Vote: CSM Winter Athletes of the Week: Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2026

With the postseason on the horizon in basketball and boys swimming and now ongoing in boys wrestling, 10 Central Illinois athletes closed out January with masterful performances that earned them Clutch Sports Media Winter Athlete of the Week nominees. 

This weeks’ nominees include regional champs in boys wrestling, standouts from boys hoops and swimming and several record-breakers and clutch performers in girls basketball.

Interested in growing your business? Reach out to inbox@clutchsportsil.com to learn how you can sponsor our Fall Athletes of the Week stories and social media posts which are seen by thousands of loyal high school sports fans in Central Illinois each week! 

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!

Clutch Sports Media Boys Athlete of the Week nominees

Cole DuBois, East Peoria basketball

DuBois averaged over 20 points per game in a 4-game stretch and helped East Peoria move to 12-1 in its last 13 contests. The junior put up 27 points in a 70-52 win over Canton on Jan. 27 and added 23 more tallies in another conference win over Dunlap on Jan. 30. In a pair of non-conference games, he scored 23 in a 64-36 triumph over Streator on Jan. 28 and 11 in a key 53-38 win over Normal Community on Jan. 31. 

Brody Cabrera, Bloomington boys wrestling 

Cabrera helped lead Bloomington to a Class 2A Lincoln Regional title, its first since 2014. He won the 150-pound bracket by pinning Decatur Eisenhower’s Brylen Flournoy, Springfield Lanphier’s Tahj Morens and Normal West’s Griffin McGrew in order. Cabrera was one of six Purple Raiders to win regional titles in their weight class.

Sam Grojean, Normal Community boys swimming

Grojean racked up plenty of points to help Normal Community win the Intercity title on Jan. 27, winning a total of three events and adding a second-place finish too. Individually, he won the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.10 and took second in the 100 free. The Ironmen senior also swam on Normal Community’s winning 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay teams. 

Silas Steffen, Morton boys basketball

Steffen was a key reason why state-ranked Morton was able to stay hot with a trio of wins. He scored 18 points in both an 80-62 win over Metamora on Jan. 27 and a 72-42 win over Streator on Jan. 31. Steffen also propelled Morton to a 61-21 win over Pekin in Mid-Illini play on Jan. 30

Kaden Collins, Olympia boys wrestling 

Collins won an individual regional title and was part of an Olympia squad that ran away with the Class 1A Dee-Mack Regional championship. He pinned Midwest Central’s John Payne Jr., Eureka’s Jaxon Klaus and El Paso-Gridley’s Nolan Whitman all in the first period. 

Vote here!

CSM Boys Athlete of the Week poll

• Cole DuBois, East Peoria boys basketball
• Brody Cabrera, Bloomington boys wrestling
• Sam Grojean, Normal Community boys swimming
• Silas Steffen, Morton boys basketball

See All Options

Clutch Sports Media Girls Athlete of the Week nominees

Kayla Herron, Richwoods girls basketball

Herron excelled while leading Richwoods to two wins over crosstown foes, highlighted by a 24-point, six-rebound performance in a 55-44 comeback win over state-ranked Peoria Notre Dame on Jan. 30. Herron also led the Knights with 18 points in a 53-20 victory over Manual on Jan. 27. 

Sahara Streitmatter, Princeville girls basketball

Streitmatter lit it up in a 69-57 win over Flanagan/Woodland with 34 points, including the 1,000th point of her career. Her week also included putting up 10 points and eight rebounds in a loss to state-ranked Abingdon-Avon on Jan. 28. 

Bri Harms, Roanoke-Benson girls basketball

Harms stayed in the spotlight during a big senior season by becoming Roanoke-Benson’s all-time leading scorer and averaging 29.5 points per game a pair of wins. The Illinois Wesleyan-bound guard scored 34 in a 61-47 win over Dwight on Jan. 27 and set the Rockets’ new record in the process. She put up another massive game with 25 points in a 59-26 win over Princeville on Jan. 29. 

Jaelyn Nunley, Dee-Mack girls basketball

Dee-Mack’s 3-point machine became the Chiefs’ all-time leader in threes and set a new program season record in makes from behind the arc. Nunley broke the season record with her 58th three of the year in an 11-point outing against Midwest Central on Jan. 27. She hit five more triples and scored 17 points in a 52-38 win over Gibson-City-Melvin-Sibley on Jan. 29 and scored 14 points with four threes in a 46-23 win over Lanark Eastland on Jan. 31.

Haylie Hoffman, Normal U-High girls basketball

Hoffman stepped up in the clutch and buried a game-winning three-pointer with seven seconds left to lift the Pioneers to a key 42-40 Central State Eight Conference win over Lincoln on Jan. 30. The next day, she scored 17 in a 66-43 victory over Taylorville. 

Vote here!

CSM Girls Athlete of the Week poll

• Kayla Herron, Richwoods girls basketball
• Sahara Streitmatter, Princeville girls basketball
• Bri Harms, Roanoke-Benson girls basketball
• Jaelyn Nunley, Dee-Mack girls basketball

See All Options