Vote: Who should be Iowa’s high school athlete of the week? (12/8/2024)

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Dec. 2-8

Fort Dodge’s Mariaha Benedict captured a title at the Dan Gable Donnybrook last week. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Dec. 2-8. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

Congratulations to last week's winner: Regan Jensen of Algona girls wrestling.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees: 

Tyler Baatz, Tri-Center boys basketball

Baatz, a junior, kicked off December with a bang, scoring 29 points while grabbing 20 rebounds in an 80-76 win over IKM-Manning. 

Reese Baxter, Raccoon River-Northwest girls wrestling

Baxter helped her team win gold at the Donnybrook by placing first at 235 pounds with three pins, a major decision and a decision.

Mason Bechen, North Linn boys basketball

Bechen exploded for the Lynx, who put up 110 points, finishing with 44 to go along with three steals and two assists. He followed that up with a single-game school record 48 vs. Edgewood-Colesburg.

Mariaha Benedict, Fort Dodge girls wrestling

The Dodgers might have another state champion in the room, as Benedict claimed gold at the Donnybrook at 135 with three falls and a major decision.

Braylon Bingham, Pleasantville boys basketball

Bingham had a double-double in a win over Melcher-Dallas, scoring 35 points with 11 rebounds. He also had six steals and five assists. 

Mackenzie Childers, Cedar Rapids Prairie girls wrestling

Childers showed why she is one of the top wrestlers in the state, winning the 130-pound bracket at the Donnybrook to move to 14-0 on the year. 

Carew Christensen, Waukee Northwest boys wrestling

Five matches and five wins resulted in Christensen winning gold at 106 pounds a the Donnybrook, as he had two falls, two technical falls and a major decision.

Lilli Cooper, Denver girls wrestling

Cooper had a perfect run at the Donnybrook, as she scored three falls, a major decision and a decision to win at 120 pounds.

Sadie Cox, Lenox girls basketball

Cox imposed her will in a 50-25 win for Lenox, recording a triple-double with 10 points, 17 rebounds and 12 blocks. 

Jordyn Crosman, Ogden girls basketball

Crosman put up 37 points with 10 rebounds, seven steals and four assists in a 66-29 win for the Bulldogs. 

Eli Dee, Baxter boys basketball

Dee scored 38 points with five assists, four rebounds and two assists as the Bolts scored 94.

Violet Diaz, Denver girls wrestling

Diaz had a perfect start to her season, earning five wins and the 105-pound title at the Donnybrook. She scored three three falls, a technical fall and a decision.

Libby Dix, Mount Vernon girls wrestling

Dix ran her record to 14-0 this season by winning the 190-pound division at the Donnybrook. She had four matches and won all four via pin. 

Sydney Doeschot, Hinton girls basketball

With a 28-point performance in a win over Western Christian, Doeschot surpassed 1,000 points for her career. 

Libby Fandel, Cedar Rapids Xavier girls basketball

Right off the volleyball court, Fandel hasn’t skipped a beat, scoring 34 points with eight rebounds and five steals in a 57-46 win over Center Point-Urbana.

Chase Haifley, Keota boys basketball

Haifley scored 18 points while also dishing out 16 assists for Keota, adding three rebounds, two steals and a block. 

Billie Kindred, Keota boys basketball

Kindred kicked his senior season off with a bang, scoring 32 points while grabbing 16 rebounds with a pair of steals vs. Louisa-Muscatine. 

Brayden Koester, Bettendorf boys wrestling

The Bulldogs claimed team gold at the Dan Gable Donnybrook as Koester won at 190 with three falls and a decision. 

Timothy Koester, Bettendorf boys wrestling

A perfect 5-0 run at the Donnybrook netted Koester he 132-pound title, as he scored four falls and a major decision.

Jakob Koopman, St. Edmond boys basketball

The junior nearly recorded a triple-double in a season-opening win over Bishop Garrigan, finishing with 13 points, 14 rebounds, seven steals and three blocks. 

Cael LaFrentz, Decorah boys basketball

LaFrentz dominated Dubuque Hempstead, finishing with 37 points to go along with eight rebounds in a 73-57 win.

Jacob Litterer, Bellevue Marquette boys basketball

Litterer, a senior, tallied 35 points with 12 rebounds and three assists in a victory over Central City.

Reese Montgomery, Red Oak boys basketball

Montgomery, a sophomore, scored 27 points and grabbed 21 rebounds, including 13 on the offensive glass, while also recording four steals. 

Madi Ott, Clear Lake girls basketball

Ott dominated the glass in a win over North Union, grabbing 20 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end where she scored 12 points. 

Peyton Roth, HLV boys basketball

Roth almost picked up a triple-double, finishing with 25 points, nine steals and seven rebounds, while adding four assists in a win over English Valleys. 

Paige Rummans, Saydel girls basketball

Recording a double-double is hard, recording a 20-20 game is exceptionally hard. Rummans did just that vs. South Tama, scoring 24 points with 23 rebounds while blocking eight shots and grabbing five steals. 

Anastasia Simon, Decorah girls wrestling

The Simon name continues to claim golds at Decorah, as Anastasia won at 145 at the Donnybrook with three falls and a decision.