Vote: CSM Fall Athletes of the Week, Sept. 8-14, 2025

High school athletes all around Central Illinois turned it up a notch in the third full week of the 2025 fall sports season and big performances were turned in across a number of different sports.

This week’s nominees include volleyball players who shined at the Lincoln Invitational, top area finishers in one of the state’s biggest regular season cross country meets, standouts in girls swim and tennis who piled up multiple victories, two football players who combined for 11 touchdowns and more. 

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UPDATE: Dee-Mack's Katie Whitson and Normal U-High's Jaxen Maubach won CSM Fall Athletes of the Week. Voting closed at 11:59 PM on Thursday.

Girls Athlete of the Week nominees

Khloe Stear, Limestone volleyball

Stear reached a big career milestone while helping Limestone move to 13-0 after winning the Lincoln Invitational. Over the course of five Rockets wins at the tournament from Sept. 12-13, Stear tallied 78 digs and reached 1,000 career digs in the process. She earned a spot on the all-tournament team, added 20 digs in a key Mid-Illini win over Dunlap on Sept. 11 and had eight digs in another conference win over East Peoria on Sept. 9. 

 Anna Yu, Dunlap girls tennis

As many would expect, Yu continued to win last week and prevailed in multiple matches to take first place at Bloomington’s Purple Invitational on Sept. 13. During the week, Yu flexed her muscles with a 6-0, 6-0 single win in a Dunlap sweep over Peoria Notre Dame on Sept. 11, plus a 6-1, 6-0 win in a 6-3 triumph for the Eagles against Normal U-High on Sept. 9.

Lillian Chaddock, Peoria Notre Dame girls cross country

Chaddock was the top area finisher in the Class 2A girls portion of the First to Finish Invitational on Sept. 13., powering the Irish to a sixth-place finish among 54 teams. The PND star freshman ran the Detweiller Park course in 17:50.20 to earn a medal. 

Hailey Kardas, Bloomington girls swimming

Kardas was the straw that stirred the drink for Bloomington in a respectable third-place showing at Palos Heights Shepard’ Barbara Larson Invitational on Sept. 13. Kardas won the 100 butterfly in a personal best 1:00.83 and was also the fastest in the 500 free (5:37.59). Kardas also swam a leg on the Purple Raiders’ 200 medley relay, which finished second. 

Katie Whitson, Dee-Mack volleyball

Whitson put up big numbers during a busy week for the Chiefs, which included a pair of Heart of Illinois Conference victories. Whitson’s eight assists and seven digs helped Dee-Mack to a two-set win over Gibson CIty Melvin Sibley on Sept. 9 and she stepped up her contributions with 22 assists and five digs in a win over Tremont on Sept. 11. At the Lincoln Invitational on Sept. 12 and 13, the Chiefs’ setter accumulated a total of 50 assists, 14 aces, 14 digs, four kills and two blocks. 

Boys Athlete of the Week nominees

Jimmy Lollar, Olympia football

Not even the most immovable object could have stopped Lollar on Friday night as he rushed for 281 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in a 60-20 Sangamo Conference win over Pittsfield. Lollar’s performance was part of an Olympia ground game that totaled over 500 rushing yards to push the Spartans to 3-0 on the season. 

Maxwell Carter, Morton boys cross country 

Carter was the top Central Illinois finisher in the boys Class 2A race at the massive First to Finish Invitational on Sept. 13. The Potters’ lead runner crossed the finish line in just under 15 minutes (14:58.10) to finish sixth individually and power his squad to a second-place showing in the team standings.

Jaxen Maubach, Normal U-High boys soccer

Maubach was at the center of a strong week for the Pioneers, who went 3-0-1 in four games. Among his highlights during the week were scoring a hat trick and an assist in a 7-1 win over Bloomington Cornerstone on Sept. 12 and adding a goal apiece in a 2-2 draw with Springfield on Sept. 9, plus a 6-1 victory over Champaign Centennial on Sept. 13. 

Gavin Schreurs, Washington boys golf

Schreurs strung together more big rounds for Washington, especially at the Metamora Redbird Classic on Sept. 12 and 13. Over the two-day event at Metamora Fields and Weaverridge Golf Course, the Panthers’ senior came in at five-under-par to place second. His efforts significantly aided Washington in finishing third with a 291, an all-time tournament record score for the Panthers. Schreurs also fired a 36 to help his team down Pekin in a Mid-Illini dual on Sept. 9. 

Braydon Laesch, Heyworth football

Laesch was impossible to stop on both sides of the ball and single-handedly scored more than half of Heyworth’s points in a 48-0 win over Carlyle on Sept. 12. On offense, he ran 13 times for 161 yards and four touchdowns, adding two receptions for nine yards. Defensively, he returned an interception for a touchdown and his seven tackles tied for the team lead.