Vote: Who Should Be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? (7/19/2026)

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for July 13-18.

AOTW

Here are the candidates for High School On SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for July 13-18. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 26. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

Zander Murray, Cedar Rapids Xavier baseball

Murray pitched a no-hitter in a substate semifinal victory over Des Moines Christian, 4-0, striking out 11 batters.

Faith Shirbroun, St. Edmond softball

The senior hit two home runs and hit the fence on two other hits in a regional final victory, punching a fourth consecutive state tournament appearance for the Gaels.

Lauren Hagedorn, ADM softball

Hagedorn was given a run in the first to work with, as she senior tossed a three-hitter with six strikeouts in a 1-0 win to push the Tigers to the state tournament.

Hayden Gookin, Mount Vernon softball

Gookin struck out nine and did not allow an earned run, adding two home runs and three RBI in a regional championship victory over Center Point-Urbana.

Lily Nibaur, Iowa City Regina Catholic

Nibaur had three hits and scored a run, pitching a shutout with four strikeouts to upset Louisa-Muscatine and send the Regals to the state tournament.

Rachel Eglseder, Edgewood-Colesburg softball

The senior was too much for North Linn, as she retired 14 by way of strikeout in a regional final victory.

Carter Berg, Carlisle baseball

Berg, a junior, belted two home runs and scored three times with two RBI to eliminate Harlan Community and send the Wildcats to state.

Ryan Stedman, West Des Moines Valley baseball

Two nights after pitching the Tigers into the substate final, Stedman did it at the plate, blasting a home run and driving in three vs. Cedar Falls.

George Blake, Indianola baseball

Blake pitched a two-hitter vs. Waukee Northwest in a substate final, striking out nine with no walks issued. He also had a hit and drove in a run at the plate.

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.