Vote now: Who should be SBLive’s Nebraska high school athlete of the week? (Oct. 10-16)
By Nathan Charles
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Nebraska high school athlete of the week for Oct. 10-16. 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 athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.
Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll are 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.
Hunter Nelson, Samarth Sajeesh, Kirby Le, Caden Haar, Joseph Bucknell, Kayden Le, Lincoln East Tennis
There’s no way to pick just one among this group although a case could certainly be made for Nelson. Lincoln East won back-to-back Class A tennis championships last week in an unprecedented season that included unbeaten records for the entire squad. Nelson took gold in No. 1 singles, Sajeesh in No. 2 singles, Le and Haar in No. 1 doubles and Bucknell and Le in No. 2 doubles. Nelson became the first unbeaten freshman to win singles gold since 2007. Nelson, Sajeesh and Kayden Le are all freshmen, Bucknell and Haar are both sophomores and Kirby Le is the lone senior.
Rylinn Groff, Marian Softball
Groff hit .495 this season with 24 RBIs, 39 runs scored and two home runs. As much as she was a force at the plate, her durability as the everyday catcher was likely more important to Marian’s overall success. But while that might have been overlooked, she had her moment in the sun Friday in the Class A title game against Gretna. Trailing 3-1, Groff’s two-run home run tied it in the bottom of the seventh and set up a walk-off memory moments later that no one will ever forget. Groff was 2 for 4 in the game with the long ball and a double.
Cole Ballard, Elkhorn South Football
What might have Ballard done with a full game of carries? Well, in just a half he scored a Class A record seven touchdowns and amassed 338 yards of total offense. Ballard has had multiple touchdown runs in every game but two this season and now has had six or more in two of the last three games. He’s making a case for himself as the best back in the state. In Friday’s dominant win over Burke, he scored five times on handoffs, once with a touchdown catch and another on a punt return.
Ava Laurent, Grand Island Northwest Softball
The Vikings’ emotional leader, Laurent put together a state tournament pitching performance that included four wins in four starts while leading Northwest to its first softball championship. Laurent struck out a total of 39 hitters in 26 innings, gave up just 14 hits and eight earned runs – an ERA of 1.43 during that span. At the plate she had four hits, four RBIs, a double and a home run.
Zane Flores, Gretna Football
Ballard wasn’t the only varsity player with a mind-boggling first half in Friday’s Week 8 of high school action. Flores threw six touchdown passes, had a 73% completion rate and threw for 292 yards in just two quarters of action. It was the second time Flores had six touchdown throws in his career and ups his career total to 68.
Olivia Lovegrove, Lincoln Christian Golf
Lovegrove earned a dominant Class C state golf championship with a 13-stroke triumph at Elks Country Club in Columbus. She turned in a 2-under 70 following the first round then put together a 1-over 73 on day two for a 143 total that had five birdies and four bogeys in 36 holes. Lovegrove led by nine shots when the second round started and claimed gold with a 3-under front nine and 1-over back.
Aidan McDowell, Crete Tennis
Following third and fourth-place finishes the past two seasons, McDowell made Crete history as the first tennis state champion. The junior rose to the top of the No. 1 singles tournament with a pair of 6-2, 6-2 set wins in the championship match. McDowell was 37-2 on the season. His only two losses were to players that finished second and fourth in the Class A state tournament.
Hannah Swanson, Nebraska Christian Cross Country
Swanson is tied for the most wins in Nebraska this season, claiming her seventh in seven races at the D-2 district championship last week in Hastings. Her mark of 20:16 was nearly 30 seconds ahead of second place. The junior has won in St. Paul, Centura, Central City, Raymond, at UNK and at the Goldenrod conference meet to go with the victory in Hastings.
Anthony Rezac, Westside Football
Rezac was simply magical in a 41-34 overtime win against Millard South that may go down as the best quarterback duel in Nebraska history. The Warrior signal caller brought his team back from a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter and a 34-31 hole with under six minutes to play that resulted in a field goal and overtime. He then threw his second touchdown pass of the night in OT that stood up as the game-winner. Rezac accounted for all five Westside touchdowns, rushing for three, throwing two while also passing for 286 yards and rushing for 155.
Mia Murray, Lincoln East Cross Country
Murray will be taking major momentum into the state meet later this week thanks to a fifth straight win. The East junior won the district meet at Pioneers Park in Lincoln by almost 40 seconds and now has six wins in seven events. She was eighth last year as a sophomore and brings the top time of the season to Kearney. Her 18:11 at Pioneers was a personal best and the best mark for a Class A girl so far in 2022.
Cam Kozeal, Millard South Football
Kozeal was the other half of that quarterback duel at Westside. Although he was the tough-luck loser, Kozeal couldn’t have done much more for the Patriots, throwing for 227 yards and a touchdown while also adding three rushing touchdowns. Millard South hadn’t lost a game this year with Kozeal under center until the overtime defeat to Westside. He and the Patriots will be a dangerous low seed when the playoffs roll around in two weeks.
Stella Miner, Westside Cross Country
Miner kept her perfect record going at the A-3 district meet in Lincoln, claiming the top spot by 14 seconds for her fifth win in five races. The Westside junior has three wins in the metro, one in Seward and now one in Lincoln. Her time of 18:40 at the Millard South Invite is currently the second-best time in Class A this season. Miner will be making her state debut in Kearney as one of the medal favorites.
Colton Marsh, Grand Island Football
Marsh was a superstar on the defensive side of the ball in the Islanders’ big win over Omaha North. He intercepted three passes, one in the second quarter and two more that stopped North drives late in the game with his team leading by 10. He also ran back the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown moments after the Vikings had cut the Islanders’ lead to 10-7 in the second quarter.
Nicole Kolbas, Lincoln Pius X Golf
Kolbas capped one of the most illustrious careers in Nebraska girls golf by winning her third straight Class A title. The Pius senior tied for runner-up as a freshman then walked off Norfolk Country Club each of the past three falls with a title. An even-par 72 on Day 1 gave her a three-shot cushion for a 7-over 79 on Day 2. Kolbas became the first three-in-a-row Class A winner since 1988.
Jackson Williams, Millard West Football
Williams turned a pass from quarterback Brody Peterson into a 69-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-7 that won the game for Millard West in a road showdown at Southwest. It was a career night for the junior receiver on seven catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns. Williams other scoring plays included receptions for 5 and 39 yards.
Anna Kelley, Scottsbluff Golf
Kelley ended her high school golf career with a fourth state golf medal and second state championship. She was the runner-up as a freshman, champ as a sophomore and third last year before winning it all again Oct. 11 at Monument Shadows Golf Course in Gering. Kelley came back from a four-shot deficit to win the Class B title by two strokes. A 6-under 66 included six birdies on the back nine following an even-par front.
Max Buettenback, Lincoln Southeast Running Back
Buettenback has been the Southeast workhorse all year, has averaged over six yards per carry with nine touchdowns but has arguably never been better than Friday night when he found the end zone five times. The senior only needed 16 carries to amass 223 yards and was the main reason the Knights responded to back-to-back losses and kept their playoff hopes alive.
Madison Seiler, Gering Cross Country
Seiler has been on a tear since settling for second place in her first race of the season. The Gering senior was a distant runner-up at a meet in Colorado on Aug. 27 but has won every time out since then, putting together a perfect 7-0 record against Nebraska runners. At the district meet in Overton, she took the top spot by over 10 seconds.
Sebastian Boyle, Scottsbluff Football
Gering was no match for the Bearcats and their top running back. Boyle scored the first four Scottsbluff touchdowns on runs of 50, 28, 22 and 55. All together, Boyle totaled 233 rushing yards in his second 200-plus yard, and four-touchdown performance of the season. He now has over 1,100 yards on the season and 18 touchdowns for 7-1 Scottsbluff.
Keelianne Green, Arlington Cross Country
Green is another runner who has a perfect season going thanks to a win in the district championship. The Arlington senior has titles at Blair, Fort Calhoun, the UNK meet, the Capitol Conference Championship and last week at district for a flawless 5-0 record. A late kick gave her the district win by just over three seconds.
Jacksen Wachholtz, Pierce Football
Normally when the Bluejays generate a passing attack at or near 300 yards it would be safe to assume he and tight end Ben Brahmer had another big day. But Friday’s win over Boone Central saw senior Jacksen Waccholtz come through with a breakout performance that included three of four touchdown catches and 191 yards receiving.
Grace Heaney, Elkhorn North Volleyball
Heaney and the Monarchs had a busy week that included eight total matches and three days with multiple matches. The senior guided the way with double-digit kill totals in four of those matches, piling up 22 in a win over Norris and 19 in a loss to Westside. Overall, she had 84 kills, 59 digs, 14 blocks and eight aces.
Hayden Frank, Malcolm Footballl
Frank continues to show his talent as one of the state’s best dual threat quarterbacks, leading the unbeaten Clippers to a 49-20 win over Centennial. With his arm, he was 9 of 12 passing for 224 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground he found the end zone four more times, picking up 165 yards on 13 carries.
Hailey Boltz, North Star Volleyball
Boltz was never better than in an Oct. 11 win over Lincoln Southeast, piling up 25 kills on 60 swings to go with 13 digs. Her performance was a career-high in kills and the fourth time this year she’s had a double-double in kills and digs. Boltz had 35 total last week and is up to 238 on the year and 165 digs.
Aiden Kuester, Neligh-Oakdale Quarterback
Kuester reached 50 total touchdowns on the season with three through the air and five on the ground during a 58-20 eight-man win over Lutheran High Northeast. It was the third time this season he’s had eight or more touchdowns, the fifth time he’s had more than 100 yards rushing and also the fifth time he’s thrown for more than 200.
Hannah Herrick, Amherst Volleyball
The junior is on a streak of six matches in a row with 10 or more kills. She had her top attacking match of the season Oct. 11 in a four-set win over SEM that included a season-high 21 kills. For the week she had 50 kills in three matches, 41 digs, 12 aces and nine blocks. She has 315 kills for the season and 17 double-digit kill performances in 28 total matches.
Riley Boonstra, Norris Cross Country
Boonstra heads to state looking to keep his perfect season intact with a state championship later this week. The Norris junior has won all five of his races this fall with victories at his home invite, in Beatrice, in Lincoln, the conference title and last week at the B-4 district championship in Overton. Boonstra now has nine varsity wins in his career and a fourth-place state medal as a sophomore.
