Vote: Who should be SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week? (10/30/2023)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Oct. 23-29. 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.
William Aitchison, Iowa City Regina Catholic football
The junior running back ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries in the Regals’ 33-18 win over Wilton in the Class 1A playoffs.
Brock Badding, Carroll Kuemper Catholic football
The sophomore led the Knights to a 43-8 Class 2A playoff win over Clarinda, passing for 185 yards and four touchdowns, including two TD strikes to DJ Vonnahme.
Bobby Bacon, Iowa City High football
The junior had a big night in a 23-21 Class 5A playoff loss to Bettendorf. Bacon completed 27 of 39 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns.
Landon Bendgen, Woodbine boys cross country
Bendgen repeated as Class 1A state champion, running the 5K race in 15:55.3, holding off runner-up Emerson Vokes of Grundy Center by 7+ seconds. Earlier this year, Bendgen was crowned the 1600-meter state champion.
Evan Brase, Mount Vernon football
The senior hauled in eight catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns as the defending state runner-up rolled to a 50-6 Class 3A playoff victory over Independence.
Cam Buffington, Winfield-Mt. Union football
The senior running back hit paydirt four times and racked up 150 yards rushing on just 15 carries as the Wolves rolled to a 34-6 playoff victory in 8-player action.
Jaxon Cherry, Webster City football
The senior two-way star was all over the football field in the Lynx 27-7 victory over Nevada in the Class 3A playoffs. Cherry, who’s been offered to play at Marshall and is receiving interest from both Iowa and Iowa State, had 200 yards rushing with three TDs and had 11 tackles – one for loss.
Kamdyn Cross, Lewis Central football
The senior ran for 193 yards and three touchdowns in the Titans’ 42-10 Class 4A playoff win over LeMars.
Addi Dorenkamp, WDM Valley girls cross country
The Tiger standout claimed the Class 4A state championship with a blistering time of 17:41.5, outlasting Johnston’s runner-up Olivia Verde by over 9 seconds. Dorenkamp won both the 1500 and 3000 at the state track tournament in the spring.
Canaan Dunham, Pella boys cross country
The sophomore took home the Class 3A state title with a time of 15:18.5, besting Lewis Central’s Ethan Eichhorn by 7 seconds. Teammate Nathan Vander Waal took third in 15:39.8.
Marissa Ferebee, Pella girls cross country
Ferebee won the 3A girls title with a time of 18:38.6, besting Harlan’s Lindsey Sonderman by 3.5 seconds. The Dutch also defended the girls team championship.
Aiden Flora, ADM (Adel) football
Nobody’s had a better season than the Tigers’ senior, who rushed for 253 yards and four touchdowns as ADM rolled to a 42-0 win over Denison-Schleswig. Flora has 1770 yards and 25 TDs rushing and has completed 66 percent of his passes for 1019 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Brennan Hayes, Creston football
The senior running back had another big night in the Panthers’ 35-27 triumph over Hawkeye 10 rival and state power Harlan. Hayes finished with 196 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the Class 3A playoff game.
Jordan Martin-England, Lenox football
The junior RB ran for 166 yards and a TD as Lenox rolled to a 33-8 win over Audubon in an 8-player playoff game.
Garrison Motsinger, Bedford football
The junior running back rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the Bulldogs 44-28 win over Exira-EHK in an 8-player playoff clash.
Grant Gammell, Waukee football
The junior rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the Warriors’ 21-10 Class 5A playoff win over Prairie.
Drake Gelhaus, Cedar Falls football
Gelhaus scored three touchdowns in the Tigers’ 30-26 win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy. His final TD came on a 70-yard catch on a screen pass.
Grant Glausser, Western Dubuque football
The senior running back rambled for 297 yards and five touchdowns in the Bobcats’ 41-2 triumph over Newton. Glausser has now rushed for 2203 yards and 27 touchdowns this season.
Ben Gordon, Van Meter football
The Bulldogs’ senior racked up 247 yards and five TDs rushing in a 56-0 Class 4A playoff win over Union Community in a Class 2A playoff game.
Cael Harms, Cedar Falls football
Kickers typically don’t get a whole lot of love, but the sophomore connected on all three field goal attempts in the Tigers’ thrilling 30-26 comeback victory over Cedar Rapids Kennedy. He split the uprights with field goals of 32, 32 and 20 yards to help his team advance in the Class 5A playoffs.
Tate Hawf, West Lyon football
The junior running back ran for 183 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats pulled out a 29-20 win over Western Christian.
Caden Henkes, Ankeny football
The junior workhorse rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries to lead the Hawks to a 21-9 victory over Johnston in the Class 5A playoffs.
Jackson Hutcheson, Mediapolis football
The senior ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 27-0 victory over Camanche.
Braeden Jackson, Ankeny Centennial football
Jackson amassed 148 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns as the Jaguars rolled to a 35-7 win over Waukee Northwest in Class 5A playoff action.
Drew Kluender, Woodbury Central football
The senior QB passed for 273 yards and five touchdowns, including two to Eric McGill, who had six catches for 133 yards, in a wild 35-28 victory over MMCRU.
Brysen Kolar, OABCIG football
The junior quarterback passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns and carried the football eight times for 121 yards and a TD in the Falcons’ 35-14 win over Treynor.
Jackson Lavar, Bettendorf football
The junior had 12.5 tackles and an interception in the Bulldogs’ 32-21 Class 5A playoff win over Iowa City High.
Payton Longmeyer, Glenwood football
The senior hauled in eight catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ 21-0 win over Norwalk in a Class 4A playoff tilt.
Landon Montag, West Bend-Mallard football
The senior QB ran for 190 yards and three touchdowns in a heartbreaking 36-34 8-player playoff loss to CAM.
Maddox Nelson, Underwood football
The senior ran for 254 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles’ 42-0 win over AHSTW (Avoca) in a Class 1A playoff tilt.
Jonah Petersen, MMCRU football
The senior QB passed for 211 yards and three touchdowns and nearly had a fourth in the back of the end zone that was ruled incomplete in a heartbreaking 35-28 Class A playoff loss to Woodbury Central.
Conlan Poynton, Solon football
The sophomore running back ran for 154 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans’ 50-7 triumph over Fort Madison in the Class 3A playoffs.
Preston Ries, Monticello football
The Iowa recruit ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 134 yards and two scores in Monticello’s 45-0 rout of Jesup.
Carson Robbins, Southeast Polk football
The senior caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ 49-9 Class 5A playoff victory over Linn-Mar.
Caden Roethler, Bishop Garrigan football
The senior running back ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the Golden Bears’ scintillating 21-18 victory over Remsen St. Mary’s in an 8-player Catholic school battle.
Traeton Sauerbrel, Wapsie Valley football
The senior running back ran for 226 yards and four touchdowns on only 14 carries in a 26-0 win over Maquoketa Valley in the Class A playoffs.
Kellen and Mitchell Smith, West Hancock football
The Smith tandem accounted for all seven of the Eagles’ touchdowns in a 49-0 Class A playoff win over Starmont. Quarterback Mitchell Smith passed for 146 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 84 yards and a TD. Running back Kellen Smith rushed for 92 yards and a TD on just five carries and caught three passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns.
Chase Spieker, CAM football
The junior dual threat QB passed for 238 yards and two touchdowns and ran 27 times for 105 yards and three TDs.
Noelle Steines, Calamus-Wheatland girls cross country
Steines ran to the Class 1A championship, winning by 13 seconds over Meghan Wheatley (North Linn) with a winning time of 18:22.0. Steines won the past two 3000-meter state titles in the state track meet as well.
Emmett Swartzentruber, Mid-Prairie Wellman boys cross country
The Golden Hawk won an exciting Class 2A boys state championship with a time of 15:51.0, holding off Denver runner-up Neal Pinter’s 15:53.9 time and three other runners who eclipsed the 16-minute mark. Swartzentruber, who finished third in the state qualifier, became the first boy to win a state title in school history.
Hillary Trainor, Sumner-Fredericksburg girls cross country
Trainor ran away from the competition, winning the Class 2A state championship with ease, running the 5000 meters in 18:09.5, besting runner-up McKenna Montgomery (Albia) by 26+ seconds. She became S-F’s first-ever state champion in cross country and knocked off three-time state champion Danielle Hostetler (Mid-Prairie Wellman) as well.
Ethan Zuber, Ankeny boys cross country
After finishing second in a state qualifying meet, Zuber claimed the Class 4A state championship with a time of 15:07.7, beating Cedar Falls Jaden Merrick, who finished second, by almost 6 seconds.
