Normal U-High’s Hitt, Richwoods’ Carder win CSM Fall Athletes of the Week

The first Clutch Sports Media Fall Athletes of the Week didn’t take much time to get going and started off their season with strong performances. 

Hadley Hitt of Normal U-High’s girls golf team and Eli Carder of Richwoods’ football team won the weekly honors after receiving the most votes in their respective polls. 

Hitt factored into her team picking up three top-two finishes during the week of Aug. 17-2 and won the Bloomington Better Ball Invite on a two-person team with her sister, Audrey. Carder engineered a strong performance from the Richwoods offense to lead the Knights to a 48-30 win over state-ranked Peoria High in Week 1, giving his team its first win over the Lions since 2017.

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

Hitt won CSM Girls Athlete of the Week after receiving 43 percent of the votes in the girls poll. The Normal U-High sophomore kicked off her week by helping the Pioneers tie for first place at the Lincoln Scramble on Aug. 17. Four days later, she and her sister, Audrey, teamed up to win the Bloomington Better Ball Invite with a score of 73 and boosted U-High to a runner-up finish. Hitt also shot the lowest score of any Pioneers golfer at the Rochester Invitational on Aug. 22 with an 81, which gave her a tie for fifth. Since then, Hitt finished eighth at the Quincy Notre Dame Raider Invitational on Aug. 24, took third at the Livingston County Invite with a 77 to help Normal U-High win the event and finished 18th in a field of 100 golfers at the Bloomington Central Catholic Saints Shootout on Aug. 29. 

Get to know Hitt in a Q and A here: 

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

“My favorite memory so far was the overnight trip that I went on with my golf team last year in Quincy.”

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

“I would choose Kendall [O’Connor] to be stranded on an island with me because I know she would make me laugh and keep me entertained.”

Favorite music artist?

“My favorite music artist is either Noah Kahan or Ole 60.”

Favorite food?

“My favorite food is salmon.”

Do you have any pregame routines/rituals?

“I don’t really have any pre game rituals that I do before every tournament.”

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

“I have always wanted to go to Greece.”

Who’s your role model and why?

“My role model is my older sister, Audrey because she is very kind and she makes it easy to look up to her. She is a responsible person who also carries a lot of maturity, therefore I strive to be like her.”

Carder won CSM Boys Athlete of the Week after receiving 35 percent of the votes in the boys poll. The Richwoods junior quarterback went 18-for-34 passing with 212 yards and four touchdowns in the Knights’ 48-30 win over Peoria High on Aug. 21. Carder delivered two touchdown passes to Josh Taylor and one each to Ayce Hawks and DiOran Turner-Cadoree. His efforts made sure Richwoods never ceded the lead after Peoria High narrowed the deficit on several occasions. He added 126 yards passing and a rushing touchdown in Richwoods’ Week 2 loss to Peoria Notre Dame on Aug. 28.

Carder had not responded to a Q and A inquiry at time of publication, this story will be updated if answers are received.