The best athletes typically come up big in key situations and that’s what many of this week’s nominees for CSM Fall Athletes of the Week Presented by Dominos did.
This week’s nominees include state golf standouts, key players behind conference championships, sectional title winners in tennis, a pair of quarterbacks leading their football teams to important wins and more.
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UPDATE: Peoria Notre Dame's Sophia Gast and Delavan's Coriell Green won CSM Fall Athletes of the Week Presented by Dominos after receiving the most votes in their respective polls. Voting closed at 11:59 PM on Thursday.
Girls Athlete of the Week nominees
Paige Fischer, Normal U-High girls golf
Fischer tied with teammate Natalie Ocheltree for the highest-placing girls golfer from the area, regardless of class, at the state tournaments last weekend. The Normal U-High junior shot rounds of 80 and 76 to finish in a tie for 24th at the Class 2A State Tournament at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur, a 27-spot improvement from her 51st-place finish as a sophomore in 2023.
Lexi Burton, Metamora girls tennis
Burton was the singles champion at the Class 1A Metamora Sectional, punching her ticket to this weekend’s IHSA State Finals. The junior also helped the Redbirds win the team title at the sectional as well, following a 6-1, 6-0 win over Peoria Christian’s Ella Crow, a 6-0, 6-0 win over Limestone’s Harrison Ivy, a 6-0, 6-2 win over Normal U-High’s Gabi Pecoraro and a 6-1, 6-4 victory over teammate Lauren Poole for the sectional championship.
Khloe Stear, Limestone volleyball
Stear continued to shine as a star on defense for the Rockets, who finished as the runner-up at the Limestone Fall Classic on Oct. 19. She put up a week-high 25 digs in a two-set win against Geneseo at the tournament and added 47 total digs throughout Limestone’s other four matches on Saturday. The junior libero also put up separate 21-dig performances against Morton and Metamora earlier in the week.
Renee Warren, Normal West girls cross country
Warren took first place at the Big 12 Conference Meet at Detweiller Park in Peoria on Oct. 20, running the 3-mile course in 17:43.50 and winning by more than 15 seconds. Warren’s time was her first sub-18 minute finish of the season and helped Normal West take first place as a team.
Sophia Gast, Peoria Notre Dame girls swimming
Gast led the Irish at a tri-meet with Pekin and Mahomet-Seymour on Oct. 15, totaling four podium finishes when all was said and done. The PND swimmer did well in the distance double, winning the 500 yard freestyle in 5:24.48 and taking second in the 200 yard freestyle in 2:01.45. Gast additionally. helped PND win the 200 free relay and take second in the 400 free relay.
Boys Athlete of the Week nominees
Breon Green, Peoria High football
Green led the dominant Peoria High offense as the Class 5A No. 4 Lions beat Class 6A No. 10 Bloomington 44-28 on Friday to advance to 7-1 on the year. The junior signal caller showed off his dynamic play, rushing for one touchdown to tie the game in the third quarter and throwing touchdown passes to Jaylen Rayford and TQ Webb that helped Peoria High surge in front in the second half.
Nolan Eccles, Dunlap boys golf
Eccles capped off his sophomore campaign with a top-10 finish at the Class 2A State Tournament, shooting rounds of 72 and 75 to finish in a tie for 7th. Eccles’ first round included four birdies to help him shoot 1-over par before carding 13 pars and a birdie in the second round.
Noah Molitor, Normal U-High boys soccer
Molitor’s play in the de facto Central State Eight title game against Chatham Glenwood was a big reason why the Pioneers were able to survive a split of the conference championship. The star senior scored both of Normal U-High’s goals in the 2-2 draw and also helped the Pioneers blow out Normal Calvary Christian in a Class 1A regional semifinal victory on Oct. 19.
Coriell Green, Delavan boys cross country
Green was the first to cross the line at the 34-team Peoria Heights Patriot Invitational on Oct. 19 at Detweiller Park, running the famed course in a personal-best 15:23.6 for his first title of the season and third of his high school career.
Chuck Hathaway, Dee-Mack football
Hathaway was an engine behind Dee-Mack’s clutch 38-20 win over Clinton to move to 4-4 on the season and keep its postseason hopes alive. The senior quarterback did most of his damage on the ground with 26 carries for 108 yards and three touchdowns, but also added 57 yards on 6-of-11 completions through the air as well.
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