Vote: Who should be Iowa’s high school athlete of the week? (1/27/2025)

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Jan. 20-26

Waukee forward Evan Jacobson reaches for a rebound against Waukee Northwest during a boys basketball game on Dec. 17, 2024, at Waukee High School. Mandatory Credit: Bryon Houlgrave-The Des Moines Register / Bryon Houlgrave/Special to the Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Jan. 20-26. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

High School on SI voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. 

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

Sadie Cox, Lenox girls basketball

Cox joined the 40-point club this year, hitting right on the mark while adding 20 rebounds, eight assists and four blocks in a victory over Nodaway Valley.

Claire Erselius, Montezuma girls basketball

In an upset of second-ranked North Mahaska, Erselius sank six triples and scored a team-high 18 points.  

Eli Evans, Waterloo Christian boys basketball

Evans scored 27 points with 15 rebounds and three blocks, including the final eight points in a win over Janesville. He tallied seven of those points in just 29 seconds. 

Caleb Haack, Iowa Valley boys basketball

Haack recorded a triple-double against Colo-Nesco, scoring 23 points with 19 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. He also had four assists and a steal for good measure. 

Hayden Hakes, Iowa City West boys swimming

Hakes has some of the top times in several events this year, including the 100 backstroke, 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle. He is also fifth in the 100 freestyle as a senior.

Ben Helmers, Algona boys basketball

Helmers dropped a 50-piece on Pocahontas Area, as the senior scored 51 points with nine rebounds for the Bulldogs. The senior was 22-for-32 from the field.

Evan Jacobson, Waukee boys basketball

While fielding visits from Power 5 Div. I football coaches, Jacobson recorded a 30-point, 10-rebound performance in a win over West Des Moines Dowling.

Davis Kern, Linn-Mar boys basketball

Kern dominated in a matchup with Iowa City Liberty, scoring 33 points on 13 of 18 shooting with 15 rebounds and eight assists. 

Jordan Lux, Hartley-HMS girls bowling

The junior recorded a 486 series, which places her in the Top-10 for all bowlers this year. She had a high game of 212. 

Parker Macho, Linn-Mar boys swimming

Macho has his sights set on state, as he is the current leader in both the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley. He also has the second-fastest time in the 100 breaststroke and 100 backstroke, and the third-fastest in the 50 freestyle. 

Morgan Mann, Humboldt girls basketball

Mann, who became her school’s career scoring leader last season as a junior, became the first Humboldt player - boy or girl - to reach 1,500 points in their career. 

Josephine Moore, Sigourney girls basketball

The senior had herself a memorable game, scoring 41 points with 11 rebounds in a 68-44 victory over Keota. 

Payton Policky, ACGC boys basketball

Policky was all over the glass vs. CAM, recording 24 rebounds including 11 on the offensive end. He also scored 12 points to help ACGC secure a 71-69 victory.

Hakeal Powell, Prince of Peace boys basketball

Powell did everything he could in a tough loss to Wilton, going 23 of 52 from the field with eight made 3-pointers to score a state-high 60 points. He also had six rebounds, three steals, three assists and a block.

Tyce Van Donge, Unity Christian boys basketball

Van Donge recorded a 20-20 game, as he scored 28 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. The sophomore was 12 of 18 from the field in a victory over Rock Valley.

Jackson Vogel, Unity Christian boys basketball

Vogel, a senior, broke out with a 40-point night as Unity Christian fought past Rock Valley. He also had eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Vote: Who should be Iowa’s high school athlete of the week? (Poll Closed)

• Eli Evans, Waterloo Christian boys basketball  63.32%  (3,082 votes)  
   
• Payton Policky, ACGC boys basketball  36.2%  (1,762 votes)  
   
• Sadie Cox, Lenox girls basketball  0.12%  (6 votes)  
   
• Evan Jacobson, Waukee boys basketball  0.06%  (3 votes)  
   
• Morgan Mann, Humboldt girls basketball  0.04%  (2 votes)  
   
• Hakeal Powell, Prince of Peace boys basketball  0.04%  (2 votes)  
   
• Claire Erselius, Montezuma girls basketball  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Caleb Haack, Iowa Valley boys basketball  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Hayden Hakes, Iowa City West boys swimming  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Ben Helmers, Algona boys basketball  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Davis Kern, Linn-Mar boys basketball  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Jordan Lux, Hartley-HMS girls bowling  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Parker Macho, Linn-Mar boys swimming  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Josephine Moore, Sigourney girls basketball  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Tyce Van Donge, Unity Christian boys basketball  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   
• Jackson Vogel, Unity Christian boys basketball  0.02%  (1 votes)  
   

 

Total Votes: 4,867