The start of the football, volleyball, soccer, cross country and swimming/diving season began with a bang last week as numerous athletes from central Illinois showed they were already in midseason form.
This week’s nominees for CSM Fall Athletes of the Week Presented by Dominos include a trio of girls athletes from the Twin Cities, a pair of soccer stars, high-ranking finishers in golf and cross country and more.
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UPDATE: Natalie Ocheltree of Normal U-High girls golf and Cody Muhlbauer of Normal West fotoball won CSM Fall Athletes of the Week, voting concluded at 8 PM on Wednesday. Stay tuned for a story on our winners!
Girls Athlete of the Week nominees
Mia Lamberti, Limestone volleyball
Lamberti wasted no time putting on a season-opening show in Limestone’s trip to Macomb Classic on Saturday, helping the Rockets go 4-1. Over the course of the five matches, the sophomore recorded 53 kills and 60 assists with double-doubles in wins over Pleasant Plains and Athens. Lamberti’s weekend-high was 13 kills in a loss to Macomb and she had four games with double-digit assists.
Piper Lowder, Normal Community girls swim and dive
Lowder won quite a few events during the Iron’s opening week, starting with victories in the 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke and playing a part in Normal Community’s winning 200 freestyle relay in a dual meet with Glenwood on Aug. 27. She won four events on Saturday: the 50 yard freestyle in 25:36 and the 100 yard butterfly in 1:06.57 while also swimming key legs on NCHS’s 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay that both won over Richwoods.
Renee Warren, Normal West girls cross country
Warren defended her home turf on Saturday, taking second place at the Normal West Invite at Maxwell Park. The Wildcats’ junior finished with a time of 18:35.85, more than 24 seconds ahead of the third-place finisher. Normal West finished fourth as a team at the meet.
Danayshia Webster, Richwoods flag football
Webster wrote her name in the opening chapter of girls flag football in Peoria, scoring the first touchdown for a team from the city. Her score came on an interception that she returned for a touchdown in a 12-6 loss to Danville.
Natalie Ocheltree, Normal U-High girls golf
Ocheltree brought home a runner-up finish out of over 100 golfers at the Saints Shootout at Prairie Vista Golf Course on Saturday. Her round of 76 (+4) firmly placed her in second and helped the Pioneers finish second out of 16 teams with team score of 347.
Boys Athlete of the Week nominees
Kayden Hudson, Peoria Notre Dame boys soccer
Hudson was nearly impossible to defend in a three-game gauntlet that PND handled with ease. The all-state forward netted four goals in a 7-1 win over reigning Class 1A state quarterfinalist Quincy Notre Dame on Aug. 28, then added two more scores the next day in a 4-0 shutout of Glenwood, as well as in a 6-0 win over Morton on Aug. 31
Cody Muhlbauer, Normal West football
Muhlbauer electrified the Normal West offense when it needed to be in a 33-27 win over Peoria Notre Dame on Aug. 30. The sophomore running back was responsible for all five of the Wildcats’ touchdowns, scoring from 49, 76, 80, 12 and four yards out, including the game-winning score with 3:52 left in the game. He finished with 350 yards on 18 carries.
Owen Gruden, Pekin boys golf
Gruden tied for medalist honors with a 33 at a stacked Mid-Illini Conference triangular match with Dunlap and Metamora on Wednesday at Metamora Fields. On Saturday, he carded a one-over-par 73 at Edwardsville’s Dick Gerber Invite to finish in fifth, while firing four birdies during the round.
Fisher Rinkenberger, Washington boys cross country
Rinkenberger started his season with a runner-up finish at the Normal West Invite which helped the Panthers take third in the 12-team event. The senior crossed the line in 15:30.99, a tenth of a second in front of teammate Ben Gorsage.
Jacob Walton, Peoria Christian boys soccer
Walton was one of many stars on a Peoria Christian team that went 3-0 in its opening week and won the Charger Classic, which is hosted. Walton began his week with a hat trick and an assist in a dominating 7-0 win over Kewanee on Aug. 27. He netted a pair of goals in a 4-1 win over Chicago Christian on Aug. 31, then scored another in the tournament’s championship game against Williamsville, a Class 1A state quarterfinalist last year. Walton earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
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