Vote: Who should be SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week? (1/8/2024)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Jan. 1-7. 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.
Tristan Anderson, Roland-Story boys basketball
The senior had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Norsemen to a 61-43 victory over Iowa Falls-Alden. Anderson was 7-for-11 from the floor.
Brock Badding, Carroll Kuemper boys basketball
Badding rained in 10 3-pointers and scored 30 points, leading the Knights to a 74-55 victory over a seven-win Kingsley-Pierson team.
Emillano Barrantes, Grand View Christian boys basketball
The junior had 29 points and 15 rebounds in a 73-59 loss to Des Moines Roosevelt.
Maryn Bixby, Dike-New Hartford girls basketball
The senior hit 9 of 11 shots for the defending Class 2A state champion Wolverines in a 66-19 waltz past an eight-win Gladbrook-Reinbeck squad. Bixby finished with a game-high 22 points and handed out four assists.
Ben Bockman, Decorah boys basketball
The senior fired in 30 points and dished out six assists in an 86-57 win over Waukon. Bockman was 12-for-16 from the field and made five 3-pointers.
Cam Buffington, Winfield-Mt. Union boys basketball
University of Iowa football recruit Buffington had 20 points, five rebounds and three assists for the once-beaten Wolves in a 68-31 conquest of Lone Tree.
Kyle Cason, West Des Moines Valley boys basketball
The junior just missed a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds in defending Class 4A state champion Valley’s 68-55 win over Southeast Polk.
Koufax Christensen, Waukee Northwest boys wrestling
The 126-pound feature was a classic at the Bobcat Jerry Eckenrod Invitational, as Koufax Christensen of Waukee Northwest topped Jace Hedeman from Union, 1-0. The loss was the first for Hedeman, a junior and two-time state champion this year.
Jack Cooley, Clark boys basketball
The senior poured in 50 points and snared 15 rebounds in a 90-35 blowout win over Cardinal. Cooley connected on 23 of 30 shots and 10 of his boards were on the offensive glass.
Mason Costello, Waukee boys basketball
Costello made a three-quarter-court shot at the buzzer, giving Waukee an 82-81 win over defending state champion West Des Moines Valley in double overtime. Valley’s Zay Robinson had scored with 0.5 seconds left to give his team the lead before Costello launched the game-winner from his own 3-point circle.
Tillotti Fair, Riceville boys basketball
The junior had 20 points and 11 rebounds, leading the unbeaten and fifth-ranked (Class 1A) Wildcats to a 48-31 victory over Turkey Valley.
Noah Frazell, Waverly-Shell Rock boys basketball
The senior had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Go-Hawks in a 71-44 win over Center Point-Urbana. Frazell cashed in on five shots from beyond the arc.
KJ Fry, Clarke boys wrestling
Fry improved to 20-0 by winning the 195-pound division at the Gary Christensen Invitational, capping it with a pin over Winterset’s Carter Smuck in 2:39.
Brynnly German, Martensdale-St. Marys girls basketball
The senior posted a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Blue Devils down Mount Ayr 70-47. German also had five steals and five assists.
Sophia Hope, Waukee girls basketball
The senior produced a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Warriors downed West Des Moines Valley 59-48. Hope made four shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
Hunter Horn, Fort Dodge St. Edmond boys basketball
The sophomore threw in 29 points as the Gaels beat Algona for the first time since 2018, 57-52.
Journey Houston, Davenport North girls basketball
The junior and University of Iowa recruit chalked up a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Wildcats to a 58-57 win over previously unbeaten Central DeWitt.
Amani Jenkins, Johnston girls basketball
The junior finished with 23 points and seven rebounds for the Class 5A unbeaten and defending state champion Dragons in a 74-46 win over Southeast Polk. Jenkins was 9-for-12 from the floor.
Carson Johnson, Ankeny boys basketball
The senior fired in 31 points in a 70-58 victory over Urbandale. Johnson made four 3-pointers and added three rebounds for the Hawks.
Kierra Jungers, Newell-Fonda girls basketball
Jungers, the daughter of highly successful Mustang head coach Dick Jungers, had 24 points and eight rebounds in a 72-29 victory over Pocahontas Area.
Noah Kading, AGWSR boys basketball
The junior contributed 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Chargers downed Class 1A No. 4 Madrid 54-47.
Davis Kern, Linn-Mar boys basketball
The junior had 31 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a losing cause as Cedar Falls topped the Lions 83-76.
Grace Knutson, Cedar Falls girls basketball
The senior standout and Drake University signee had a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers in an 85-47 victory over Waterloo East. Knutson hit six 3-pointers and dished out three assists.
Brady Krager, Sioux Central girls basketball
The junior hit seven 3-point shots, scoring 25 points to go along with eight rebounds and five steals as the Class 2A fifth-ranked Rebels stormed to a 74-32 win over West Bend-Mallard.
Jayden Kuper, Monticello girls basketball
The junior scored 28 points and raked down 17 rebounds for the Panthers in a 59-48 victory over Center Point-Urbana.
Kamryn Kurt, North Linn girls basketball
The senior scored 24 points, leading the Class 1A top-ranked Lynx to an 86-21 win over Starmont. Kurt made 10 of 13 shots and added seven assists.
Callie Levin, Solon boys basketball
The University of Iowa commit tossed in 22 points, leading the Spartans to a 72-29 victory over Mid-Prairie. Levin tacked on eight rebounds, seven assists and seven steals.
Trey McKowen, Cedar Rapids Kennedy boys basketball
The junior had 24 points and six assists for the top-ranked Class 4A team in an 85-43 victory over a five-win Cedar Rapids Washington squad.
Chloe Meester, Mount Vernon girls basketball
The junior double-doubled with 16 points and 10 rebounds as the unbeaten and second-ranked (Class 3A) Mustangs rolled to a 78-72 win over Iowa City Regina, a seven-win squad.
Thomas Meyer, Clear Lake boys basketball
The junior, who has a number of Division I football offers, had a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds for the unbeaten Lions in a 72-37 triumph over Fort Dodge St. Edmond.
Karsten Moret, Hull Western Christian boys basketball
The junior made all five of his 3-point attempts en route to a 25-point performance in a 100-77 victory over Worthington, Minn.
Katelyn Muller, West Des Moines Dowling
Muller, just a freshman, canned eight 3-pointers and scored 26 points, leading the Maroons past Urbandale 80-29. Muller, who was 8-for-11 from beyond the arc, also had five rebounds and two steals.
Matt Noll, Sioux City Bishop Heelan boys basketball
The Wayne State (Neb.) College recruit provided 24 points and nine rebounds – just shy of a double-double – in the Crusaders’ 69-41 win over Sioux City West.
Derek Paulsen, South O’Brien boys basketball
The junior tossed in 21 points, leading the unbeaten Wolverines to a 58-35 triumph over Harris-Lake Park. Paulsen also pulled down seven rebounds.
Ty Pflughaupt, North Linn boys basketball
The senior finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and two steals as the Class 1A top-ranked Lynx rolled past Starmont 84-17.
Spencer Roeder, Bellevue Marquette boys basketball
The junior scored 20 points and pulled down eight rebounds for Class 1A second-ranked Marquette in a 70-21 win over Easton Valley.
Dreshaun Ross, Fort Dodge boys wrestling
Ross, who has received numerous Power 5 football and wrestling offers as just a sophomore, dominated his way to gold at 215 pounds. He improved to 28-0 on the year after recording four falls, including a pin in the finals over Ballard’s Henry Christensen.
Conley Schauf, Monticello boys basketball
The sophomore did not miss a shot and tallied 20 points in the unbeaten Panthers’ 79-46 victory over Center Point-Urbana. Schauf was 7-for-7 from the floor and 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Hayden Schwab, Don Bosco boys wrestling
Freshman Hayden Schwab remained perfect for Don Bosco, capturing gold at 106 pounds with two technical falls and a pin to win the Bobcat Jerry Eckenrod Invitational.
Aiden Serrano, Carlisle boys wrestling
Serrano improved to 24-2 on the season with a championship at 113 pounds in the Gary Christensen Invitational. He pinned Eagle Grove’s Mack Morgan in the title in 1:51.
Kate Shaffer, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont girls basketball
The junior recorded a rare triple-double with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, leading the Rockets to a 72-49 win over Knoxville.
Melina Snoozy, Sioux City Bishop Heelan girls basketball
The freshman had a career-high 25 points, leading the Crusaders past Sioux City West 66-48 to remain unbeaten. Snoozy also pulled down six rebounds.
Reggi Spotts, Mason City girls basketball
The senior led the Class 4A fifth-ranked Riverhawks to a 57-47 victory over Fort Dodge, scoring 20 points. Spotts is a four-year starter and the team’s leading scorer.
Vince Steinbrech, Solon boys basketball
The senior tossed in 24 points and also snared six rebounds for the unbeaten Spartans in a 72-59 victory over Maquoketa. Steinbrech was 10 of 15 from the floor.
Jesse Van Kalsbeek, MOC-Floyd Valley boys basketball
The senior and Northwestern College signee had an impressive double-double of 32 points and 18 rebounds as the Dutch downed Le Mars 67-50. Van Kalsbeek converted 9 of 10 free throws and added three steals and a blocked shot.
Nico Venturi, Bishop Heelan boys wrestling
Venturi won the 106-pound class in the Gary Christensen Invitational at with a pin in the championship over Winterset’s Judah Gurwell in 1:41. He improved to 18-2 on the season.
Ava Underwood, Council Bluffs St. Albert girls basketball
Underwood had a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Saintes won their ninth straight while avenging an earlier loss to Harlan, 64-51, in a matchup of state-ranked foes.
Jacob Williams, Dubuque Senior boys basketball
The senior charted a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Rams past Dubuque Wahlert 68-54.
Luke Winkel, Ankeny Centennial boys basketball
The senior had 23 points and four assists, leading the Class 4A No. 8 Jaguars to a 67-63 victory over Waukee Northwest.
