Vote: CSM Winter Athletes of the Week, Jan. 19-25, 2026

Another week of Central Illinois high school sports saw another round of outstanding performances yet again as 10 area stars earned Clutch Sports Media Winter Athlete of the Week nominations.

This week’s nominees include several Heart of Illinois Conference basketball standouts, conference champion wrestlers and hoopers that supplemented big scoring performances with their rebound and assists numbers. 

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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 at 11:59 PM on Friday!

Girls Athlete of the Week nominees

Addy Freihaut, Tri-Valley girls basketball

Freihaut was the main cog in Tri-Valley’s Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament championship, its first since 1999. The Vikings forward poured in a game-high 25 points in their 66-52 win over Eureka in the championship game on Jan. 24. She also put up 22 points in a quarterfinal win over Fieldcrest on Jan. 19.

Tessa Donaldson, Pekin girls wrestling

The dominant Dragon took home the Mid-Illini crown at 105 pounds, beating Canton’s LT Diephuis in a 17-2 tech fall in the title match. Donaldson headlined a Pekin team that finished second overall. She also defended her top seed by winning the Normal Community Girls Wrestling Invite on Jan. 29 with a pair of pins and win by medical forfeit.

Macy Gochanour, Fieldcrest girls basketball

Fieldcrest’s scoring machine became the all-time leader in scoring in Knights program history while at the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament. Gochanour racked up 32 points, five rebounds and four steals and broke the record in a 60-46 win over Tremont on Jan. 22. She also finished with 24 points in a 47-38 loss to Tri-Valley on Jan. 19 and put up 22 in a 48-42 defeat to El Paso-Gridley on Jan. 24.

Taylor Sutton, East Peoria girls wrestling

Sutton won an individual Mid-Illini Conference title and helped lead the Raiders to a team title as well. She started off her week with a pin over Galesburg’s Vivian Aldus in a tri-meet on Jan. 20. After a first-round bye in the conference tournament, she beat Canton’s Kennedy Smith in a 14-8 major decision in the 145-pound title match.

Emme Hurie, Bloomington Central Catholic girls basketball

Hurie continued a high-quality senior year by leading the Saints to a pair of conference wins. She totaled 21 points and eight rebounds in a 62-25 win over Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Jan. 20 and added 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a 56-50 triumph over then-Illini Prairie Conference leader Pontiac on Jan. 23.

Vote here!

CSM Girls Athlete of the Week poll

• Addy Freihaut, Tri-Valley girls basketball
• Tessa Donaldson, Pekin girls wrestling
• Macy Gochanour, Fieldcrest girls basketball
• Taylor Sutton, East Peoria girls wrestling

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CSM Boys Athlete of the Week nominees

Fenix Foy, Peoria High boys basketball

Foy had a special week, highlighted by a 21-point, 21-rebound performance to lead the Lions to a 59-41 win over Manual on Jan. 20. The day prior, he put up 16 points and nine rebounds as Peoria High beat Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 63-58. He tacked on 15 points in a 66-39 win over Peoria Notre Dame on Jan. 23.

Braden Hayes, El Paso-Gridley basketball

Hayes had a trio of impressive games last week at the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament, kicking off the Titans’ run to a third-place finish by scoring 21 points in a 66-55 win over Eureka on Jan. 20. He added 17 in a 71-69 semifinal loss to Tremont on Jan. 23 before dominating with a whopping 35 points in a 80-71 victory over Lexington on Jan. 24.

Wyatt Medlin, Washington boys wrestling

Medlin took care of business at the Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and won the 165-pound title while helping the Panthers extend their lengthy streak of conference titles. The Illinois commit pinned Metamora’s Stefan Kierski in 31 seconds in the semifinals before beating Dunlap’s Jayden Schmick in a 19-3 tech fall for the title. 

Joey Humphries, Dee-Mack boys wrestling

Humphries claimed the heavyweight title at LeRoy’s Randy Bowman Invite on Jan. 24, using three pins to plow through the field. He took down Warrensburg-Latham’s Tanner Jacobs, Midwest Central’s Richard Gilmore and Peoria Heights’ Crew Shaver all in the first period. He also earned three victories in several duals earlier in the week.

Myles Zimmerman, Peoria Christian boys basketball

Zimmerman has played a big role in Peoria Christian’s nine game win streak and put up plenty of points and assists in a pair of recent wins. He finished with 20 points and sank four three-pointers in a 73-38 win over Taylor Ridge Rockridge on Jan. 20 and added a team-high 16 points and nine assists in a 61-54 overtime win over Clinton on Jan. 24. 

Vote here!

CSM Boys Athlete of the Week poll

• Fenix Foy, Peoria High boys basketball
• Braden Hayes, El Paso-Gridley boys basketball
• Wyatt Medlin, Washington boys wrestling
• Joey Humphries, Dee-Mack boys wrestling

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