Vote: CSM Fall Athletes of the Week, Oct. 6-12, 2025

Central Illinois high school athletes continued to strut their stuff with a long list of commendable performances in the second week of October. 

This week’s nominees for CSM Fall Athletes of the Week include scoring maestros in football and boys soccer, several top finishers from the boys and girls golf IHSA State Finals, a pair of small-school cross country standouts, two volleyball standouts and a two-time conference champion in girls tennis. 

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UPDATE: Delavan's Annabelle LaFary and Pekin's Colin Kemp won CSM Fall Athletes of the Week after receiving the most votes in their polls Voting closed on Thursday night.

Girls Athlete of the Week nominees

Morgan Petelin, Normal U-High volleyball

Petelin keyed a huge week for Normal U-High, which beat many of the top teams in the area at Bloomington Central Catholic’s Saints Fall Classic. Petelin earned all-tournament honors at the event and put up 13 assists, five kills, two blocks and an ace in the championship match against BCC, which the Pioneers won in three sets. The senior setter also helped Normal U-High beat four other opponents at the tournament, including Tri-Valley and Morton, and put up 20 assists, four kills and four digs in a two-set win over Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin on Oct. 7. 

Sydney Hunt, Dunlap girls golf

Hunt had a strong showing in her first trip to state, finishing her junior season with a 15th-place finish at the Class 2A state finals. The Dunlap standout shot an eight-over 80 with one birdie in the first round at Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth. She ramped it up on the second day, carding an even-par 72 that included two birdies and 14 pars. 

Ashley Walls, Normal Community girls tennis

Walls helped lead Normal Community to a Big 12 Conference title on Oct. 10 and 11, winning conference championships at No. 3 singles and at No. 1 doubles alongside Angela Caceres. Walls breezed through the first two rounds of the singles bracket before defeating Danville’s Samantha Brow 6-1, 6-2 in the championship match. Walls and Caceres put up 6-1, 6-0 and 6-3, 6-3 victories against tandems from Champaign Centennial and Richwoods before a 4-6, 7-6 (3), 10-8 win over Champaign Central’s grouping of Fiona Leakey and Keira Mullen in the title match.

Annabelle LaFary, Delavan girls cross country 

LaFary thrived in a familiar environment, placing second at the Delavan Invite on Oct. 11 with a strong time of 17:40.17. Her performance tied for her highest placement of the season and helped the Panthers win the meet as a team. 

Gracie Ahrens, East Peoria volleyball

Ahrens came up big many times for East Peoria in a busy week on the court. The Raiders’ junior recorded her 500th career dig at the Schaumburg Invite and to bring her season total to 236 and counting. Ahrens helped her team grab a pair of wins against Elgin at the tournament, as well as a 25-19, 26-24 win over Canton. 

Boys Athlete of the Week nominees 

Gavin Schreurs, Washington boys golf

Schreurs finished his high school career with a fourth-place finish at the Class 2A state finals at Weibring Golf Club and led the Panthers to be the state runner-up, their highest finish in program history. Schreurs shot a two-round total of 141 (-1), starting with an even-par 71 in the first round that included six birdies. In the final round, he fired a one-under 70 with three birdies to headline the Panthers, who tied with Normal U-High with a two-day total of 596 but lost out in the tiebreaker for the state title. 

Valshun Powe, Bloomington Central Catholic football

Powe lit up the scoreboard in an impressive 67-28 win over St. Joseph-Ogden, totaling six touchdowns on the night. The senior quarterback ran for a 65-yard touchdown on the first play of the game and ran for four more touchdowns while amassing 273 rushing yards. Powe also was 4-of-6 passing for 58 yards and a touchdown. 

Everett Henderson, Tremont boys cross country 

Henderson won his first varsity race of his high school career on Oct. 11 at the Heyworth Hornet Invite, crossing the line in 15:46.2. Henderson beat out Tri-Valley’s Ryan Garneau by just over seven seconds as the Turks finished fourth as a team.

Hugo Murillos, Bloomington boys soccer

Murillos celebrated multiple goals for Bloomington in a trio of Purple Raider victories last week as the team reached 13 wins in a season for the first time since 2012. Murillos scored in a 4-2 win over Danville on Oct. 7 and added two goals in a 4-0 win over Lincoln at Jacksonville’s Kick for the Cure tournament on Oct. 10. Murillos tacked on another goal against Danville at the tournament in a 4-1 win to help Bloomington reach the championship game. 

Colin Kemp, Pekin boys golf

Kemp crafted a strong end to his sophomore season by finishing fourth at the Class 3A boys golf state finals with a two-under 142 at The Den at Fox Creek. The Dragons’ ace started out hot with a four-under 68 in the first round, recording a birdie on seven holes. He followed it up with a two-over 74 in the final round, birdieing three holes on the back nine to boost him into the top five of the state’s most competitive class.