Gillespie’s Ava Rakers is The State Journal-Register’s athlete of the week.
The poll closed at noon on Friday. Information about the nominees is below. Pleasant Plains’ Aspen Kitowski won last week’s poll with 1,315 votes.
If you have trouble viewing the poll, click on this link.
Iye Adaramola, Chatham Glenwood, girls track and field
The freshman charged to first place in two sprints, and the Titans claimed five events for second place behind Normal U-High at the Central State Eight Conference meet on Thursday. Adaramola won the 100-meter dash in 12.28 seconds and 200 in 25.02.
Brady Boylen, Auburn, baseball
The senior threw a complete game in a 2-0 win over Jacksonville Routt on Monday. He allowed just five hits and one walk with five strikeouts. He also produced two hits and followed that up by hitting a walk-off double in the bottom of the eighth inning as Auburn defeated Nokomis 6-5 on Saturday.
Mathew Bywater, Litchfield, baseball
Bywater earned the win by throwing six innings and giving up just four hits as Litchfield defeated Gillespie 3-1 on Friday. He struck out nine and walked two while Laidyn Jones delivered an RBI single.
Emma Crawford, North Mac, girls track and field
The senior captured the triple jump (32 feet, 6 inches) and long jump (16-5 ½) in addition to the 100- and 300-meter hurdles in 16.05 and 48.64 seconds, respectively. The Panthers won the South Central Conference meet as a team.
Nash Donnan, Petersburg PORTA, baseball
The sophomore supplied three hits to go with an RBI and two runs in PORTA’s 9-7 victory at Pittsfield on Friday. He also went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and scored a run as PORTA beat Pawnee 6-3 on Thursday.
Caiden Flanigan, Pleasant Plains, boys track and field
The senior totaled four victories at the Sangamon County meet on Friday. He captured the 110-meter hurdles in 15.71 seconds and the high jump with a height of 5 feet, 8 inches. He also won the 4×100 (43.89) and 4×200 (1:30.90) relays. Nathan Frey and Kadyn Harmony also participated on both the winning relays.
Levi German, Nokomis, baseball
German summoned the walkoff RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 5-4 win over Macon Meridian. German and Kannon Jonas each had two hits, while Nolan Herpstreith led the offense with three hits. German also tossed four innings, yielding three hits and two walks with no runs. He struck out four.
Lily Lock, Riverton, softball
The freshman hit the walk-off RBI triple in the bottom of the 10th inning in an 11-10 win over Hartsburg-Emden on Monday. Lock finished 4-for-5 with two RBIs and one run.
Mekhi Newman, Springfield High, boys track and field
The junior swept the three sprints to lead Springfield High to the City title. He won the 100, (11.11), 200 (22.03) and 400 (48.77).
Ava Rakers, Gillespie, softball
The junior evened the score with a 2-RBI single to left field before Macie Wright provided the go-ahead 2-RBI single in a 9-7 win over Staunton on Tuesday. Rakers finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs.
Trager Shultz, Pleasant Plains, baseball
The senior pitcher hit the go-ahead RBI single in the sixth for a 2-1 nonconference win over Sacred Heart-Griffin on Monday after Charlie Severino doubled with one out. He also scored the winning run in a 5-4 win over Springfield High on Wednesday.
Isabella Tiburzi, Carlinville, softball
The senior uncorked the walkoff RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning and finished 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles in a 3-2 win over Hillsboro on Wednesday.
Mia Volpert, Springfield High, softball
The senior ace fanned a whopping 21 batters as the Senators beat Pawnee 11-4 on Friday. Volpert walked two and gave up six hits and no earned runs.
Past winners
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Gillespie’s Ava Rakers is the SJ-R’s athlete of the week
Reporting by Bill Welt, Springfield State Journal- Register / State Journal-Register
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