Vote: CSM Spring Athletes of the Week, April 27-May 3, 2026
- Clutch Sports Staff
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
Every game, tournament and meet is becoming more important with the spring sports postseason approaching fast and 10 Central Illinois standouts stepped out with impressive showings.
This week’s Clutch Sports Media Spring Athletes of the Week nominees include several standouts from some of the area’s most competitive track and field meets, two softball sluggers that hit home runs in multiple games, two-way threats for two of the area’s top baseball teams and consistent goal scorers in girls soccer and lacrosse.
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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 Saturday at 11:59 PM!
CSM Boys Athlete of the Week nominees
Beckett Weber, Normal Community baseball
Weber continued to build on his breakout spring, hurling a no-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks in five innings in a 10-0 win over Normal West on April 29. He also added an RBI double in that game and went 3-3 with a double and two RBIs in a 7-4 win over Moline on May 2 and drove in a run in a 7-0 win over Richwoods on May 1.
Ben Gorsage, Washington boys track and field
Gorsage ran one of the best races of his season at the Morton Distance Gala on May 2, turning in a personal-best time of 1:52.32 to win the 800 meters. The time was the second-fastest in Illinois during the outdoor season. The Washington junior also led the Panthers’ 4x400 relay to a win at Metamora’s Mach Speed and Flight Night on May 1 as the group finished in 3:24.04.
Dane Fagerburg, Brimfield/Elmwood baseball
Fagerburg was one of several Brimfield/Elmwood players to have a big week as the Indians outfielder was a doubles and RBIs machine atop the lineup. Fagerburg had two hits in a 12-1 win over Havana on April 28, an 8-7 win over Eureka on April 30 and a 15-0 win over LVC on May 2. Both of his hits were doubles against Eureka and LVC as he drove in five runs in the win over the Hornets and two more against the Miners. He also doubled and drove in two in the win over Havana.
Damir Harris, Normal West boys track and field
Harris put up several winning performances in two of the Wildcats’ biggest meets so far this season. He led Normal West to a Bloomington/Normal Intercity title on April 28 by winning the 100 meters in 10.85 and the 400 meters in 49.98 and finishing second in the 200 (22.02). He ran in Normal West’s winning 800 meter sprint medley relay at Metamora’s Mach Speed and Flight Night on May 1 and finished second in the 100 at the event with a clocking of 10.78.
Eli Michanicou, Dunlap baseball
Michanicou sizzled on the mound for the Eagles with five innings of shutout ball that was crucial in Dunlap pulling off a 3-2 win over Canton on April 30. The recent Bradley commit struck out 11, walked two and gave up just one hit in his outing. Michanicou also went 4-4 with a double and triple in a 14-0 win over the Little Giants on April 29 and went 2-4 with a double in a 10-2 win over Galesburg on May 1.
Vote here!
CSM Boys Athlete of the Week poll
Beckett Weber, Normal Community baseball
Ben Gorsage, Washington boys track and field
Dane Fagerburg, Brimfield/Elmwood baseball
Damir Harris, Normal West boys track and field
CSM Girls Athlete of the Week nominees
Zoe Liedtke, Pekin girls track and field
Liedtke won her fourth and fifth meets of the year in the long jump, setting a new personal best of 18 feet, six inches to win at Metamora’s Mach Speed and Flight Night on May 1. That distance broke her own school record that she set last year. She also set two more personal bests by finishing fourth in the 100 (12.38) and seventh in the 200 (26.02) at the event. In a tri-meet with Canton and East Peoria on April 28, she won the long jump with a distance of 14 feet, 8.5 inches
Addy MacGregor, Washington softball
MacGregor slugged several homers and had multiple multi-hit games for the Panthers last week. The Washington catcher went 2-3 with a double, home run and four RBIs in a 12-2 win over Normal U-High on May 1, one day after she went 3-3 with a home run and two RBIs to help the Panthers beat Metamora 5-4. MacGregor also chipped in two hits, including a double, in Washington’s 13-2 win over Morton on April 28.
Lily Donaldson, Dunlap girls lacrosse
Donaldson and the Eagles continued producing good results as her scoring efforts lifted Dunlap to a 9-2 record. The senior scored five goals and had four assists in a 14-9 win over Bloomington-Normal on April 28 and netted six more goals with a pair of assists in a 19-6 win over Minooka on May 2.
Caroline Braucht, Bloomington Central Catholic girls soccer
Braucht’s efforts helped BCC win its sixth and seventh games in a row last week. The junior scored two goals in a 5-1 Illini Prairie Conference win over IVC on April 30 and added two more goals in a 3-0 win over Peoria Christian on April 28.
Gabby Frye, Olympia softball
Frye hit home runs and pitched the Spartans to victory in all three of their games last week. She went 1-3 with a home run and four RBIs while striking out three in four innings with two hits allowed in a 17-1 win over Maroa-Forsyth on April 28. Frye went 3-5 with a home run while driving in six runs in a 16-5 win over Petersburg PORTA on April 30 and went 3-5 with a homer again in a 12-3 win over Normal West on May 1, going the distance with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Vote here!
CSM Girls Athlete of the Week poll
Zoe Liedtke, Pekin girls track and field
Addy MacGregor, Washington softball
Lily Donaldson, Dunlap girls lacrosse
Caroline Braucht, Bloomington Central Catholic girls soccer