It was an Olympia sweep in last week's voting for CSM Spring Athletes of the Week, presented by Dominos, as Spartans softball player Shelby Finchum won CSM Girls Athlete of the Week and track and field athlete Keagan Uphoff won CSM Boys Athlete of the Week for the week of April 29-May 5.
Finchum helped Olympia finish the regular season 26-1-1 on the diamond, which included a list of big wins down the stretch of the regular season. Uphoff did his damage at the Sangamo Conference Meet, finishing on the podium in four different events and helping him gear up for Class 2A sectionals this week.
Read more about our winners and their accomplishments below!
Finchum won CSM Girls Athlete of the Week by receiving 52 percent of the vote total in the CSM Girls Athlete of the Week poll. The senior hit a pair of home runs during a four-game stretch: a three-run homer to help beat East Peoria 5-1 on May 3 and a solo home run in a 3-0 victory over Normal U-High on April 29. Finchum also led the team with three RBIs in a 10-0 win over Athens that clinched the outright Sangamo Conference title. Since then, she has continued her hot streak, going 7-for-12 with three RBIs, three doubles, a triple and a home run in a trio of wins over Auburn, Normal Community, and previously undefeated Illini Bluffs.
Get to know Finchum in a Q and A here:
What are your goals for the season?
"My goals for the season are to play together and focus on keeping it simple so we can accomplish our ultimate goal of making it to the state tournament."
What’s your favorite memory of playing your sport?
"I have many memories from playing softball, however my favorite memory would be hitting back-to-back home runs with one of my teammates many times in our high school careers."
If you had a walk-up song, what would it be?
"My walk-up song is 'Big Poppa' by The Notorious B.I.G. because it hypes me up and the dugout loves it."
Favorite food?
"My favorite food is chicken quesadillas"
What’s on your bucket list?
"Some things on my bucket list are traveling the world and seeing the Eiffel Tower."
Who’s your favorite teacher at school?
"Mrs. Deal, my junior year math teacher is my favorite teacher because she made math fun and easy to understand."
Who’s your role model and why?
"My role model is my grandma Sue because she can handle anything and everything. She also thrives to be a better person every day as well as push everyone to be better. She is one of the strongest women I know and I look up to her so much."
Uphoff won CSM Boys Athlete of the Week, garnering 40 percent of the total votes in the boys poll. His big day at the Sangamo Conference Meet was highlighted by winning the 300 meter hurdles in 40.08 seconds, which was a personal-best , as well as the high jump with a mark of 6 feet, 1.5 inches; both marks meet Class 2A state-qualifying benchmarks. He also helped Olympia take third in the 4x400 meter relay and raced to third in the 110 meter hurdles himself too. Since then, Uphoff broke Olympia's school record in the 300 meter hurdles with a time of 39.31 seconds at the El Paso-Gridley Last Chance Meet on May 11.
Uphoff had not responded to a Q and A inquiry as of Tuesday afternoon, this story will be updated if answers are provided.
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