Vote: Who should be SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week? (3/4/2024)
Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Feb. 26-March 3. 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.
Lio Aguirre, Ankeny boys basketball
Aguirre, a 6-3 senior guard, tossed in 22 points to lead the Hawks past city rival Ankeny Centennial, 64-41, in a Class 4A substate final. Aguirre hit five of six 3-pointers and added seven rebounds and three assists.
Joe Bean, Cedar Rapids Kennedy boys basketball
The senior scored 21 points and made the decisive free throws with 4.6 seconds left as the top-ranked Cougars escaped with a 57-55 win over North Scott in a Class 4A substate final. Unbeaten Kennedy is the top seed in the 4A state tournament bracket.
Tanner Berggren, Bondurant-Farrar boys basketball
The 6-2 senior scored a game-high 25 points and the Bluejays earned a chance to defend their Class 3A state basketball title with a 60-58 substate final upset win over ADM. Berggren nailed 6 of 11 3-point shots.
Bliss Beck, Clear Creek-Amana girls basketball
Beck, who will play volleyball at Drake University, scored 11 points on 5 of 8 shooting, to go along with eight rebounds and six blocked shots in the unbeaten Clippers’ 43-25 win over Waverly-Shell Rock in the Class 4A title game. Beck’s defense was also critical, as the all-tournament selection helped hold Waverly-Shell Rock’s post players to a combined 11 points on 4-for-29 shooting.
Maryn Bixby, Dike-New Hartford girls basketball
Bixby had eight points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals for the Wolverines in a 48-46 win over Panorama in the Class 2A state title game. Bixby was third in 2A scoring with 44 points as D-NH won its fourth straight championship. She also combined for nine assists and nine steals.
Tyme Boettcher, Panorama girls basketball
Boettcher finished with 13 points and six rebounds for the Panthers in a narrow loss to Dike-New Hartford in the Class 2A title game. Boettcher combined for 33 points (seven 3-pointers), 24 rebounds and four blocked shots in three tournament games.
Ben Bockman, Decorah boys basketball
The senior fired in 23 points, leading the top-ranked Vikings to a 69-40 victory over Charles City in a Class 3A substate final. Bockman hit five 3-pointers and dished out four assists for Decorah, the top seed in the 3A state tournament bracket.
Macy Boge, North Linn girls basketball
Boge was named captain of the Class 1A all-tournament team after the Lynx beat Newell-Fonda, 67-51, in the championship game. She finished with 17 points in the title game and led 1A scorers with 49 points to go along with 10 steals and 10 assists.
Molly Boge, North Linn girls basketball
The 5-8 junior earned Class 1A all-tournament honors, helping the Lynx capture their second state title with a 67-51 win over Newell-Fonda. In three tournament games, Molly had 35 points, hit a 1A high eight 3-pointers, had 10 steals and dished out nine assists.
Mason Boothby, Underwood boys basketball
The senior contributed 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the unbeaten and fourth-ranked Eagles in an 81-50 Class 2A substate final win over South Hamilton. Underwood made the state tournament for the first time in school history.
Divine Bourrage, Davenport North girls basketball
In her only state tournament game, the talented junior had 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 71-65 quarterfinal loss to Cedar Falls in front of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. Bourrage was named to the 5A all-tournament team.
Calix Cahill, Dallas Center-Grimes boys basketball
The 6-5 senior scored 29 points and snared 13 rebounds, leading the Mustangs to a 66-59 victory over Waukee in a Class 4A substate final. DC-G (20-3) will play top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the state tournament.
Morgan Christian, Sioux Central girls basketball
A member of the Class 2A state all-tournament team, Christian had 26 points, 12 assists and 11 steals, helping the Rebels reach a semifinal in their first-ever trip to the state tournament.
Isaac Clark, Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys basketball
Clark scored a team-high 21 points, helping the Rebels clip 10th-ranked Kee in a 1A substate final. Clark hit five 3-pointers, which may have been the difference in a 62-59 triumph.
Camden Davis, Hudson boys basketball
The senior scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double in the second-ranked Pirates’ 70-33 Class 2A substate final win over North Fayette Valley. Davis made 7 of 11 shots and added two blocks and two steals.
Katelyn Eggena, Waverly-Shell Rock girls basketball
Eggena made the Class 4A state all-tournament team, helping the Go-Hawks reach the title game before falling to Clear Creek-Amana. The 6-1 senior finished with 41 points in three tournament games, an average of 13.7 per contest.
Abby Hall, Des Moines Christian girls basketball
Hall made the Class 3A state all-tournament team, scoring 26 points in two games. She had 17 in the quarterfinals against Benton and the Lions reached a semifinal, falling to eventual champion Solon.
Kierra Jungers, Newell-Fonda girls basketball
The senior had a team-high 17 points for the Mustangs in a 67-51 loss to North Linn in the Class 1A state championship game. Jungers was second in 1A scoring with 46 points, making 21 of 37 shots to earn all-tournament honors while playing in her fourth straight state tourney.
Luke Frazell, Waverly-Shell Rock boys basketball
The junior charted a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, as the Go-Hawks edged Grinnell, 56-54, to reach their first state tournament since 2018. Luke shared game scoring honors with his older brother – senior Noah – who was 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute to seal the victory.
Jude Gibson, Ballard boys basketball
The 6-foot sophomore guard finished with 21 points, nine steals and seven rebounds as the Bombers knocked off fourth-ranked Clear Lake, 62-51, in a Class 3A substate final. Gibson scored nine points in Ballard’s 14-0 second-quarter run that broke the game open.
Tyler Gruver, Woodbine boys basketball
The 5-11 junior poured in 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the unranked Tigers to a 66-63 win over second-ranked Madrid in a Class 1A substate final. Woodbine, playing in its first state tournament since 1997, will meet top-ranked North Linn in the first round.
Kaden Kettmann, Bellevue Marquette boys basketball
The 6-foot-3 senior had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, leading third-ranked Marquette to a 57-42 Class 1A substate final win over Dunkerton. Marquette will take a 25-1 record into the state tournament.
Grace Knutson, Cedar Falls girls basketball
The Drake University recruit earned Class 5A all-state-tournament team honors. Knutson was third in the 5A field with 54 points in two games, including 34 in a first-round win over Davenport North.
Kamryn Kurt, North Linn girls basketball
Kurt tossed in a team-high 23 points for the Lynx, who won the Class 1A state title with a 67-51 victory over Newell-Fonda. She made 9 of 13 shots, handed out seven assists, made four steals and grabbed three rebounds. Kurt had 44 points to earn all-tournament honors.
Callie Levin, Solon girls basketball
University of Iowa recruit Levin scored 27 points as the Spartans captured the Class 3A state championship with a 54-47 victory over Estherville-Lincoln Central. Levin had 56 points in three tournament games, finishing second behind record-setter Haylee Stokes of Estherville-Lincoln Central.
Jenica Lewis, Johnston girls basketball
The sophomore was named captain of the Class 5A state all-tournament team. She scored 20 points as the Dragons won their third state title in the last five seasons with a 48-36 victory over West Des Moines Dowling. In the title game, Lewis made 5 of 11 3-pointers, while adding three rebounds, three steals and block and an assist. Lewis scored 60 points in three state tournament games and Johnston finished 26-0.
Ava Locklear, Clear Creek-Amana girls basketball
The 5-11 senior grabbed 19 rebounds to tie the Class 4A single-game record as the Clippers won their first state title with a 43-25 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock. Locklear also scored 11 points, handed out three assists and blocked four shots and was named captain of the all-tournament team. Locklear finished the state tournament with a record 43 rebounds. She came within one assist of a triple-double in a quarterfinal win over Gilbert.
Averie Lower, Clear Creek-Amana girls basketball
The sophomore scored a team-high 19 points in the Class 4A state title game. Lower shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range, grabbed four rebounds and had four steals, finishing with a 4A high 50 points in three games to earn all-tournament honors.
Chloe Meester, Mount Vernon girls basketball
The 6-2 junior landed on the Class 3A state all-tournament team after the Mustangs advanced to a semifinal. Meester made 8 of 12 shots in two tournament games, scoring 20 points while grabbing 18 rebounds and recording a 3A high five blocked shots.
Michael Martin, Iowa City Regina boys basketball
Martin scored a team-high 20 points as the Regals knocked off fifth-ranked Pella Christian, 64-59, in a Class 2A substate final. Regina is the No. 8 seed in the 2A state bracket and will play top seed Hull Western Christian.
Jack McGuire, Pella boys basketball
The 6-foot-4 sophomore posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and the Dutch punched their state tournament ticket with a 51-45 Class 3A substate final win over Winterset. Pella outscored Winterset, 16-7, in the fourth quarter.
Ellie Muller, West Des Moines Dowling girls basketball
Muller was named to the Class 5A state all-tournament team. She was the leading rebounder in the 5A field with 30, an average of 10 per game, and scored 28 points in three games.
Jadyn Petersen, Dike-New Hartford girls basketball
Petersen had seven points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals for the Wolverines in a 48-46 win over Panorama in the Class 2A state championship game. Jadyn and her twin sister Payton also helped the Wolverines win three straight state volleyball titles and post a four-year basketball record of 105-3 with four state championships.
Payton Petersen, Dike-New Hartford girls basketball
Petersen led the way with 27 points and 14 rebounds as the Wolverines became just the second school in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union era to win four straight state championships. Petersen was named captain of the Class 2A all-tournament team for the fourth straight season after D-NH clipped Panorama, 48-46, in the title game. Payton was also the state volleyball all-tournament captain three straight seasons.
Ty Pflughaupt, North Linn boys basketball
The senior finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists as the top-ranked Lynx raced past North Fork, 74-59, in a Class 1A substate final. This is the eighth straight state tournament trip for North Linn, which has reached the finals each of the last six seasons.
Anna Quillin, Solon girls basketball
Quillin, a 5-8 senior, set a Class 3A state tournament record with 40 rebounds in three games, helping the Spartans win the state title. Quillin grabbed 16 rebounds in the quarterfinal round, tying the 3A single-game mark.
Tevin Schultz, Dubuque Senior boys basketball
The sophomore scored nearly half of his team’s points, finishing with 20 in the Rams’ 49-46 Class 4A substate final win over Pleasant Valley. Schultz hit 9 of 10 shots and the Rams avenged a loss to Pleasant Valley in a substate final last season.
Jaidyn Sellers, Panorama girls basketball
Sellers, a state sprint champion who will play softball at Iowa, scored 20 points in the Class 2A state championship game and was named to the all-tournament team. Sellers was 9-for-14 from the field and added nine rebounds, nine steals and three blocked shots in a 48-46 loss to Dike-New Hartford. Sellers finished with 47 points, 28 rebounds, 19 steals and three blocks in three games.
Lucas Sieck, Lynnville-Sully boys basketball
The 6-1 senior had 16 points and six assists, leading the seventh-ranked Hawks to a 64-50 victory over Bedford in a Class 1A substate final. Sieck made four of six 3-pointers and Lynnville-Sully won its 18th straight game.
McKenna Sievers, Newell-Fonda girls basketball
The 5-5 senior finished with 15 points, five assists and three steals for the Mustangs in the Class 1A state championship game against North Linn. Sievers led 1A with 19 assists to go along with 37 points and 10 steals, making the all-tournament team
Melina Snoozy, Sioux City Bishop Heelan girls basketball
Snoozy, only a freshman, was named to the Class 4A state all-tournament team. She finished with 35 points and eight steals, helping the Crusaders reach the semifinals.
Curtis Stinson Jr., West Des Moines Valley boys basketball
The junior nearly pulled off a triple-double, finishing with 21 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in a 75-64 Class 4A substate final win over Norwalk. Kiki Deng led the defending state champions with 23 points.
Haylee Stokes, Estherville-Lincoln Central girls basketball
The talented junior was named captain of the Class 3A state all-tournament team after setting a 3A record with 89 points in three tournament games. Stokes had 44 points in a quarterfinal win over Forest City and 30 in a 54-47 loss to Solon in the title game. She broke the old mark previously held by Elle Ruffridge of Pocahontas Area, the state’s all-time leading scorer.
Jace Tams, Treynor boys basketball girls basketball
The 6-foot senior guard tossed in 23 points, leading the Cardinals to a come-from-behind 71-63 victory over Grand View Christian in a Class 2A substate final. Treynor trailed by as many as nine points and didn’t get its first lead until early in the fourth quarter. Tams made 11 of 13 free throws.
Aili Tanke, Johnston girls basketball
The Iowa State University signee scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Class 5A state championship game, a 48-36 win over West Des Moines Dowling. The all-tournament selection finished with 44 points and 29 rebounds in three state tournament games.
Abby Tuttle, North Polk girls basketball
Tuttle was named to the Class 4A state all-tournament team. The 5-8 junior scored 28 points in two tournament games and the Comets reached a semifinal.
Ava Underwood, Council Bluffs St. Albert girls basketball
A Class 1A all-state tournament selection, Underwood had 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a quarterfinal win over defending state champion Algona Garrigan in a quarterfinal and 23 points and 13 rebounds in a semifinal loss to eventual champion North Linn.
Jesse Van Kalsbeek, MOC-Floyd Valley boys basketball
The senior had 23 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, helping the Dutchmen top Sioux City Bishop Heelan, 67-57, in a Class 3A substate final. Van Kalsbeek was 8-for-12 from the field and 7-for-10 from the free throw line for state-bound MOC-Floyd Valley.
Kaden Van Regenmorter, Hull Western Christian boys basketball
The junior all-stater came up big in a 62-55 Class 2A substate final win over Estherville-Lincoln Central. Van Regenmorter had 20 points, 12 rebounds and two assists for the top-ranked Wolfpack.
Mason Watkins, West Burlington boys basketball girls basketball
The 6-3 junior guard fired in 31 points as the unbeaten and sixth-ranked Falcons beat Cascade, 56-51, in a Class 2A substate final. The victory gave West Burlington its first-ever trip to the state tournament.
Derek Weisskopf, Williamsburg boys basketball girls basketball
The senior and University of Iowa football recruit scored a game-high 21 points for the Raiders in a 51-40 win over Keokuk in a Class 3A substate final. Weisskopf punctuated the wire-to-wire win with a dunk in the final minute.
Rylee Yager, Estherville-Lincoln Central girls basketball
The 5-9 junior helped the Midgets reach the Class 3A title game and was named to the all-tournament team. Yager scored 24 points and grabbed 25 rebounds in three tournament games.
Ava Zediker, West Des Moines Dowling girls basketball
The junior, who has already committed to Creighton University, was named to the Class 5A state all-tournament team. In the championship game against Johnston, she scored 19 of her game-high 25 points in the second half. Zediker was the leading 5A scorer with 76 points in three games.
--Chris Short | @SBLiveIA
