Vote: Who Should be Iowa’s High School Athlete of the Week? - Feb. 23, 2026

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Feb. 16-21.

AOTW

Here are the candidates for High School on SI’s Iowa high school athlete of the week for Feb. 16-21. Read through the nominees and cast your vote.

---

Congratulations to last week's winner: Quinn Persching of Mount Vernon girls basketball.

---

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Sunday, March 1. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

Rowan Jacobi, Springville girls basketball

You try to avoid having someone on this list two weeks in a row, but Jacobi earned it, going for 43 points on 21 of 26 shooting with 10 rebounds and four steals in a postseason win.

Isabella Schisel, Garner-Hayfield/Ventura girls basketball

The senior made sure her team would not be denied in the regionals, scoring 30 points with seven rebounds, four steals, four assists and a blocked shot.

Jaxson McIntire, Clear Lake boys basketball

McIntire, a top football prospect, helped the Lions lock up a share of their fourth straight NCC title by dropping 35 points on 14 of 17 shooting vs. Algona.

Isaiah Oliver, Waukee Northwest boys basketball

Oliver, the son of former Mason City and Iowa Hawkeye basketball standout Dean Oliver, flirted with a triple-double in a dominating win over Des Moines Roosevelt, as the Hawkeye football commit scored 13 points with eight rebounds and eight assists.

Dreya Kern, Linn-Mar girls basketball

Kern scored 34 points for the Lions in a win over Des Moines North, giving her 1,000 for her high school career. She is the 10th player in school history to reach the milestone.

Dreshaun Ross, Fort Dodge boys wrestling

Ross scored all technical falls on his way to winning a fourth individual state wrestling championship.

Blake Fox, Osage boys wrestling

Fox joined the four-timers club for the Green Devils, claiming his fourth state championship in convincing fashion.

Jake Knight, Bettendorf boys wrestling

Knight sent his father, Dan, out by claiming his third state championship in four seasons, finishing a perfect 40-0.

Mac Crosson, Indianola boys wrestling

Crosson repeated as a state champion, going 35-0 for the Indians as a junior.

Dylan Williamson, Van Meter boys wrestling

Williamson, a sophomore, went 47-0 to win his second state title, doing so in the tiebreaker.

Gage Spurgeon, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont boys wrestling

Spurgeon’s 52-0 season concluded with a state title, helping the Rockets tie for the team title in 2A.

Gavin Landers, Denver boys wrestling

Landers kept his perfect record intact, as the junior won his third state title, finishing 58-0 this season.

Dawson Youngblut, Don Bosco boys wrestling

Youngblut, a junior, earned his third individual championship, finishing 49-0.

Ashton Honnold, Nodaway Valley boys wrestling

Honnold, a future UNI Panther, won his third state title, going 55-0 at heavyweight in 1A.

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.