Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (10/26/2025)

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Oct. 20-25

AOTW

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Oct. 20-25. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

High School on SI voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. 

Congratulations to last week's winner Izzy Hardin, Maquoketa

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

Keegan Decker, Iowa City Liberty boys cross country

The junior earned a big win at a 4A state-qualifying meet, posting a time of 15:27.

Braylyn Childress, West Lyon volleyball

Childress led the upset for her team with 22 kills, 15 digs, two blocks and an ace.

Canaan Dunham, Pella boys cross country

Dunham will be a threat at state after capturing a qualifier in 15:13 for the Dutch, who also advanced as a team with four in the Top 8.

Mollie Hansen, Hudson girls cross country

Hansen posted a dominating win at the state-qualifying race, advancing with a victory for her team, who also took home top honors.

Kenna Harskamp, Earlham volleyball

Harskamp dished out 46 assists to go along with six kills, 18 digs and two aces in a five-set regional victory.

Mila Jordan, Wapello volleyball

Jordan, a sophomore, had 17 kills in a five-set upset of Burlington. 

Draven Keeler, North Union football

Keeler and the Warriors stunned GTRA, as the senior rushed 37 times for 272 yards, finding the end zone four times.

Jaxon Paulsrud, Cherokee football

The senior earned his praise ater a 346-yard, six-touchdown performance in an overtime win vs. Spirit Lake to keep the season alive for the Braves. 

JJ Phillips, Pleasantville football

Phillips rushed 19 times for 155 yards and three touchdowns as Pleasantville advanced to the next round with a 42-14 victory.

Dyson Thompson, Mount Ayr football

Thompson exploded for 391 yard rushing and four touchdowns on 23 attempts in a first round playoff win over St. Albert.

Ivy Urbatsch, Northwood-Kensett girls cross country

Urbatsch sprinted away from the pack to win a state-qualifier and advance, posting a time of 19:18. 

Haven Weers, Tri-Center boys cross country

Weers left no doubt he would be headed to state, winning a 1A qualifier in 16:11, almost 16 seconds ahead of the field.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting

High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

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