Vote: Who Should Be the Iowa High School Athlete of the Week? (Oct. 26-31)

Check out the nominees for this week’s Iowa high school athlete of the week. The list includes a number of state cross country champions and standout performances in both postseason volleyball and football action from around the state.

High School On SI narrowed it down to these xx individuals for this week’s top performers as candidates for the Iowa High School Athlete of the Week. Read about each nominee below, then cast your vote for the performance that impressed you most.

Voting concludes at 11:59 p.m. PT on Nov. 8. The winner will be announced in next week’s poll.

McKenna Baker, West Monona, Volleyball

An elite speedster on the softball diamond, Baker had a big game in the regional final, recording 16 assists, 16 digs, 11 kills, five blocks and three aces. The Spartans advanced to state with a four-set victory.

Mason Pruisner, Aplington-Parkersburg, Football

Pruisner put the Falcons on his back in the round of 16 playoffs, rushing 22 times for 301 yards while scoring three touchdowns.

Emerson Berner, Iowa City Liberty, Football

Berner completed 28 of 39 for 316 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Lightning to a road win over Indianola and into the Class 5A quarterfinals.

Preston Johnson, Marshalltown, Boys Cross Country

Johnson moved up the Class 4A podium at state cross country, capturing gold in his final attempt. The senior posted a time of 14:40 to win by nearly 13 seconds.

Madelyn Grothus, Madrid, Girls Cross Country

Grothus, a senior, capped off her season by winning the 1A state championship in 18:17. Her performance helped the Tigers finish second overall.

Espyn Decker, Wapsie Valley, Volleyball

Decker picked up 17 kills, 13 digs, three blocks and two aces, serving 11-for-12, in a regional final win for the Warriors.

Charlee Gall, Cedar Falls, Girls Cross Country

After placing 10th as a sophomore, Gall moved all the way up to the top spot in Class 4A. The Tiger junior won by 17 seconds, posting a time of 17:13.

Landon Blum, Woodbine, Football

The Penn State commit was at an all-time best in the round of 16, catching 14 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown to help the Tigers advance.

Gwen Farley, Dallas Center-Grimes, Volleyball

Farley filled up the stat line, recording 34 assists with 12 digs, three blocked shots and three aces. She missed just one of her 20 service attempts, as the Tigers advanced to the Class 5A state tournament.

Haven Weers, Tri-Center, Boys Cross Country

Weers was the only 1A boy to go under 16 minutes at the state meet, clocking a gold-medal time of 15:57 to win by 16 seconds.

Hailey Wiederin, Ankeny, Volleyball

The junior finished with 13 kills, eight digs, three blocks and an ace as the Hawks swept Cedar Rapids Kennedy to reach the state tournament in Class 5A.

Logan Bleich, Gilbert, Boys Cross Country

Behind Bleich’s race-winning time of 15:12, the Tigers defended their team title in Class 3A at the boys state cross country championships.

Mary Grace Lyons, Monticello, Girls Cross Country

Lyons, a sophomore, led a pack of underclassmen to the 2A state title. She went 18:06, winning by nearly eight seconds.

Lucas Anderson, Chariton, Boys Cross Country

The senior broke 16 minutes, going 15:57 to win the 2A boys race by just over four seconds.

Evelyn Moeller, Mount Vernon-Lisbon, Girls Cross Country

Moeller secured gold as a senior at state cross country, winning the girls Class 3A race in 17:07.

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