Vote: CSM Fall Athletes of the Week, Sept. 7-13, 2026
Just several weeks into the fall season, several Central Illinois teams are already rewriting the record books as many athletes continue to impress with remarkable performances.
This week’s nominees for Clutch Sports Media Fall Athletes of the Week include new school record holders in volleyball, boys soccer and golf, a pair of football players that combined for 13 touchdowns and nearly 700 total yards, top area finishers from the First to Finish Invitational in cross country and more standouts in golf and girls diving.
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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
Kinley Steinkamp, Olympia volleyball
Steinkamp had a loaded week as she reached 1,000 career assists, earned all-tournament team honors at the Clinton Classic where she helped the Spartans finish second. She put up 92 assists and 15 aces across five games at the tournament, including wins over Prairie Central, Champaign St. Thomas More and Maroa-Forsyth. Earlier in the week, she had 27 assists in a three-set win over Decatur MacArthur and 14 assists in a loss to IVC.
Addie Mitchell, Metamora girls golf
Mitchell caught fire with a trio of strong rounds and helped the Redbirds notch a new program record. The Redbirds junior shot a 36 at Metamora Fields on Sept. 10 to help Metamora beat Geneseo and her score helped them set a new program 9-hole scoring record of 155. She also shot a 38 to earn medalist honors in a Mid-Illini tri-meet against Morton and Pekin on Sept. 8 and added a 40 to be the co-medalist with teammate Gillian Tyra in a victorious tri-meet for Metamora on Sept. 9.
Nora Parsons, Tremont volleyball
Parsons was a driving force for the Turks as they went 7-0 and won the Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin Invite on Sept. 12. Parsons put up 37 kills combined in four tournament wins, led by a 13-kill effort in the title match against BHRA. She also notched 12 kills and two blocks in a win over Illini Bluffs on Sept. 7, nine kills and three aces against LeRoy on Sept. 8 and six kills, four aces and a block in a victory over Dee-Mack on Sept. 10.
Lillian Chaddock, Peoria Notre Dame girls cross country
Chaddock led all area runners at the First to Finish Invitational, one of the largest meets in the state aside from the IHSA State Finals, at Detweiller Park. The sophomore ran a 17:53.0 to place fourth in the girls Class 2A race and led the Irish to a second place showing.
Lexi Rankin, Normal West girls diving
Rankin won a pair diving competitions against Big 12 foes, starting with a score of 208.75 against Urbana on Sept. 8 to help the Wildcats defeat the Tigers 132-45. She later improved that mark with a total of 240.55 to win a four-team meet at Normal Community on Sept. 10.
Vote here!
CSM Girls Athlete of the Week poll
Kinley Steinkamp, Olympia volleyball
Addie Mitchell, Metamora girls golf
Nora Parsons, Tremont volleyball
Lillian Chaddock, Peoria Notre Dame girls cross country
CSM Boys Athlete of the Week nominees
Matthew Brady, Bloomington Central Catholic football
Brady torched Rantoul in a 56-20 bounceback win for Bloomington Central Catholic. The senior quarterback and Michigan State commit accounted for all eight of the Saints touchdowns in the win, going 9-for-13 with 295 yards and six passing touchdowns and rushing eight times for 107 yards and two touchdowns. All of his numbers came in just three quarters of action.
Jackson Orris, Dunlap boys soccer
Orris became Dunlap’s new all-time goals leader on Sept. 7, scoring a hat trick in a 7-2 win against Metamora to break the previous record of 78 career goals. The senior and Northern Illinois commit added goal No. 80 plus an assist in a 7-0 win over Canton on Sept. 8 and scored twice more in a 3-2 win over Mahomet-Seymour on Sept. 12.
Ben Gorsage, Washington boys cross country
Gorsage led all area runners in the Class 2A boys race at the First to Finish Invitational at Detweiller Park on Sept. 12. The senior Panther turned in a time of 14:56.4 to finish fifth overall and headline Washington’s sixth-place showing.
Troy Keever, Tremont football
Keever rumbled through the Seneca defense to power Tremont to its first victory of the season in a 47-28 win. He rushed 11 times for 254 yards and four touchdowns to help the Turks build a lead they never relinquished. His scoring runs came from one, 79, 64 and 67 yards and he added a 40-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown and five extra points as well.
Will Snyder, Brimfield boys golf
Snyder had several individual and team victories last week, including winning the Kewanee Boiler Invite on Sept. 12 with a score of 73 (+2). His round included four birdies and led the Indians to a third-place showing. He shot a winning score of 40 to help his team tie for first at a triangular at Galesburg’s Soangetaha Country Club on Sept. 8 and carded a 38 to help Brimfield beat Abingdon-Avon and Stark County on Sept. 9.
Vote here!
CSM Boys Athlete of the Week poll
Matthew Brady, Bloomington Central Catholic football
Jackson Orris, Dunlap boys soccer
Ben Gorsage, Washington boys cross country
Troy Keever, Tremont football
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