Vote now: Who should be SBLive's Iowa high school athlete of the week? (July 17-23)
By Barry Poe
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school Athlete of the Week for July 17-23. Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday, July 30, 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.
Brynn Acton, Winterset softball
Acton was 4-for-4 with a double, home run and three RBIs, leading No. 7 seed Winterset to an 11-3 win over second-seed Carlisle in a Class 4A quarterfinal. The teams combined for 30 hits, with Winterset collecting 20. Acton was named captain of the 4A all-tournament team.
Neela Applegate, Winterset softball
Applegate homered in the 4A state championship game for the second straight season as Winterset repeated as champion with a 5-3 win over North Scott. Winterset was the No. 7 seed in 4A.
Sydney Bears, Martensdale-St. Marys softball
Bears singled home Ellie Baker in the sixth inning for the only run of the game as top-seeded Martensdale-St. Marys edged Fort Dodge St. Edmond 1-0 in a Class 1A quarterfinal.
Macy Blomgren, Van Meter softball
The senior struck out 15 batters, one shy of the Class 2A state record, as Van Meter topped Missouri Valley 6-1. Blomgren allowed four hits and fell a strikeout short of the record of 16 by Isabelle True of Louisa-Muscatine.
Carley Bredar, North Scott softball
No. 8 seed North Scott pulled the biggest upset in 4A quarterfinal play, knocking off top seed North Polk, 7-4. Bredarwas 3-for-4 with a single, double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Maura Chalupa, Muscatine softball
Chalupa pitched a two-hit shutout as the No. 7 seed upended No. 2 Ankeny 3-1 in a Class 5A quarterfinal. Chalupa struck out eight and all of the game’s runs were scored in the seventh inning.
Kennedy Conner, Iowa City Regina softball
The sophomore hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving top-seeded and defending state champion Regina a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over eighth-seed Northeast in a Class 2A quarterfinal. The Regals tied the game in the sixth.
Luke Czarnecki, Lisbon baseball
Czarnecki, the Lions’ catcher, was 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI in a 5-0 1A quarterfinal victory over Burlington Notre Dame. Hunter Clark pitched a complete-game shutout.
Devyn Davis, Wayne softball
Davis had a home run and four RBIs, leading Wayne (Corydon) past Remsen St. Mary’s 8-2 in a Class 1A quarterfinal. Izzie Moore checked the Hawks on three hits and drove in a pair.
Peyton Driscoll, Williamsburg softball
Driscoll struck out nine and allowed four hits as top-seeded Williamsburg rolled to an 11-1 win over Albia in six innings in a Class 3A quarterfinal. Carly Rich had three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored. Driscoll struck out 13 and allowed two hits in a semifinal win over Estherville-Lincoln Central and pitched a five-hit shutout in the championship contest, a 4-0 win over Davenport Assumption.
Tatum Dunlavy, Estherville-Lincoln Central softball
Dunlavy homered and drove in five runs for the Midgets in an 11-3 Class 3A quarterfinal win over Davis County. Winning pitcher Rylee Yager had nine strikeouts and was 4-for-5 at the plate.
Maggie Elsbecker, Fort Dodge softball
Elsbecker drove in three runs, helping the Dodgers past ADM, 8-3, in a 4A quarterfinal. Ellie Doster chipped in two hits for the winners.
Lucas Fett, West Lyon baseball
Fett had an RBI and pitched two hitless innings with four strikeouts. West Lyon had a 6-0 lead after three innings of the 2A quarterfinal before Van Buren County got five in the fourth, but the Wildcats held on, thanks to some clutch mound work by Fett.
Ellie Flanagan, North Linn softball
Flanagan dialed an eight-inning shutout as the Lynx clipped Sigourney 1-0 in eight innings in a Class 1A quarterfinal. North Linn scored an unearned run in the eighth to win. Flanagan pitched a three-hitter and struck out six in a semifinal triumph and was masterful with a one-hit shutout of Martensdale-St. Marys, 6-0, in the title game. She was named captain of the 1A all-tournament team.
Carter Geffre, Ames softball
Geffre struck out 13 and scattered six hits in 6.2 innings on the mound and the Little Cyclones held off Iowa City High 9-7 in a 4A quarterfinal. Ames scored five runs in the top of the seventh to take a 9-2 lead, but the Little Hawks tallied five of their own in the bottom half.
Beau Goodwin, Kingsley-Pierson baseball
Goodwin was 3-for-3 with two RBI as the Panthers downed South Winneshiek 6-1 in a Class 1A quarterfinal. K-P scored five runs in the first inning and advanced to a semifinal.
Cailyn Hardy, Clarksville softball
Hardy allowed just four hits and an unearned run and drove in three as the sixth-seeded Indians moved to 29-1 with a 7-1 victory over last year’s 1A state runner-up Southeast Warren. Emmalee Manwarren was 3-for-4 and scored two runs.
Sam Hesselman, Johnston baseball
Hesselman was 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored as the defending 4A state champions ousted Iowa City Liberty 9-3 in quarterfinal action in Iowa City. Will Nuss also had three hits, while Carter Wollums struck out 10 in six innings pitched.
Makenzie James, Ankeny Centennial
James had a pair of doubles in four at-bats for the Class 5A top-ranked Jaguars in an 8-1 quarterfinal victory over Bettendorf. Six different players scored a run for Centennial.
Adam Kayko, Johnston baseball
Kayko hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving the Dragons a 6-5 win over Ames in the Class 4A championship game. Johnston scored a run in the seventh to tie and then won on Kayko’s heroics, repeating as state champs.
Jordyn Kennedy, Ankeny Centennial softball
Kennedy had a double and home run, knocking in two for Centennial in an 11-1 Class 5A semifinal win over Southeast Polk. Kennedy did the same thing in the championship game as Centennial rolled past Pleasant Valley 11-0 for its first state title and Kennedy was named captain of the all-tournament team.
Cooper Klaahsen, Central Springs baseball
Klaahsen allowed just three hits and struck out 11 in an 8-2 win over West Monona in a 2A quarterfinal. Carly Ryan had two hits and drove in three runs and Abby Pate hit a two-run homer for the Panthers.
Trey Lee, Carlisle baseball
Lee hit a three-run triple during a five-run fifth inning for Carlisle in a 5-2 victory over Marion in a 3A quarterfinal. Each team had four hits, but Marion committed an error.
Connor Maiers, Western Dubuque baseball
The designated hitter had two hits and scored three runs for the Bobcats in a 10-0, five-inning win over Harlan in a 3A quarterfinal in Iowa City. Isaac Then struck out seven and allowed three hits on the mound.
Leah Maro, Davenport Assumption softball
Maro pitched a shutout in Class 3A quarterfinal play, blanking Saydel 5-0. She spaced seven hits and struck out 10.
Conner Maston, Lynnville-Sully baseball
Maston was the winning pitcher in relief of brother Carson and also had two hits, including a double in the 1A quarterfinal. The Hawks led 8-0 before Gehlen scored seven times in the fifth inning. However, the Jays went down in order in the sixth and seventh frames.
Jack Menster, Cascade baseball
The senior had two hits and four RBIs, including a bases-clearing triple that put the Cougars ahead for good in a 7-6 Class 2A quarterfinal win over Woodward-Granger. Cascade reached the semifinals for the second time in school history and first since 2015.
Katie Murphy, Interstate 35 softball
Murphy hit a two-run double in the top of the seventh inning to snap a 5-5 tie and the Roadrunners went on to beat Lisbon 9-5 in a Class 2A quarterfinal. Trinity Darst hit a three-run homer for I-35.
George Nahas, West Des Moines Dowling baseball
Nahas saved the game for the Maroons, striking out the final two batters in a 4-3 Class 4A quarterfinal victory over Dallas Center-Grimes. DC-G had two runners on base in the seventh when Nahas came through. Cooper Nicholson and Beau Gamble each homered for Dowling.
Addison Ohda, Pleasant Valley softball
Ohda had three of her team’s 10 hits as Pleasant Valley beat defending Class 5A state champion Waukee Northwest 5-4 in a quarterfinal.
Cael Ortmann, Remsen St. Mary’s baseball
The senior collected three hits and picked up a pitching save in relief of winner Collin Homan (8-0). St. Mary’s scored three in the bottom of the sixth and Ortmann gave up a leadoff hit in the seventh, but worked out of trouble in the Class 1A quarterfinal. Ortmann had two doubles and an RBI as the Hawks topped Lisbon 7-4 in the 1A championship game. St. Mary’s won its eighth state title (combined summer and fall), but its first since 2016.
Julia Roth, Dubuque Wahlert softball
Roth got the pitching win in a 10-0, five-inning shutout of Benton in a Class 3A quarterfinal. She also clubbed a two-run homer, sending the Golden Knights to a semifinal.
Bryce Rudiger, Dubuque Wahlert baseball
Rudiger notched a pitching win and drove in two runs for the Golden Eagles in an 11-1, five-inning triumph over Ballard in a 3A quarterfinal. Rudiger gave up three hits and struck out six while rapping a pair of RBI singles.
Luke Schieltz, Dyersville Beckman baseball
Schieltz had three hits and three RBIs, leading the Blazers to a 7-1 victory over Underwood in the Class 2A state championship. Beckman won its seventh title, but first since 2017.
Jesslyn Stairs, Southeast Polk softball
Stairs hit a two-run homer for the Rams in a 5-2 Class 5A quarterfinal win over Central Iowa Metro League rival West Des Moines Valley. Sydney Potter went 2-for-3 and Jada Long was the winning pitcher.
Maddox Strassburg, Cedar Falls baseball
The Tigers’ catcher had a triple and single, driving in three runs in an 11-1 victory over Southeast Polk in a 4A quarterfinal. Cedar Falls scored nine runs in the first three innings.
Isaac Then, Western Dubuque baseball
The senior lefthander pitched the Bobcats to their second straight Class 3A state championship, scattering six hits with one earned run and five hits in 5.2 innings in a 6-2 win over North Polk. Western Dubuque was ranked No. 1 all season and held serve at the state tournament.
Zadie Wadle, Norwalk softball
Wadle was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and got the pitching win for Norwalk in a 12-2, five-inning 4A quarterfinal win over Western Dubuque. Norwalk scored four runs in the first inning and six in the second.
Ashley Webb, Iowa City Regina softball
Webb chalked up three pitching wins, including a championship-game victory, as the Regals repeated as Class 2A state champions with a 6-2 win over Van Meter. Webb was named captain of the 2A all-tournament team.
Mary Paige Withers, Pleasant Valley softball
Withers was 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs, leading Pleasant Valley past Muscatine 7-1 in a 5A semifinal.
Reece Wragge, North Polk baseball
Wragge picked up his 10th pitching win, allowing one hitand striking out nine in five innings. Wragge also had two hits and an RBI in the 3-1 Class 3A quarterfinal win over Spencer.
