After plenty of solid sports performers over the last week, here are the Journal Star high school boys athlete of the week nominees for May 11-16, presented by CEFCU.
Head to www.pjstar.com/sports to vote. The poll closes at noon Friday. Information about the nominees is below.
If you have a nominee for the honor, email us at sports@pjstar.com or tag us on X @pjstarsports. Last week, Patrick Peterson of the Dunlap track & field team was named JS boys athlete of the week.
Jaiduan Cranford, Metamora track and field
The senior won four conference championships last week. Cranford swept the sprints along with being on two victorious relay teams at the Mid-Illini Conference Championships on Tuesday, May 12. His times in the 100-meter (10.58 seconds) and 200-meter (21.80 seconds) dashes were both school records as well as meet records. He then teamed with Brayden Cox, Kylan McMillen and Jayson Pickles to win the 4×100-meter relay (41.96). Cranford, Cox, McMillen and Zach Alwardt ran on the winning 4×200-meter relay (1:28.56). Both of those relay times were also meet records. Metamora won the meet with 136 points, outdistancing runner-up Morton (106 points).
Maxwell Kirby, Peoria Notre Dame track and field
The junior won a distance conference title last week. Kirby clocked a personal-best in the 3200-meter run at the Big 12 Conference Championships on Wednesday, May 13 in Bloomington. His time of 9:35.37 was nearly four seconds faster than his previous best. In the victory, Kirby won by 20.18 seconds over Bloomington’s Eli Hartman (9:55.55). PND (30 points) finished seventh in the team standings with Kirby being the lone first-place finisher.
Ethan Klemens and Harmin Patel, Dunlap tennis
The doubles team helped Dunlap win a conference title. Klemens and Patel secured the Mid-Illini Conference Championship victory at No. 1 doubles on Friday, May 15. The pair took down Metamora duo Weston Lange and Dane Hutchison, 7-5, 6-0 in claiming the tournament title. That victory helped Dunlap (26 points) take home the tournament crown, beating out runner-up Metamora (22 points) and third-place Morton (13 points).
Sam McCall, Richwoods baseball
The sophomore had a big performance at the plate last week. McCall hit .467 (7-for-15) with six extra-base hits and five RBIs as the Knights went 3-1. His week was highlighted by a go-ahead home run to beat Deer Creek-Mackinaw, 8-7, in nine innings on Wednesday, May 13. McCall led off the ninth inning with a solo shot to right, completing a 4-for-5 day with two doubles and two RBIs. He also pitched four innings of relief with eight strikeouts and just two hits. McCall began his week with a pair of doubles in a doubleheader sweep against Urbana on May 11.
Landon Crawford, Farmington baseball
The senior put together an all-around performance last week. Crawford struck out 12 and went 5-for-5 in a 12-2, six-inning win over Havana on May 11. He threw five innings and scattered two hits on 85 pitches, then helped his cause at the plate. Crawford had five hits, singling in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. For the week, Crawford batted .583 (7-for-12) with seven singles, two RBIs and two runs as the Farmers went 2-1.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Vote for Journal Star boys athlete of the week for May 11-16, presented by CEFCU
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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