann, Pleasant Valley girls soccer

The Spartans got three huge performances from Russmann. The junior scored three of her team’s goals in a 4-0 win over Muscatine, then scored all three goals in a 3-0 win over Normal West (Ill.) and scored the game’s only goal in a victory over Whitefish Bay (Wis.).

Ryce Reynolds, Mount Ayr boys track

The Raider won a thrilling Drake Relays 400 in 48.46 as four runners crossed the finish line within an eyelash of each other.

Abu Sama, Southeast Polk boys field

The future Iowa State Cyclone running back won the Drake Relays long jump with a leap of 23-6.25.

Jaidyn Sellers, Panorama girls track

Jaidyn Sellers of Panorama of Panora took the 100 in 12.23 and the 400 in 56.24 at the Drake Relays.

Ammon Smith, Iowa City High boys track

The Little Hawk denied Chase Lauman of Pella a second title, taking the 800 in 1:53.42 at the Drake Relays.

Brock Snyder, Gilbert boys golf

The Tiger senior, who owns the lowest score in the state this spring with a 64, was medalist at the Winterset Invitational with a 66 at Lakeview Country Club. He also won the Witmer-Dunphy Invite in Perry with a nine-hole score of 34.

Noelle Steines, Calamus-Wheatland girls track

She won the 1,500 in 4:35.22 at the Drake Relays.

Addison Swartzendruber, Cedar Rapids Kennedy girls track

The Couger ran on the winning 4x400 (3:55.11) and sprint medley relays (1:46.10) teams and placed second in the 400 in 56.87 at the Drake Relays.

Sidney Swartzendruber, Cedar Rapids Kennedy girls track

She ran on the winning 4x400 (3:55.11) and sprint medley relays (1:46.10) and finished third in the 400 in 57.29 at the Drake Relays.

Miles Thompson, Cedar Rapids Washington boys track

The Warriors’ senior won the Drake Relays 100-meter dash with clocking of 10.54 to hold off teammate Michael Blank. He earlier set a Drake Relays meet record by racing to a 10.37 in a preliminary race. That’s the second fastest time ever in Iowa -- just .04 behind Mikey McClain of Dowling, who set the record in the state meet last season. Thompson also ran a leg on Saturday’s Drake record-setting 4x100 final with teammates Miles Parlet, Noah Johnson and Michael Blank. They finished in 41.71, topping the 2022 mark of 41.82 run by Southeast Polk.

Kaitlyn Zugay, Ballard (Huxley) girls tennis

The Bomber sophomore dominated all three of her Position 1 matches last week, outscoring her opponents 27-4 to improve to 13-1 on the season.