Vote now: Who should be the SBLive Iowa high school athlete of the week?

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for June 5-11

By Nate Olson 

Here are the candidates for SBLive’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for June 5-11. 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.

Addesyn Abel, Carlisle softball

The junior limited No. 7 North Polk to one hit as the fifth-ranked Wildcats won, 1-0. Abel gave up only a single and Carlisle scored the game’s only run on an RBI single by Lauren McGriff in the first inning.

Ellie Baker, Martensdale-St. Marys softball

The sophomore second baseman was 4-for-4 with three RBIs in just three innings as the Blue Devils erupted for a 20-2 victory over East Union. Baker was one of three St. Marys players with four hits.

Jordyn Beck, Linn-Mar softball

The senior pitched a five-inning perfect game as the Lions blanked Cedar Rapids Washington 12-0. Beck, an Indian Hills Community College recruit, struck out seven.

Mariah Belzer, Ankeny Centennial softball

The senior shortstop was 4-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored in a 7-1 victory over Ankeny in the second game of a doubleheader. The Class 5A top-ranked Jaguars also won the first game, 7-3.

Cael Bridgewater, North Linn baseball

Bridgewater improved his pitching record to 3-0, going 61/3 innings for the win as the Class 1A sixth-ranked Lions downed Class 2A No. 7 Cascade, 8-3. Bridgewater was also 2-for-4 at the plate and leads his team with 21 hits.

Devin Brophy, Anamosa baseball

The senior had a homer and single, driving in three runs in the Blue Raiders’ 12-0 win over Lisbon. Brophy has 32 hits, which ranks fourth statewide.

Addison Brunner, Southeast Polk softball

The senior first baseman clubbed three home runs in four at-bats, driving in four runs in a 12-0 win for the 5A sixth-ranked Rams over No. 2 West Des Moines Valley. Southeast Polk completed a sweep with a 12-9 victory in the second game.

Jaxon Bunkers, Remsen St. Mary’s baseball 

The Hawks, who lost only in the Class 1A state championship game last season, outscored four opponents by a 58-1 margin last week. Bunkers was a combined 8-for-14 with two doubles, three triples, nine RBIs, seven runs scored and a pitching win.

Maura Chalupa, Muscatine softball

Chalupa combined with Elexys Allen on a no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader and pitched a two-hitter in the second against Davenport North. Muscatine won both games in five innings.

Damin Churchman, Ankeny Centennial baseball

The senior first baseman had three hits – including a home run – and six RBIs in the Class 4A top-ranked Jaguars’ 16-2 win over Davenport Central in the Herkelman Invitational in Cedar Rapids. Later that day, Centennial topped No. 4 Cedar Rapids Kennedy 7-5.

Kaylee Cords, Waukee Northwest softball

The junior first baseman was a combined 4-for-7 with four RBIs in a doubleheader sweep of Urbandale for the 5A third-ranked Wolves.

Blake Evans, Estherville-Lincoln Central baseball 

The Midgets, who reached the Class 2A state championship game last season, won their past four games by a combined score of 57-5. Evans was 7-for-12 with a double, two triples, a home run and nine RBIs.

Sharli Fessler, Central Springs softball

The sophomore catcher had a single, double, two home runs and five RBIs in a 10-0 win over Mason City Newman. One night earlier, Kooper Klaahsen pitched a one-hitter, striking out 12 in a 10-0 victory over Clear Lake.

Sturgis Fridley, Southeast Warren softball

The junior second baseman clubbed three home runs and knocked in six as the Class 1A No. 3 Warhawks rolled to a 21-0 win over Nodaway Valley. Fridley was 4-for-5 and scored four times.

Austin Gabrielson, Ames baseball

The senior was 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs, leading the Little Cyclones past Boone 15-4. Gabrielson ranks third in Class 4A with 31 hits.

Sydney Gardner, Waterloo Columbus softball

Gardner homered in both games of a doubleheader as Columbus beat Denver 11-3 and 13-8. She was 3-for-4 in the first game, while pitcher Haile Frost struck out 13.

Carly Goodwin, Sigourney softball

The junior struck out 19 batters in a 7-0 shutout of Montezuma. Goodwin gave up just one hit and has fanned 121 batters this season.

Nolan Grawe, Cedar Rapids Kennedy baseball

The junior finished 5-for-6 with four doubles and four RBIs in a doubleheader sweep of Iowa City West. Grawe leads the state with 39 hits.

Maddox Harn, Waterloo East baseball

The sophomore lefthander tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out 12 in a 3-0 win over Mason City. Harn also drove in one of his team’s three runs, while allowing just four hits and walking two.

Brihanna Hill, West Monona softball

In a three-game stretch this week, the freshman catcher was 8-for-11 with two doubles and nine RBIs. The Spartans sit atop the Western Valley Conference with an unbeaten mark.

Rylee Jager, Estherville-Lincoln Central softball

The sophomore pitched a two-hitter, striking out 14 in a 2-0 win over Newell-Fonda for the Class 3A No. 5 Midgets. Teammate Tatum Dunlavey also blanked Class 1A No. 4 Newell-Fonda 3-0 in the second game of the doubleheader.

Courtney Kessler, Iowa City Regina softball

The senior catcher totaled three hits and drove in five runs in a 12-2 win over Durant. It was the third win of the week for Class 2A No.1 Regina over Durant. In the other two, Kessler combined for four more hits and four RBIs.

Kiley Kindelspire, Indianola softball

The sophomore third baseman was a combined 5-for-7 with a home run and three RBIs as Class 4A top-ranked Indianola swept No. 2 Norwalk 12-4 and 2-1.

Trenten Kingery, Knoxville baseball 

The senior was 4-for-4 with a double, two home runs and five RBIs in a 15-0 win over Clarke for the Class 3A No. 3 Panthers.

Caleb Klein, Western Dubuque baseball

The senior outfielder finished the week 9-for-18 with a homer, two doubles, eight runs scored and four stolen bases. The Bobcats, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, won all six of their games.

Lily Knutson, Cedar Rapids Kennedy

The freshman improved her record to 5-1, limiting Class 4A No. 4 Cedar Rapids Xavier to three hits in a 2-1 win for Class 5A No. 13 Jefferson. Knutson struck out five, walked one and hit a batter.

Koby Lampman, Carroll Kuemper baseball

The senior outfielder got two hits and drove in four runs in a 13-3 win over Council Bluffs St. Albert in the second game of a doubleheader.

Garrett Luett, Underwood baseball

The freshman not only worked six innings of hitless relief on the mound, but had a single and double, driving in four runs in a 10-0 shutout of Treynor. The Eagles blanked St. Albert 4-0 in their next game, with Luett homering and knocking in two.

Tate Lyon, Pleasant Valley baseball

The junior was 5-for-8 with a double and four RBIs as the seventh-ranked Spartans swept Muscatine.

Leah Maro, Davenport Assumption softball

The senior not only notched the pitching win (her seventh of the season) in a 7-2 win over North Scott, but also slugged a three-run homer.

Payton Marsh, Cedar Falls baseball

The senior fired a complete-game shutout, blanking Dubuque Senior 6-0. Marsh had nine strikeouts while giving up three hits and walking one.

Conner Maston, Lynnville-Sully baseball

The senior had two doubles, a homer and three RBIs and picked up the pitching win in a 13-0 victory over Iowa Valley. The 13-0 Hawks, ranked fifth in 1A, outscored their last four foes 39-0.

Carson Medina, Southeast Polk

The senior was 3-for-3 with a single and homer, driving in three runs in a 10-2 victory over Sioux City North. Medina got the pitching win with a three-hitter and nine strikeouts against top-ranked Ankeny Centennial earlier in the week.

Izabella Mulder, Dallas Center-Grimes softball

The junior second baseman collected five hits in six at-bats in a doubleheader sweep of Pella. Mulder had two doubles, a homer and five RBIs.

Evan Neumann, Kingsley-Pierson baseball

Unbeaten K-P (13-0), ranked second in Class 1A, outscored four opponents 58-7 last week. Nuemann was a combined 7-for-12 with a homer, seven RBIs, eight runs scored and a pitching win.

Cooper Nicholson, W.D.M. Dowling baseball

The senior was 4-for-5 with a double, homer and four RBIs as the Maroons, ranked eighth in 4A, beat Class 1A top-ranked Mason City Newman 14-2.

Kaitlyn Olinger, Davis County softball

The senior hit a two-run homer to account for the Class 3A second-ranked Mustangs’ only runs in a 2-1 victory over No. 14 Chariton. Davis County moved to 11-0 with the win.

Xander Poock, Johnston baseball

The senior pitched a one-hitter as the Dragons blanked Roland-Story 4-0. Poock struck out nine and allowed only a single to Brett Schmitz.

Rhett Pleggenkuhle, Van Meter baseball

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 2 in 2A, swept West Central Valley the night before the loss to North Polk. Pleggenkuhle had four hits and drove in six runs in the twin-bill.

Lucy Porter, Fort Dodge softball

The sophomore struck out seven of the 13 batters she faced in a four-inning no-hitter against Marshalltown. Porter walked one in a 12-0 win and the Dodgers also blanked Marshalltown in the nightcap.

Elle Ridgeway, Williamsburg softball

The senior drove in six of her team’s runs in a 10-6 win over West Delaware for the Class 3A top-ranked Raiders. Ridgeway had a grand slam homer and two-run single.

Peyton Robinson, Lisbon softball

The senior shortstop had three hits, including a double and triple, and drove in three in a 16-0 win over West Central in the Jesup tournament. The win was the 1,300th of Lisbon Coach Bob Bunting’s career.

Cooper Spurgeon, North Polk baseball 

The senior had two hits and drove in three runs as the Comets (11-2) ran their winning streak to five straight with a 6-1 triumph over defending 2A state champion Van Meter

Landon Stolte, Lisbon baseball

The senior had two singles and a homer, driving in five runs as the Lions, ranked fourth in 1A, routed Maquoketa Valley 19-0.

Doug Taylor, Mason City Newman

Taylor, a University of Iowa recruit, drove in two runs and pitched a two-hitter, striking out 12 as the Knights split games played at Dowling.

Logan Wagemester, Cedar Rapids Prairie baseball

The junior ran his pitching record to 5-0 as Class 4A No. 2 Prairie downed 3A fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier 12-2. He did allow his first two runs of the season, but Prairie improved to 19-1.

Khylie Wainwright, North Scott softball

The senior third baseman had two hits and drove in both runs, including the game-winner on a walk-off double, giving the Class 4A No. 7 Lancers a 2-1 win over Class 2A No. 9 Northeast.

Maddie Waldorf, Van Meter softball

The junior first baseman had a double, homer and two RBIs, leading the Class 2A No. 4 Bulldog past Class 4A No. 7 North Polk, 7-6. Van Meter scored four runs in the sixth and one in the seventh for the comeback win.

Hilary Wilson, Solon softball

The senior shortstop had two hits and drove in six runs in the Spartans’ 16-0 win over South Tama in the first game of a doubleheader. Wilson had two more RBIs in the second game, won by Solon 14-0.

Luke Woltmann, Council Bluffs Lewis Central baseball 

The junior first baseman had three hits and drove in five runs in an 11-1 win over Denison-Schleswig. The Titans have won 13 straight since a season-opening loss to West Des Moines Dowling.