Vote: Who Should Be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (6/22/2025)

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for June 15-21

Sophia Schlader of Waukee Northwest is among those nominated for Iowa High School Athlete of the Week. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for June 15-21. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

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Congratulations to last week's winner: DJ Rideout of West Marshall baseball.

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Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, June 29. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

Lauren Bartine, Ankeny Centennial softball

Bartline was 3-for-4 with a home run, driving in four while scoring once in a Top 5 victory for the Jaguars over Johnson.

Fischer Buffington, East Union baseball

The senior found holes in the outfield at Principal Park, belting two triples to drive in five runs for his team.

Braylen Conlon, Cedar Rapids Xavier softball

Conlon struck out 10 of the 14 batters she faced in a win over city rival Cedar Rapids Prairie, allowing just two hits. 

Mason Culbertson, Coon Rapids-Bayard baseball

Culbertson was effective in throwing a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts and just one walk, needing just 87 pitches on the night.

Jaxson Dencklau, Fort Dodge baseball

Dencklau was 3-for-4 at the plate with six RBI and two runs scored as the Dodgers put up 22.

Clare Gunkelman, Alta-Aurelia softball

The junior was 3-for-3 with a home run, five RBI and three runs in a victory.

Anthony Harrington, Midland baseball

Harrington was locked in, striking out 20 of the 22 batters he faced with just one hit allowed on 102 pitches.

Kaden Kloster, Twin Cedars baseball

In a game in which his team scored 29 runs, Kloster was 3-for-3 with five RBI and four runs, recording a triple and a double.

Hayes Lautenbach, Pella baseball

The sophomore helped finish off an incredible rally, hitting his second home run of the game to defeat Dallas Center-Grimes. Lautenbach finished 3-for-4 with two homers, three RBI and three runs scored.

Kinzie Maxwell, ADM softball

Maxwell produced five RBI with four hits including a home run as ADM put up 21 runs in a victory.

Cora Niemeier, Harris-Lake Park softball

Niemeier had herself a game, recording a single, a double and a triple while plating seven runs and scoring three times herself.

Katie Quick, Ankeny Christian softball

Quick did it all in a big win for Ankeny Christian, hitting a homer while driving in four. She also pitched a two-hitter with four strikeouts in four innings.

Sarah Rigdon, Pleasant Valley softball

Ringtone had five hits with two homers, six RBI and two runs scored as the Spartans swept a Top 10 doubleheader with Muscatine.

Julia Roth, Dubuque Wahlert softball

Roth tossed a three-hitter with nine strikeouts in a victory over 5A Cedar Falls.

Sophia Schlader, Waukee Northwest softball

Schlader continued to show why she is a two-way threat, belting a home run with three RBI while striking out seven in a battle of ranked 5A teams with Southeast Polk. The freshman also pitched a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts in a victory over Indianola and a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 1-0 win vs. Dowling.

Arilyan Steenblock, Panorama softball

Steenblock drove in seven runs, hitting a homer with three hits total. She also scored four runs in a victory.

Viktoria Storm, George-Little Rock softball

Storm recorded 23 strikeouts over eight innings for George-Little Rock, allowing just five hits with three walks.

Braiden Todd, South Winneshiek baseball

Todd fired a two-hitter, striking out seven without issuing a walk to lead his team to a 1-0 victory.

Karson Welander, Pocahontas Area baseball

In a win at Principal Park, Welander, a freshman, struck out six while driving in a run, stealing a base and working two walks for the Indians.

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.