After a large voting turnout, local high school hoops stars Dietrich Richardson of Manual boys basketball and Hannah West of Limestone girls basketball won the CSM Boys and Girls Athletes of the Week, respectively.
Each athlete helped their team to multiple wins in the final week of 2023, as Richardson’s Rams took home the consolation championship at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, while West and the Rockets won two out of four games at the Manual Holiday Tournament, which helped them build momentum toward victories over Metamora and Pekin last week.
Read more about Richardson and West below, and the full list of nominees and their accomplishments can be found here.
Richardson won CSM Boys Athlete of the Week with 46 percent of the vote total in the boys poll. Over the 4-game course of the Pontiac Holiday Tournament, the junior guard led Manual with 19.5 points per game. Richardson, who holds offers from Illinois, Vanderbilt, Southern Illinois and others, exploded for 32 points in a 65-54 Manual win over tournament host Pontiac in the consolation semifinals, then poured in 25 in the consolation championship game, a 64-52 triumph over Plainfield North. Manual is currently ranked No. 3 in the Class 2A poll.
Get to Richardson in a Q and A here:
Q: What are your goals for the season?
A: “To be a great team leader and win state”
Q: If you were stranded on an island with a teammate, who would you want it to be and why?
A: “I would want Christian [Holt-Tidwell] because he is smart and creative and knows how to hunt.”
Q: Favorite food?
A: “Pizza”
Q: I’d want concert tickets to see?
A: “Rod Wave”
Q: If I could have a superpower it would be?
A: “I would want it to be teleportation”
Q: Who do you think is the greatest basketball player of all time?
A: “Greatest of all-time is LeBron James”
Q: Who’s your role model and why?
A: “My mom because she gives me so much advice and keeps me on track”
Q: What’s been your favorite memory of the season so far?
A: “Winning the consolation championship in Pontiac”
West won CSM Girls Athlete of the Week with 48 percent of the vote total in the CSM Girls Athlete of the Week poll. The Limestone junior guard had multiple big performances during a four-game stretch at the Manual Holiday Tournament, where the Rockets went 2-2. West decimated Springfield Southeast with 26 points en route to a 51-45 first-round win. She also reached the 20-point threshold in a loss to Chatham Glenwood and led the team with 17 in a 44-37 win over East Peoria.
As of time of publication, West had not responded to a message regarding answers to a Q and A. This story will be updated when answers are received.
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