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

Dawson Bowen, Jr., RB/DB, Lancaster football

     FENNIMORE — Lancaster junior Dawson Bowen made huge plays all over the field in last Friday’s 21–14 WIAA Division 6 Level 3 playoff over top-seeded Fennimore. Bowen rushed for 105 yards on 23 carries, scored all three Flying Arrow touchdowns, passed for a two-point conversion,and broke up a pair of passes to lead third-seeded Lancaster’s upset of the top-seeded Golden Eagles (10–2). But no play was bigger than Bowen’s 17-yard interception return for a touchdown off a batted pass just 36 seconds into the second quarter. On the very next play Bowen connected with senior Cole Kreul on a halfback pass for the two-point conversion to give Lancaster a stunning 21–0 lead over the host Golden Eagles.

     Bowen scored on a 7-yard run midway through the first quarter, after Arrow QB Hayden Knapp connected on a 73-yard pass to fellow sophomore on Lancaster’s first offensive play from scrimmage. Bowen scored on a 1-yard run on the Arrows’ next possession to make it 13–0 lead. Bowen, who started at halfback, also filled in at fullback late in the second quarter and early in the third, when junior Corey Hahn had to leave the game with a thigh bruise.

     Bowen and the Flying Arrows will travel to Elkhorn Friday night to face Racine Lutheran (10–2) in a WIAA Division 6 Level 4 playoff game with a trip to state on the line. Lancaster has reached the state championship 11 times since 1993 and won seven state titles (93, 00, 01, 02, 05, 06, 14).

HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):

Madison Albert-Nelson, Jr., Platteville/Lancaster girls swimming

     Albert-Nelson qualified for a third trip to the WIAA Division 2 Girls Swimming and Diving State championships and broke a pair of team records at last Saturday’s WIAA D2 Baraboo Sectional. Albert-Nelson broke her own team record in the 100-yard butterfly, finishing fifth with a time of 59.91 to qualify for state for a third straight year in the event. She also broke the 100-yard backstroke school record, placing 10th in the event with a new record time of 1:01.39, but missed out on a state berth in the backstroke by 0.33 seconds.

Colby Argall, Sr., RB/DB, Black Hawk football

     Argall scored four touchdowns to spearhead Black Hawk’s 36–12 WIAA Division 7 Level 3 playoff victory over visiting Benton/Scales Mound last Friday night. Argall opened the scoring with a 67-yard punt return just over two minutes into the game. He added TD runs of 29 yards and 11 yards in the second quarter, then scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter to cap the scoring. Argall finished the night with 123 yards on 23 carries and added more than 100 yards in punt return yardage.

Izzy Carroll, Jr., MH, Platteville volleyball

     Carroll was named the SWC Co-Player of the Year last week along with River Valley’s Tienna Gruber. Carroll led the SWC champion Hillmen to a 28–11 overall record and a 9–1 mark in conference play while leading the team with 341 kills, a .258 hitting percentage, 97 blocks, 499 service received and a 98.3 serve percentage. She also posted 358 digs and 22 aces.

Everrett LaBudda, Sr., D, Platteville/Lancaster boys soccer

     Lancaster senior Everrett LaBudda was recently named the SWC Boys Soccer Co-Player of the Year after leading the Platteville/Lancaster Hillmen to a perfect 8–0 conference championship, a berth in the WIAA Division 3 regional finals and a 14–2–1 overall record. LaBudda scored three goals — on penalty kicks — and anchored the Hillmen defense that pitched 10 shutouts and allowed just 15 goals in 17 matches this season.

Skylar White, Jr., MH, River Ridge volleyball

     White led the Timberwolves (24–1–1) with a team-high 21 kills, two blocks and three aces in River Ridge’s 26–24, 26–24, 25–20 WIAA Division 4 state semifinal loss to Clayton. It was Ridge’s first ever appearance in the WIAA state volleyball tournament.

Brinley Wood, Sr., MH, Cuba City volleyball

     The 5’5” middle hitter was named the SWAL Player of the Year after leading the Cubans to a 31–8 overall record, a perfect 12–0 mark in league play and to the WIAA Division 3 sectional finals. Wood finished the year with 283 kills and a .329 hitting percentage, and finishing second with 52 blocks despite missing 13 of the Cubans’ 39 matches this year due to injuries.