Massive performances on the basketball court, wrestling mat and in the pool all led to a wide range of Central Illinois high school athletes receiving nominations for CSM Winter Athletes of the Week.
This week’s nominees included program record-setters, triple-doubles, career-highs, and city title winners.
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The following athletes are our nominees for CSM Winter Athletes of the Week with information on their standout performances. There are polls for Boys Athlete of the Week and Girls Athlete of the Week below.
Update: Normal Community's Logan Goss and Tremont's Savannah Jost won CSM Boys and Girls Athlete of the Week respectively. Voting closed at 6 PM on Wednesday.
Boys Athlete of the Week nominees
Lathan Sommerville, Richwoods boys basketball
Big performances are no stranger to the Knights star but Sommerville was simply on another level, even by his standards last week. The senior and Rutgers commit averaged 29 points per game in three wins, including a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds, 11 blocks and six assists for good measure in a 90-74 win over Decatur Macarthur, who is receiving votes alongside Richwoods in the Class 3A AP Poll. Sommerville poured in 30 points and 15 boards in a 76-65 win over Peoria High on Tuesday and was all over the place with 31 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and six blocks in a 62-48 win over Champaign Centennial on Friday.
Braden Vanderheydt, Washington boys basketball
Vanderheydt impacted two weekend wins for the Panthers, as they grittily fought past Limestone and Streator. The senior forwards double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds had more significance than usual in a 35-31 defensive battle against the Rockets, as did his 13-point outing in a 49-47 win over Streator.
Cole DuBois, East Peoria boys basketball
The freshman guard had a standout week for the Raiders, beginning with a career-high 28 points in a big win over Canton on Tuesday. The next day, DuBois chalked up 23 against IVC and scored 12 to help his team to victory in another Mid-Illini Conference win over Dunlap on Friday.
Logan Goss, Normal Community boys swimming
Goss’ remarkable efforts in the pool helped the Ironmen defeat their nearby rivals for the Bloomington/Normal Intercity title on Thursday. The sophomore took first place in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.14) and the 100-yard backstroke (56.03), as well as swimming legs on Normal Community’s winning 400-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley teams
Cooper Koch, Metamora boys basketball
Koch’s play at an elevated level helped keep Class 3A No. 3 Metamora hot with three wins last week, including two over state-ranked opponents. His 21 points were the most among all Redbird scorers in a 67-48 win over Class 3A No. 8 Morton on Tuesday and he put up a similar effort of 23 points in a 78-56 victory over Class 2A No. 2 Manual on Saturday. Sandwiched in between was a performance of 19 points, eight rebounds and four steals in limited action in a blowout win over Canton on Friday.
Girls Athlete of the Week nominees
Autumne Williams, Peoria Notre Dame girls wrestling
Williams made history as the first Irish girls wrestler to compete in the IHSA postseason and she made the debut one to remember, winning the Mt. Zion Regional at 170 pounds and advancing to sectionals. Williams defeated opponents from Paris, Richwoods and Auburn –all via falls– to take the championship and advance to 17-3 on the season.
Savannah Jost, Tremont girls basketball
Jost sparked a win streak for Tremont that is still running with a pair of great performances in important Heart of Illinois Conference games. Her 18 points led the Turks in a 51-24 win over LeRoy and in a big game against HOIC contender Eureka, she added 14 in a 42-34 Turks win.
Allison Wheeler, Canton girls basketball
Wheeler reached a big milestone in just her junior season for the Little Giants, scoring her 1,000th career point in an important 59-43 win over Dunlap on Saturday. She finished the contest just short of a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds, but achieved the feat with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a 47-36 loss to Metamora on Wednesday.
Zoe Kormah, Pekin girls basketball
Kormah, who recently became Pekin’s all-time leading rebounder in girls basketball, played a big role in the Dragons’ trio of games last week. Her 16 points gave Pekin a big boost in a 51-41 win over state-ranked Illini Bluffs on Wednesday and it came on the heels of a 15-point performance in a loss to Morton on Tuesday.
Kaitlin White, Fieldcrest girls basketball
Speaking of chasing down program records, White became the second-leading scorer in Fieldcrest girls basketball history after she scored a hefty 25 to lead the Knights in a 50-43 win over rival El Paso-Gridley on Thursday. She added 15 in another nail-biter win against Lexington earlier in the week as her team is now at 19-7 and on a five-game win streak.
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