Vote: Who should be SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week? (1/29/2024)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Jan. 21-27. 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.
Emiliano Barrantes, Grand View Christian boys basketball
The junior, among the state leaders in both categories, scored 28 points and snared 14 rebounds for the Thunder in a 68-39 win over Hampton-Dumont-CAL. The 6-foot-9 forward made half of his 18 shots and added three blocks.
Bailey Birmingham, Norwalk girls basketball
The junior tossed in 30 points, leading the Class 4A eighth-ranked Warriors past Newton, 58-23. Birmingham had five 3-pointers, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Brody Buck, Madrid boys basketball
The junior contributed 24 points, four rebounds and four assists as the Tigers, ranked fifth in Class 1A, edged Des Moines Christian, 58-53.
Cam Buffington, Winfield-Mt. Union boys basketball
The University of Iowa football recruit double-doubled with 23 points and 11 rebounds as the Class 1A third-ranked Wolves downed WACO, 64-56. Abram Edwards also had a double-double for the winners with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Reid Burkle, Cedar Rapids Prairie boys basketball
Burkle, a senior, fired in 26 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists, two blocked shots and a steal as the Hawks topped Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 72-45. Burkle was 12-of-16 from the field.
Drake Canavan, Eagle Grove boys basketball
The senior had 24 points and six rebounds, nailing six 3-pointers in a 68-46 win over West Hancock. The 6-foot-3 Canavan was 8-of-13 from the field and blocked two shots.
Ryan Clair, East Sac County boys basketball
The sophomore finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals for the Raiders in a 71-46 win over Sioux Central. East Sac County improved to 12-3 on the season.
Boaz Clark, Roland-Story boys basketball
The senior hit six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 23 points as the 13-2 Norsemen downed Saydel, 77-40. Clark added two rebounds, two steals and two assists.
Joey Coppola IV, West Des Moines Dowling boys basketball
Coppola hit for 21 points, leading the Maroons to a 70-46 win over Southeast Polk. Coppola also dished out five assists.
Carter Gruver, Woodbine boys basketball
The junior was 9-for-12 from the field and scored 23 points, leading the 12-1 Tigers to a 70-27 victory over Fremont-Mills. Gruver also handed out three assists.
Graclyn Eastman, Algona Garrigan girls basketball
The 6-foot freshman contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds for the 18-1 Golden Bears in a 66-45 victory over Belmond-Klemme. Eastman tacked on three assists and three blocked shots, while Abbie Capesius also had a double-double for the defending Class 1A state champs.
Katelyn Eggena, Waverly-Shell Rock girls basketball
The senior had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds as the Go-Hawks, ranked second in Class 4A, improved to 18-0 with a 60-30 victory over Waukon. The 6-foot-1 Eggena also had three blocks and two steals.
Libby Fandel, Cedar Rapids Xavier girls basketball
The junior poured in a school-record 34 points, leading the Saints to a 53-45 Mississippi Valley Conference victory over Iowa City Liberty. Fandel made 15-of-29 shots and also posted nine rebounds, four assists and five steals.
Brynnly German, Martensdale-St. Marys girls basketball
The senior scored 21 points in a 76-46 win over Lenox and has now scored 1,000 points and handed out 500 assists for her career. The Blue Devils, ranked No. 3 in Class 1A, improved to 12-3.
Kennedy Hermsen, Monticello girls basketball
Hermsen, a 5-7 sophomore, fired in 27 points to lead the Class 3A ninth-ranked Panthers to a 64-27 win over Dyersville Beckman. Hermsen hit five 3-pointers, snared four rebounds and handed out a pair of assists.
Tim Hills-Carrier, Waterloo Columbus boys basketball
The senior nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a 70-61 win over Lone Tree.
Kinzee Hinders, Newell-Fonda girls basketball
The junior made 11-of-14 shots and scored 22 points for the Class 1A second-ranked Mustangs in a 71-20 rout of South Central Calhoun. McKenna Sievers chipped in 14 assists and eight steals for 14-1 Newell-Fonda.
Nicole Hoefer, Woodbine girls basketball
The senior scored a team-high 23 points for the Class 1A eight-ranked Tigers in a 57-52 victory over NO. 9 CAM in a matchup of two-loss squads. Hoefer hit five 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds.
Carson Hoogeveen, West Lyon boys basketball
The junior tossed in 23 points for the Class 2A top-ranked Wildcats in a 74-56 win over rival and defending state champion Central Lyon. Trevor Ciesielski just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds for 16-0 West Lyon.
Journey Houston, Davenport North girls basketball
The junior and University of Iowa commit tossed in 35 points for the Class 5A second-ranked Wildcats in a 74-44 win over Davenport Assumption. Houston was 14-of-17 from the field with three 3-pointers while adding eight steals, four assists and three rebounds.
Brenna Johnson, Westwood girls basketball
The sophomore hit six 3-pointers and scored a team-high 23 points for the Class 2A third-ranked and unbeaten Rebels in a 64-40 victory over MVAOCOU. Johnson was 7-for-12 from the field, while teammate Ashlyn Davis had a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds.
Grace Knutson, Cedar Falls girls basketball
The senior and Drake University commit tallied 24 points, leading the Class 5A seventh-ranked Tigers to an 81-45 victory over Iowa City Liberty. Knutson was 8-of-16 and made six 3-pointers, while adding five rebounds and two steals.
Jayden Kuper, Monticello girls basketball
The junior surpassed 1,000 points for her career, hitting for 23 in a 64-27 win over Dyersville Beckman. She now has 1,016 in 2.5 high school seasons and is averaging 21.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.4 steals per game.
Kamryn Kurt, North Linn girls basketball
The senior scored 20 points for the Class 1A top-ranked Lynx in a 60-48 victory over Class 3A No. 1 Mount Vernon. Kurt hit five of her team’s 13 3-pointers, adding six rebounds and five assists as North Linn won its 15th straight.
Brody Lager, Missouri Valley boys basketball
The senior went over 1,000 points for his career, scoring 24 points for the Big Reds in a 48-44 win over AHSTW. He became just the third player in school history to reach the milestone.
Jackson Lieurance, Cascade boys basketball
The junior guard broke a school record with 47 points in a 94-75 win over Wilton. Lieurance broke the former record held by current Creighton University coach Greg McDermott. He was 17-of-22 from the field, including 10-for-12 from 3-point range.
Emily Larson, Cedar Rapids Prairie girls basketball
The sophomore scored 20 points as the Class 5A No. 8 Hawks downed Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 50-41. Prairie has won 12 in a row since a season-opening loss to top-ranked Johnston.
Alex Manske, Algona boys basketball
The junior, a highly sought-after football quarterback, finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and four steals for the Bulldogs in a 64-51 win over Clarion-Goldfield-Dows.
Dylan Marquart, Dunkerton boys basketball
The junior hit seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points, leading the 13-2 Raiders to a 76-59 win over Sumner-Fredericksburg. Marquart also dished out six assists.
Morgan Miller, Iowa City Regina girls basketball
The junior hit for 22 points, leading Class 2A sixth-ranked Regina to a 74-28 rout of West Branch. Miller also dished out four assists for the 14-3 Regals.
Payton Petersen, Dike-New Hartford girls basketball
The senior and Louisville volleyball recruit had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds for the two-time defending Class 2A state champion Wolverines in a 57-33 win over Roland-Story. She was 8-of-14 from the field, adding five steals and three assists.
Cael Reichter, North Fayette Valley boys basketball
The junior charted a double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds, leading the 13-3 TigerHawks to a 67-56 win over South Winneshiek. The 6-foot-7 Reichter also dished out five assists and blocked five shots.
Franz Reisz, Harlan boys basketball
The senior posted a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, in the Cyclones’ 57-43 victory over Glenwood. Reisz was 6-of-7 from the field and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line.
Aubrey Schweiso, Harlan girls basketball
The junior tossed in 32 points while tacking on eight rebounds and six steals for the Class 3A seventh-ranked Cyclones in a 69-37 triumph over Atlantic. Schweiso hit seven shots from beyond the arc.
Lucy Scott, Council Bluffs Lewis Central girls basketball
The senior scored 30 of her team’s points in a 41-33 victory over Carroll Kuemper. Scott scored all of her points on 10 3-point goals in 19 attempts, adding three rebounds and three steals.
Keegan Soard, South Central Calhoun boys basketball
The senior battled his way to a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, helping the 12-3 Titans top Newell-Fonda, 68-45.
Emilie Sorensen, Waukee girls basketball
The junior hit 7-of-11 shots, including five of seven 3-pointers, leading the Class 5A fourth-ranked Warriors to a 60-53 win over No. 5 Ankeny Centennial with a game-high 23 points.
Cael Stephany, Clear Lake boys basketball
The senior had the hot hand for Class 3A’s top-ranked team in an 84-59 victory over Fort Dodge St. Edmond. Stephany made seven of nine shots – including six of eight 3-pointers – and scored 20 points as Clear Lake moved to 13-0.
Sawyer Stout, Keota boys basketball
The senior tossed in 24 points as the Eagles, ranked No. 5 in Class 1A, remained unbeaten at 15-0 with a convincing 89-33 victory over winless Tri-County.
Quinn Street, Osage boys basketball
Street, a sophomore, poured in 35 points for the once-beaten Blue Devils in a 90-63 victory over Mason City Newman. Street nailed nine 3-pointers in 15 attempts and also had four assists.
Haylee Stokes, Estherville-Lincoln Central girls basketball
The junior star popped for 32 points and handed out seven assists for the Class 3A third-ranked Midgets in a 65-37 win over No. 12 Cherokee. Stokes made all 12 of her free-throw attempts.
Molly Shafer, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont girls basketball
The junior tossed in 28 points, leading the Class 2A fifth-ranked Rockets to a 75-50 win over Class 3A No. 15 Chariton. Shafer made 8-of-10 shots and 12-of-16 free throws, while adding four blocks and three steals.
Jace Tams, Treynor boys basketball
The senior contributed 23 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals for the Class 2A No. 8 Cardinals in a 70-35 win over IKM-Manning.
Jack Vanfossen, Underwood boys basketball
The senior had 20 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals for the Eagles in an 80-41 victory over Audubon. Vanfossan made seven of his nine shots for Class 2A No. 5 Underwood, now 16-0.
Kaden VanRegenmorter, Hull Western Christian boys basketball
The junior, a returning all-stater, tossed in 20 points for the Class 2A second-ranked Wolfpack in a 75-53 win over an 11-win Orange City Unity Christian squad.
Quinn Vice, Pleasant Valley girls basketball
The junior finished with 21 points and seven assists, leading the defending Class 5A state champion Spartans to a 77-13 rout of Davenport West. Vice hit four 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds.
Mia Waddle, Panorama girls basketball
The junior charted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds as the Class 2A second-ranked Panthers moved to 17-0 with a 54-43 victory over a 10-win Exira-EHK team. Waddle tacked on five steals and three assists.
