Vote: Who should be SBLive's Missouri High School Athlete of the Week (10/16/2023)?

Here are the candidates for SBLive's Missouri High School Athlete of the Week as nominated by fans, readers and SBLive’s staff

Here are the candidates for SBLive's Missouri High School Athlete of the Week as nominated by fans, readers and SBLive’s staff.

Read through the nominees and cast your vote at the bottom of the page. Voting will conclude on Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced the following week. If you would like to nominate an athlete in the future, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com.

THIS WEEK’S SBLIVE MISSOURI ATHLETE OF THE WEEK NOMINEES:

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 that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.

James Bryant, Lutheran North football

A freshman linebacker, Bryant was credited with 12 tackles and six sacks in the Crusaders' 62-0 win over visiting Lutheran St. Charles on Friday. 

Klara Bulla, Lutheran St. Charles softball

In three games and three wins last week, the junior had five hits in 10 at-bats with three doubles, a grand slam and six RBIs.

Ben Chance, Bowling Green boys cross country

The senior broke the school record with a time of 15:25.31 at the Eastern Missouri Conference meet on Saturday in Kingdom City. The Bobcats won the meet title as well, the 23rd time in the past 24 years.

Maddy Colin, College Heights Christian girls volleyball

She dished out 23 assists, had 15 kills and 4 aces to help the Cougars sweep Purdy on Tuesday.

Erica Conger, Parkway West girls volleyball

In a 3-2 win over Westminster Christian Academy on Oct. 10, the 5-foot-10 junior had 20 kills.

Graysen Crabill, Hannibal boys soccer

In an 8-0 win over Mexico the Pirates locked up the North Central Missouri Conference title and Grabill had four goals and assist to help the Pirates improve to 15-4-1.

Jordan Cribbs, Nixa football

The Eagles locked up the Central Ozark Conference championship with a 31-28 win over Republic thanks to Cribbs hitting a 25-yarder at the buzzer.

Gabe Cusanelli, Rockwood Summit boys swimming & diving

At the Summit Invitational on Thursday, he took first place in the 200-yard freestyle and set a new school record.

Layton Dahl, Liberty (Wentzville) girls soccer

Finished with four goals in two games last week, one in a 5-4 win over Holt on Tuesday and then had a hat trick in a 9-0 win over Washington on Thursday.

Kennedy Diggs, Sherwood softball

The right-handed hurler struck out 21 in an eight-inning win over Fayette, 3-2. The Kansas pledge also had a home run and 2 RBIs in the win on Saturday.

Emilee Dulcan, St. Joseph Lafayette softball

In a 10-9 win over Chillicothe on Saturday, she had three home runs and drove in 5 runs for the Fighting Irish in a Class 3 District 8 contest.

Missouri high school football: Top standouts, best performances in Week 8 (10/14/2023)

Darius Graham, Poplar Bluff football

The senior caught a 27-yard touchdown pass in a 42-7 win over Kennett and in the process moved into third place all-time in Mules’ history with 1,599 yards receiving.

Megan Graver, Bowling Green softball

The senior and Columbia College pledge became the Lady Cats’ all-time strikeout leader with No. 653 during a five-inning no-hitter she threw on Thursday against Van-Far in the Class 2 District 5 quarterfinals.

Emma Harshberger, Highland softball

The senior scored her 100th career run and broke the single-season record for RBI with her 42nd in an 11-1 district semifinal win over South Shelby in Class 2 District 5 play.

Landin Hoyle, Rockwood Summit boys soccer

He extended his scoring streak to 10 games in a row without at least a goal or assist thanks to a hat trick in a 5-1 win over John Burroughs on Tuesday. That helped Coach Tom Wade record win No. 100.

Macie Hunolt, Troy Buchanan softball

In the regular season finale on Tuesday, the North Florida pledge was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs and fanned 18 in the circle in a 6-3 over Eureka.

Carleigh Kinnaird, Neosho softball

She had a 3-run home run to tie the game and then hit the game-winner via a two-run shot on Saturday in a 8-6 win over Lee’s Summit West in a Class 5 District 7 game.

Breckyn Koeller, Hermann girls volleyball

The senior had 46 assists and 9 digs in a 3-2 loss to Pacific on Thursday and had 27 assists, 7 kills and 4 aces in a 3-0 win over St. James on Tuesday.

Imane Larhdiri, Liberty (Wentzville) girls cross country

The senior won her first high school cross country race when she ran 20:08.866 on Saturday at the Gateway Athletic Conference Central championship meet in St. Charles. The Eagles won the team title as well.

Rachel Li, MICDS girls tennis

The senior took home the state championship singles title in Class 2, posting a 2-1 win over defending state champion Angela Chen of Ladue Horton Watkins.

Jalyn Mabe, Nixa softball

In the Class 5 District 5 playoffs, Mabe hit a pair of home runs and drove in four runs in a 13-3 win over Glendale on Thursday.

Colleen McKillip, Villa Duchesne field hockey

She recorded a hat trick in a 7-0 win over St. Dominic on Thursday.

Dejerrian Miller, Cardinal Ritter football

Miller, a junior Division I prospect, caught three touchdown passes in the Lions' 34-21 win over visiting Hillsboro in a battle of unbeaten teams on Saturday afternoon. 

Claire Morrissey, St. Joseph’s Academy girls volleyball

The Missouri pledge recorded her 1,000th career kill during a game against Incarnate Word Academy on Saturday.

Silas Morton, Strafford football

The senior had five touchdown runs – from 24, 11, 42, 14 and 9 yards out – to help the Indians pick up a 42-16 win over Lighthouse Christian Academy.

Kennedee Moss, Centralia girls cross country

The sophomore has won back-to-back races, the latest came on Tuesday, running 20:11.20 at the Centralia Invitational.

Leiloni Payton, Lincoln College Prep girls tennis

A runner-up in Class 2 last year, Payton won the Class 1 title this year with a 2-0 over defending state champion Aanya Singh of Clayton.

Johnny Petruso, St. Dominic boys soccer

He had a hat trick and also added an assist in a 7-3 win over Fort Zumwalt South on Thursday. It was his second hat trick in nine days.

Lexie Peuster, Palmyra softball

The senior ended a 14-4 over Hannibal on Monday with an inside-the-park home run, which was also her 100th hit.

Quin Renfro, Joplin football

The South Dakota State pledge ran for 226 yards and five touchdowns — all longer than 30 yards — to help the Eagles pick up a win over Carthage.

Vote: Who should be SBLive's National High School Athlete of the Week? (10/16/2023)

Audrey Rischer, Father Tolton girls golf

The Oklahoma pledge shot a 4-under 68 to take first place at the Class 4 District 2 meet, winning the meet at Woods Fort Golf Course by eight shots on Monday.

Kayla Robertson, Timberland girls volleyball

In a contest on Thursday against Francis Howell Central, the Arkansas pledge recorded her 1,000th career kill.

Emmalee Rogers, Fox softball

In a high-scoring 16-10 win over Pattonsville on Wednesday, she was 2-fro-3 with 4 RBIs and scored two runs.

Riann Schwartz, Carthage girls volleyball

The libero/defensive specialist recorded career dig No. 1,000 in a Central Ozark Conference game at Republic on Thursday.

Miranda Scraper, Fort Zumwalt East softball

In the Class 4 District 4 opener, Scraper was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and 5 RBIs including the game-ender in a 17-2 win on Thursday. The hit was the 100th of her high school career.

Ellie Smith, Lutheran St. Charles softball

She went 3-for-3 with three home runs, including a grand slam, 7 RBIs and scored four times in a 22-3 win over Jennings on Thursday in a Class 3 District 3 game. She had six hits in 10 at-bats in three wins for the week.

Madison Uptegrove, Father Tolton softball

The Missouri pledge tied the MSHSAA state career home record and then broke it with home run No. 49 on Monday.

Lily Vanbebber, St. Michael the Archangel girls volleyball

In victories over Grain Valley and Pleasant Hill on Saturday, the senior recorded her 1,000th career kill.

Delaney Wolf, Platte Valley softball

The South Nodaway student became her school’s all-time single-season strikeout leader with No. 119 in a game against South Harrison on Monday. She broke the mark that Katie New set in 1996 with 116.

Amber Yin, Lafayette (Wildwood) girls tennis

The senior’s only season playing for the Lancers was a successful one as she claimed the Class 3 singles title, sweeping her way to the crown. She missed her freshman season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and played a national schedule the past two falls.

Incarnate Word Academy's Sammi Bergjans voted SBLive’s Missouri High School Athlete of the Week (10/16/2023)

For live updates and complete statewide results, bookmark our Missouri high school football scoreboard: STATEWIDE MISSOURI FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

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- Cody Thorn | latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveMiz


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Cody Thorn
CODY THORN

Cody Thorn is a veteran journalist who covers high school sports across the state of Texas and Missouri. He is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and has covered sports and news since 1999.