Metamora’s Lambert, Heyworth’s Cook win CSM Winter Athletes of the Week

Clutch Sports Media’s Winter Athletes of the Week of the 2025-26 season kicked off with two highly-deserving winners who have found it impossible to not make an impact in each event this season.

Metamora wrestler Jayden Lambert and Heyworth girls basketball player Karissa Cook won the latest honors by way of receiving the most votes in their respective polls. Lambert had an undefeated week in several matches and a tournament at Rockford East while Cook lit up the scoreboard on multiple occasions for Heyworth, who is off to one of its best starts in program history. 

Read more about our winners and their big performances and get to know them in Q and A’s below:

Lambert won CSM Boys Athlete of the Week after receiving 50 percent of the votes in the boys poll. The Metamora senior won his first eight matches of the 2025 season, including four to take the 215-pound title at Rockford East’s Giardini Invitational on Dec. 5. Lambert began his week with four wins in dual matches, pinning Tremont’s Paxton Parkin, Dunlap’s Kingston Smith and Normal Community’s Adrian Ramirez and beating Pekin’s Bradyn Haynes in an 18-9 major decision. In Rockford, he won his first two matches via a pair of decisions before beating Freeport’s Israel Goodman 10-3 in the semifinals and Morris’ Malachi Congo in a 12-3 major decision in the championship match. Lambert continued his undefeated record last week with wins over wrestlers from Pontiac, Washington and Plainfield South. 

Get to know Lambert in a Q and A here: 

What’s been your favorite memory of your high school career so far? 

“Probably starting off my senior season strong with a big tournament win. Going into it, I was unranked and unknown so I knew it would put me out there.”

If you had to be stranded on an island with a teammate, who would it be and why?

“It would be Mark Aeschilman, because he is probably the smartest dumb one on the team and we would always find something to occupy ourselves with.”

Favorite music artist?

“Deftones or NF.”

Favorite food?

“A perfectly cooked burger.”

Do you have any pregame routines/rituals?

“I like to pace back and forth and imagine how I’m going to control each match.”

What’s one thing that’s on your bucket list?

“I want to go to Italy and see the Colosseum and art museums.”

Who’s your role model and why?

“My coach, Jacob Godinez. I couldn’t say enough about him but he never doubts me and believes in me no matter who I go against. He’s helped me conquer things on and off the mat.”

Cook won CSM Girls Athlete of the Week after receiving 42 percent of the votes in the girls poll. The Hornets’ sophomore had an outstanding week leading her team to a pair of wins by averaging 28 points per game over three contests, led by a 31-point, five-steal outing in a 59-24 win over Midwest Central on Dec. 1. She poured in 29 points and four steals in a 70-27 dismissal of Armstrong on Dec. 4 and added 24 points in seven rebounds in a 60-57 loss to Maroa-Forsyth on Dec. 2, which is still 11-1 Heyworth’s lone loss of the season. Through 12 games, Cook has scored 22.3 points per game. 

Get to know Cook in a Q and A here: 

What’s been your favorite memory of your high school career so far? 

“My favorite memory from my high school career is teaching our coach, Tom Eller, how to be a ‘girl dad.’”

If you had to be stranded on an island with a teammate, who would it be and why?

“I would want to be stranded on an island with Alia Riddle because she is super fun to be around and would know how to survive.”

Favorite music artist?

“My favorite artist is Sienna Spiro.”

Do you have any pregame routines/rituals?

“My pregame routine is to pray, drink a Dr. Pepper, listen to music, and hug Grace Hartwig.”

What’s one thing that’s on your bucket list?

“One thing on my bucket list is to play a high level of college basketball.”

Who’s your role model and why?

“My role model is Tom Eller because of his knowledge of the game, his work ethic and his willingness to make me better as a player. He is calm but harsh and is really a great coach.”