Vote: Who should be SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week? (12/11/2023)

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Dec. 4-10. 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. 

Espie Almazan, Lewis Central girls wrestling

Almazan made an incredible run to the 135-pound finals for the Titans at the Council Bluffs Classic, coming up short in a thrilling 1-0 battle with Omaha’s Alexis Pehrson. She advanced with a sudden-victory win in the semis and also had three falls in earlier action.

Paul Ballard, Albia boys wrestling

Ballard, a heavyweight, doesn’t need much time to impose his will on the competition. At the Dan Christensen Invitational, he recorded four first period falls, with three of them coming inside of 33 seconds. In the finals, he needed 73 seconds to secure the crown, nearly surpassing the 74 seconds he spent on the mat in the previous three rounds.

Matt Beem, Glenwood boys wrestling

After earning wins over fellow Iowa wrestlers in the quarters and semis of the Council Bluffs Classic, Beem took care of an out-of-stater in the finals at 132, winning 3-2 to improve to 16-0 on the year.

Tregan Beiter, Carroll Kuemper boys basketball

The 6-foot junior guard had 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in the Knights’ 69-52 win over Harlan. Beiter made 7 of 10 shots from the field.

Tanner Berggren, Bondurant-Farrar boys basketball

The senior had 29 points and six rebounds for the defending 3A state champion Bluejays in a 74-69 win over Ballard.

Katie Biscoglia, Raccoon River girls wrestling

There just might not be anyone better in the sport today than Biscoglia, as she simply rolled through the Council Bluffs Classic. The defending state champion pinned all five of her opponents, including four inside of the first round.

Brenna Bodensteiner, Waverly-Shell Rock girls basketball

The senior scored a combined 36 points for the unbeaten Go-Hawks in victories over Clear Lake and New Hampton.

Redek Born, Norwalk boys basketball

The University of Northern Iowa recruit tallied 23 points for the Warriors in a 76-67 victory over Winterset. Born was 7-for-10 from the field and handed out five assists.

Divine Bourrage, Davenport North boys basketball

The junior narrowly missed a triple-double with 20 points 17 rebounds and eight assists in the Wildcats’ 62-51 victory over Pleasant Valley.

Creighton Bracker, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln boys basketball

The junior had a double-double for the Lynx in a 64-51 triumph over Sergeant Bluff-Luton. Bracker finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds for unbeaten Abraham Lincoln.

Divine Bourrage, Davenport North girls basketball

The junior narrowly missed a triple-double with 20 points 17 rebounds and eight assists in the Wildcats’ 62-51 victory over Pleasant Valley.

Kyle Cason, West Des Moines Valley boys basketball

The junior had 19 points, eight rebounds and four steals as the defending 5A state champion Tigers downed Urbandale 71-62.

Jack Cooley, Clarke boys basketball

The 6-foot-5 senior had 29 points, 15 rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals, leading the Indians to a 68-58 victory over Knoxville.

Koufax Christensen, Waukee Northwest boys wrestling

The final three matches for Christensen at the Council Bluffs Classic were a display of his dominance, as he won by technical fall in the quarters, major decision in the semis and pinned his opponent in the finals.

Koy Davidson, Fort Dodge boys wrestling

A defending state runner-up and two-time medalist, Davidson served notice at the Council Bluffs Classic. First, he topped second-ranked Jabari Hinson of Ames in the quarters at 138 before taking out a No. 1 from Nebraska in the semis and Iowa’s top-ranked Carter Freeman from Waukee Northwest in the finals, 2-1.

Nico DeSalvo, Southeast Polk boys wrestling

The talented Ram freshman dealt Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Dylan Munson his first loss of the season in the finals of the Baltzley Invitational, 8-5. DeSalvo also had a 53-second fall and a second period pin on the day.

Maria Freed, Dubuque Wahlert girls basketball

Freed tossed in 23 points, leading the Golden Eagles to a 48-42 victory over Western Dubuque. Freed was 6-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Luke Hart, Waukee Northwest boys basketball

The senior fired in a team-high 25 points, leading the Wolves to a 67-63 win over Southeast Polk. Hart, who made 8 of 11 shots, also dished our five assists.

Jace Henderson, Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto boys wrestling

Henderson, a junior, remained unbeaten by taking the 220-pound title at his home Kingsbury Invitational. In the finals, he topped Sioux City East’s Garrett Walling, 6-2. The Top-4 finishing wrestlers in the bracket have a combined record of 46-11 on the year.

Broedy Hendricks, Humboldt boys wrestling

It isn’t very often you see a standout freshman enter at a bigger weight. But Hendricks is no typical newcomer. The AAU champion scored another title when he won the Dan Christensen Invitational 175-pound division to help the Wildcats claim the team crown.

Sophia Hope, Waukee girls basketball

The senior had a double-double, scoring 18 points and pulling down 11 rebounds, in the Warriors’ 59-44 win over city rival Waukee Northwest.

Elise Jaeger, West Des Moines Valley girls basketball

The senior had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds in the Tigers’ 60-32 victory over Urbandale. Jaeger, a UNI recruit, also had six assists and four steals.

Evan Jacobson, Waukee boys basketball

The 6-6 sophomore had 20 points, 13 rebounds and four steals for the Warriors in a 72-61 victory over city rival Waukee Northwest. Waukee has won four of its first five contests.

Grady Jeppeson, Riverside boys basketball

Jeppeson, the state’s leading scorer, tossed in 30 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists, in a 66-61 victory over Missouri Valley.

Brenna Johnson, Westwood girls basketball

The 6-foot sophomore had 23 points and nine rebounds as the Class 2A sixth-ranked and unbeaten Rebels rolled past Kingsley-Pierson 83-40. Johnson was 8 of 10 from the floor and made four 3-pointers.

Carson Johnson, Ankeny boys basketball

The senior guard scored 20 points, leading the Hawks to a 76-59 Central Iowa Metropolitan League win over Southeast Polk.

Averie Lower, Clear Creek-Amana girls basketball

The 5-11 sophomore threw in a team-high 25 points, leading the 4A second-ranked Clippers to a 68-23 drubbing of Independence. Lower was 9 of 14 from the field and made five 3-pointers.

Danarii Mickel, Ames boys wrestling

The sophomore and returning state champion pushed his record to 12-0 with four falls, a technical fall and a major decision at the Council Bluffs Classic before besting Creighton Prep’s Adonis Bonar in the 190-pound finals, 6-2.

Morgan Miller, Iowa City Regina girls basketball

The 5-6 junior guard had 25 points and five assists, leading the Regals to a 79-20 rout of Wilton on Friday. Miller poured in 34 points in a 78-41 victory over Durant on Tuesday.

Jaeda Molle, Danville girls basketball

The senior point guard totaled 26 points, 8 rebunds, 12 steals and 3 assists in a 71-16 win over New London.

Rylee Morris, Danville girls basketball

The senior small forward scored 24 points and pulled down 6 rebounds in a 73-58 win over Burlington Notre Dame. She also chipped in 4 steals and 2 assists. 

Max Muszalski, Pleasant Valley boys basketball

The senior recorded a double-double, leading the Spartans to a 60-45 win over Davenport North in their season opener. Muszalski scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Matt Noll, Sioux City Bishop Heelan boys basketball

The Wayne State (Neb.) College recruit scored 16 points, raked down 12 rebounds and handed out six assists in a 64-44 win over Sioux City North. Noll had 18 points in the Crusaders’ 69-65 victory over city rival Sioux City East.

Payton Petersen, Dike-New Hartford

The Louisville volleyball recruit poured in 37 points, leading the defending 2A state chanmpion Wolverines to a 61-48 win over Waterloo Columbus. Petersen added eight rebounds, seven steals and four assists.

Bella Porcelli, Southeast Polk girls wrestling

Porcelli moved her season record to 21-0 with a 25-second fall in the finals of the Council Bluffs Classic at 190 pounds. Prior to that, she had pinned her way to the championship round.

Weston Porter, Lewis Central boys wrestling

With an 8-4 decision in the 106-pound finals at the Council Bluffs Classic, Porter made it a point to show that he is a top contender for the state title this year. He also scored four falls, with two coming in the first period.

McKenna Sievers, Newell-Fonda girls basketball

The senior had 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, leading the Mustangs past
Algona Garrigan 72-51 in a rematch of the last two Class 1A state championship games.

Skylar Slade, Southeast Polk girls wrestling

Another unbeaten and defending state champion, Slade was untouchable at the Council Bluffs Classic, claiming all of her six matches by fall. She handed Nicole Olson of Missouri Valley her first loss of the season in the semifinals.

Avaeh Smith, Lewis Central girls wrestling

The 120-pounder stretched her record to 20-0 with a 51-second fall in the finals of the Council Bluffs Classic. She also picked up a pin in the semis and had two other falls with a technical fall and a major decision in her matches.

Naomi Templeman, Raccoon River girls wrestling

Templeman formed a 1-2 punch with Biscoglia, as she earned a fall to take home the 140-pound title. During the two-day event, she also had four pins in her five bouts with a medical forfeit.

Alliyah Thompson, Ballard girls basketball

The senior scored a combined 42 points in wins over Boone and Bondurant-Farrar. Thompson combined to make nine 3-pointers in the two contests.

Emma Townsley, Benton girls basketball

Townsley hit for 20 points in the Bobcats’ 54-51 win over West Delaware. The 5-8 guard made six of eight free throws and handed out a couple of assists.

Madden Uhlenhopp, Osage boys basketball

Uhlenhopp knocked down six 3-pointers and poured in 31 points, leading the Green Devils to a 76-39 win over Crestwood. Uhlenhopp also had eight rebounds and five assists.

Reece Vander Zee, Central Lyon boys basketball

The senior and University of Iowa football recruit finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds and three steals in a 60-53 loss to MOC-Floyd Valley,

Derek Weisskopf, Williamsburg boys basketball

The University of Iowa football recruit scored 31 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Raiders opened the season with a 71-67 double-overtime win over Fort Madison.

Caden Wilkins, Bettendorf boys basketball

The 6-foot-7 Division I recruit fired in 26 points, leading the Bulldogs to a 61-42 victory over Pleasant Valley. Wilkins was 11 of 15 from the field and scored all 15 of his team’s points in the third quarter.

Jayla Williams, Ankeny girls basketball

The 5-10 sophomore tossed in 32 points, leading the Hawks past Southeast Polk 62-56. Williams added seven rebounds and four steals.