EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.

Abby Kaiser, so., Potosi girls basketball

     Potosi’s Abby Kaiser averaged a team-high 22 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3 steals per game while shooting 55.8 percent (29 of 52) in three regional playoff victories last week to help sixth-seeded Potosi win a WIAA Division 5 regional title and for that performance the sophomore forward is this week’s Mast Water Technology Athlete of the Week.

     Kaiser scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed six boards to lead the Cinderella Chieftains’ stunning come-from-behind regional championship victory at Six Rivers West champion Shullsburg last Saturday night. Potosi rallied for a 15-point deficit early in the second half, closing the game on a 34–6 run. Kaiser also played a key role in holding Shullsburg’s Hattie Rennert to just two points as Potosi played a hybrid box-and-one defense to contain Rennert and 6-foot-1 sophomore center Briana Leahy (8 points).

     Last Friday night, Kaiser finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three steals while limiting River Ridge senior Bridgette Myers to just four points, as Potosi used the same box-and-1 defense to defeat Six Rivers West runner-up River Ridge 47–42. Potosi overcame at an early 13–2 deficit to pull out the seven-point win. Kaiser made four straight free throws, then added a three-point play to push Potosi’s lead to 46–36 with three minutes to play.

     Kaiser scored a game and career-high 30 points to go along with 10 rebonds and six steals to lead the Chieftains to a 78–45 victory over De Soto to open the playoffs last Tuesday.

     Potosi will now face undefeated and top-ranked Barneveld (25–0) in a sectional semifinal game at Mineral Point Thursday night at 7 p.m.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Sierra Brecke, sr., Platteville girls basketball

     Brecke scored 15 of her game-high 19 points in the second half of Platteville’s 53–39 WIAA Division 3 regional final victory over Richland Center Saturday night to lead the Hillmen to their first regional title since 1992. Brecke also scored a game-high 16 points in Platteville’s 46–37 regional semifinal victory River Valley Friday night. The Hillmen (17–7) will face SWC rival Prairie du Chien (14–9) in a D3 sectional semifinal game Thursday night at Baraboo.

Stetson Clary, sr., Ithaca/Weston wrestling 

     Clary capped his career in championship fashion, winning the 160-pound title with a 13–6 victory over Laconia’s Zach Coffeen Saturday night at the Kohl Center in Madison. Clary went 29–3 this year to finish his career with an overall record of 149–29.

Hunter Dischler, sr., Ithaca/Weston wrestling 

     Dischler won his third individual state title with a 5–3 victory over Deerfield’s Cal Hansen in the Division 3 132-pound championship match Saturday night. Dischler won state titles as a freshman and sophomore before finishing second a year ago as a junior. He finished his senior year 46–1 and capped his stellar career with an overall record of 178–12.

Kelsie Goffinet, Southwestern/Cuba City/Benton gymnastics

     The sophomore placed among the top five in two events as well as the all-around at last Friday’s WIAA Division 2 Southwestern Sectional to qualify for her second state gymnastics meet. She placed second in the floor exercise with a score of 9.15 and third on the uneven bars (8.175). He all-around score of 33.725 was good enough to finish fourth at the eight-team sectional.

Grace Hammermeister, jr., Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster gymnastics

     The Platteville junior won the floor exercise (9.3), finished second on the balance beam (8.9) and fifth in the all-around (33.525) at last Friday’s WIAA Division 2 Southwestern Sectional to earn a third straight trip to the WIAA individual state gymnastics championships. Hammermeister’s performance also helped Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster place second as a team with a score of 128.8255 to earn a seventh consecutive trip to team state. The Hillmen will compete in the 10-team D2 team state championships Friday at 2 p.m. Hammermeister, who finished second in the floor exercise at state a year ago, along with senior teammate Alyssa Bainbridge (balance beam) will participate in the individual state championships Saturday at 11 a.m.

Drew Hennessey, fr., Iowa–Grant/Highland wrestling

     The Highland freshman went 3–1 and made a surprise run to the 170-pound Division 3 state championship last weekend at the Kohl Center in Madison. Hennessey, who finished third at the Mineral Point Sectional a week earlier, opened his first state tournament with back-to-back decisions before stunning second-ranked Micah Johnson of Boyceville in the semifinals. Hennessey finished his season 32–11 after a 3–1 loss to Random Lake junior Helton Vanderbush in the finals. 

Riley Lull, sr., Fennimore wrestling

     The Fennimore senior won the Golden Eagles fourth state title in school history with a 7–0 decision over Random Lake’s Josh Depies in the WIAA Division 3 113-pound championship match on Saturday night. Lull finished his senior season 43–5.

Jessi Marti, sr., Cuba City girls basketball

     The senior standout scored 43 points in a pair of blowout victories to lead the Cubans to a WIAA Division 4 regional title over the weekend. Mart scored a game-high 20 points in a 52–26 regional semifinal victory over Deerfield on Friday, then poured in a game-high 23 points in a 68–38 win over New Glarus one night later in Saturday’s regional final at CCHS.

Joey Meyer, jr., Shullsburg boys basketball

     The 6-foot-8 junior center scored 15 points as the Miners clinched the outright Six Rivers West championship with a 53–41 victory over Cassville last Thursday night. Meyer then scored a career-high 30 points to lead Shullsburg to a 67–29 regional quarterfinal victory over Benton on Tuesday night.

Brandon Roen, jr., Riverdale wrestling

     The Riverdale junior won the Division 3 152-pound with a medical forfeit victory over Stratford junior Mason Kauffman (50–1). Kauffman, the top-ranked wrestling in the weight class, was unable to wrestler in Saturday’s championship match after he was hospitalized with an infection. Roen’s state championship was the 19th in Riverdale history.