Vote: CSM Fall Athletes of the Week, Aug. 24-30, 2026
- Clutch Sports Staff
- 14 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Many high school athletes who were stars in the area last year showed that they’re back for an even bigger season and earned nominations for Clutch Sports Media’s Fall Athletes of the Week.
This week’s star-studded lineup of nominees include a pair of Mid-Illini volleyball standouts, football players that accumulated over 200 yards of offense and multiple touchdowns, fast swimmers and cross country runners and dominating performers in boys soccer and golf.
Interested in growing your business? Reach out to inbox@clutchsportsil.com to learn how you can sponsor our Fall Athletes of the Week stories and social media posts which are seen by thousands of loyal high school sports fans in Central Illinois each week!
Check out all of our nominees with information on their standout performances below, vote for who you think should win and spread the word to vote before polls close on Friday at 11:59 PM!
CSM Girls Athlete of the Week nominees
Bryn Williamson, Limestone volleyball
Williamson kicked off her senior year by leading Limestone to winning the Macomb Classic and earning a spot on the all-tournament team. In five games, she put up 49 assists and 40 kills while hitting at a lofty .542 clip. Williamson led the Rockets with 12 kills and three blocks in the championship match over Eureka and had a team-high 10 kills and four aces in the semifinals against Peoria Notre Dame. She led the Rockets in assists on three occasions, highlighted by a 26-assist effort in a three-set win over Geneseo.
Acosia Morris, Richwoods flag football
Morris ran wild for Richwoods during a strong week for the Knights, accumulating well over 500 yards of offense and seven touchdowns in three games. Morris scored twice in the Knights’ 40-0 win over Normal U-High on Aug. 24 and had eight rushes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, plus a 32-yard touchdown catch in a 76-0 win over Danville on Aug. 26. She capped her week by running for 268 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in a 22-0 win over Urbana on Aug. 29.
Izzy Aviles, Normal Community girls swimming
Aviles was the first to touch the wall on many occasions for the Iron last week. She helped Normal Community win a dual against Chatham Glenwood on Aug. 27 by winning the 200 individual medley (2:18.12), the 100 butterfly (1:00.58) and swimming on the winning 200 medley relay that finished in 2:06.87. Two days later, her efforts helped Normal Community beat Richwoods as she won the 200 free (2:08.73), 100 butterfly (59.74) and anchored the winning 200 free and 400 free relays.
Isabelle Mueller, Morton volleyball
Mueller helped key Morton to an undefeated start to the season as the Potters beat Peoria Notre Dame, Galesburg and Normal West. She led Morton with 25 kills on the week and added 23 digs, five aces and three blocks. Her best effort came in a three-set win over Normal West where she had a double-double of 13 digs and 12 kills to go with a trio of aces and blocks.
Elyse Brinkmeyer, Delavan girls cross country
Brinkmeyer put up a strong performance to start her season at the Clinton Light It Up Invitational on Aug. 29. She ran a 18:18.6 to finish seventh at the event, which marked a personal best for the junior by 14 seconds. The mark is the 24th-fastest time by any high school girls runner in the sate so far this season.
Vote here!
CSM Girls Athlete of the Week poll
Bryn Williamson, Limestone volleyball
Acosia Morris, Richwoods flag football
Izzy Aviles, Normal Community girls swimming
Isabelle Mueller, Morton volleyball
CSM Boys Athlete of the Week nominees
Owen McLean, Tri-Valley football
McLean was extremely efficient and led state-ranked Tri-Valley to a dominant 35-0 win over LeRoy on Aug. 28. The Vikings quarterback carried the ball five times for 181 yards and three touchdowns, including 65-yard and 55-yard scoring runs early in the second half. He also completed four of his seven passes for 50 yards and a touchdown to Preston Johnson and contributed to the Tri-Valley shutout defensively.
Jack Coulter, Peoria Notre Dame boys golf
Coulter showed why he’s one of the best golfers in the area with a pair of first-place finishes that powered the Irish to team titles as well. Coulter fired a 66 with five birdies at TPC Deere Run in Silvis on Aug. 24 to clear the rest of the field by six strokes and help PND win the Geneseo Invite. Coulter also went under par and shot a 71 to win the Champaign Central Invite on Aug. 28 as he made 17 4’s and one 3 at the University of Illinois Golf Course. His score helped PND win the event as a team by four strokes.
Will Emhoff, Illini Bluffs boys soccer and cross country
Emhoff showed off his athleticism with big performances in two sports last week. The Tigers’ forward led Illini Bluffs’ boys soccer team to winning the Pekin Soccer Invitational with 10 goals over three games. He scored all four of his team’s goals in a 4-0 win over Monmouth-Roseville on Aug. 28 and put up back-to-back hat tricks in a 7-0 win over Pekin and a 9-0 win over Olympia on Aug. 29. Earlier in the week, he finished fifth in the Farmington Invitational in cross country with a time of 17:17.32 to help the Tigers place third.
Cooper Childers, Bloomington football
Childers was all over the field for Bloomington in its 46-0 win over Urbana. He scored two rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns and returned a punt for a touchdown as well. The senior racked up over 200 all-purpose yards and intercepted a pass in the blowout win.
Andrew Aldeman, Normal U-High boys cross country
Aldeman blew past nearly the entire field at the Clinton Light It Up Invitational to kick off his season. The Pioneers’ junior ran a 14:41.2 to finish second and lead his team to a runner-up finish. Alderman’s time shattered his previous best by 30 seconds and it stands as the third-best time by a high school boys runner in the state so far in the young season.
Vote here!
CSM Boys Athlete of the Week poll
Owen McLean, Tri-Valley football
Jack Coulter, Peoria Notre Dame boys golf
Will Emhoff, Illini Bluffs boys soccer and cross country
Cooper Childers, Bloomington football
Comments