Vote: CSM Spring Athletes of the Week, May 18-24, 2026

Playoff performances are frequently the ones that are remembered the most and many Central Illinois high school athletes had memorable showings en route to earning a nomination for Clutch Sports Media’s Spring Athletes of the Week.

This week’s nominees include a state champion in girls track and field, several softball and soccer players that led their teams to regional titles, sectional champions in boys track and field and tennis and two baseball players that came through with their bats to help their teams win close games.

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UPDATE: Morton's Claire Ceresa and Farmington's Ryan Helle won CSM Spring Athletes of the Week after receiving the most votes in their polls. Voting closed at 11:59 PM Friday.

CSM Girls Athlete of the Week nominees 

Claudia Ifft, Bloomington girls track and field

Ifft etched her name in the history books by winning the state title in the Class 3A girls pole vault. The Bloomington senior cleared a personal-best height of 12 feet, 10 inches to win after putting up one of the best marks in the prelims, a height of 11 feet and 3.75 inches. Ifft’s 12’10 mark was the best by any girls high school pole vaulter in Illinois this season as she became the fourth of her siblings to win a pole vault state title.

Mia Williams, Dunlap girls soccer

Williams was a big reason why Dunlap won the Class 2A Metamora Regional in dramatic fashion. She broke a 1-1 deadlock with Washington in the final minutes of double overtime in the regional championship game on May 22 to give the Eagles their second straight regional title. She also scored in Dunlap’s 7-0 regional semifinal win over Galesburg on May 19.

Lexi Dallinger-Eaker, Peoria Notre Dame softball

Dallinger-Eaker made a huge impact for PND to help her team beat two quality opponents en route to a Class 2A regional championship. The Irish pitcher hit two home runs and drove in five runs while throwing a complete game with nine strikeouts and one walk to lead the No. 4 seed Irish in a 6-3 upset win over No. 1 seed Olympia in the Class 2A Farmington Regional title game. Dallinger-Eaker also hit a double, home run, drove in three runs and earned the win in the circle in a 10-7 regional semifinal win over Canton on May 20.

Jaelyn Moritz, Bloomington Central Catholic softball

Moritz delivered two big performances to lead BCC in winning the Class 2A Bloomington Central Catholic Regional title as a No. 6 seed. Moritz threw a complete game, 2-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and went 2-3 with two doubles and an RBI in a 9-0 regional semifinal win over Westville on May 20. She then threw a nine-inning complete game with 14 strikeouts and five hits allowed while going 2-3 with a double in a 5-4 win over Monticello in the regional championship game on May 22.

Claire Ceresa, Morton girls soccer

Ceresa turned in two standout performances to lead Morton in winning the Class 2A Richwoods Regional title. The Potters’ junior found the back of the net four times in an 8-0 regional semifinal win over Limestone on May 19. She repeated the feat in Morton’s 4-0 win over Richwoods in the regional title game on May 22. 

CSM Boys Athlete of the Week nominees

Andrew Naour, Normal Community baseball

Naour helped keep Normal Community’s win streak alive heading into the playoffs in a 7-6 win over Huntley on May 22. After the Ironmen came back from a 6-2 deficit in the bottom of the fifth, Naour hit a walk-off RBI double to extend their win streak to 19 games. He also chipped in two RBIs in a 10-2 win over Lincoln Way-West on May 20 and went 2-3 with an RBI in a 12-0 win over Bloomington on May 18.

Ethan Laclef, Dunlap boys tennis

Laclef was a sectional champion as an individual and with his team last weekend and secured his spot at the IHSA State Finals. Laclef won the Class 1A Geneseo Regional singles title, starting of 6-0, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-1 victories over opponents from Rock Island Alleman and Peoria Notre Dame, respectively. He beat Sterling’s Aron Rivera 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals and Dunlap teammate Dresden Michel 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 in the championship match. Laclef’s performance helped Dunlap achieve a perfect team score of 30 as well.

Evan Brown, Tri-Valley boys track and field

Brown won a pair of sectional championships and qualified for state in three different events as a freshman last week. At the Class 1A Maroa-Forsyth Sectional, Brown won the 200 in a personal-best time of 22.65 and won the 400 in 49.52. He also took second and qualified for state in the 100 meters with a PR of 11.01.

Brett Alkire, Dunlap baseball

Alkire’s clutch hitting was one of the main reasons Dunlap was able to bring home an outright Mid-Illini Conference title. With the Eagles trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning in their conference finale against Metamora on May 20, Alkire hit a bases-clearing triple as Dunlap went on to win 3-2. He also hit a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning to give the Eagles a 5-3 win over Metamora on May 18. 

Ryan Helle, Farmington boys track and field

Farmington picked up points in many different events en route to winning the Class 1A Aledo Mercer County Sectional, but Helle was the Farmers’ lone individual champion. The senior won the pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 1.5 inches to win and qualify for the IHSA State Finals.