EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Friday morning throughout the calendar year.
Faye Bailie, Sr., Platteville track & field
With cold weather and rain dominating the early portion of the prep sports season, area baseball and softball teams have endured a plethora of postponements and indoor practices. But the prep track season has gone off without a hitch, thanks in large part to an early-season indoor schedule.
Last Saturday, Platteville senior Faye Bailie cleared 5’2” to win the girls’ high jump at the Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg Invitational at UW–Platteville’s Williams Fieldhouse to lead the Hillmen girls to a second-place finish out of 15 teams. Last Tuesday, Bailie won the high jump by clearing five feet, and placed seventh in the triple jump (29’8.5”) at the Pioneer Indoor Invitational, also at UW–Platteville. Bailie is this week’s Mast Water Technology Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week.
The lanky Platteville senior is a two-time state qualifier in the high jump and certainly has her sites set on a third straight trip to La Crosse in June. Bailie won a the Southwest Wisconsin Conference title a year ago, clearing 5’2”, and went on to place fifth in Division 2 at the WIAA State Championships. She cleared a personal-best 5’5” to finish second at regionals last spring. Bailie tied for fourth at state in the high jump as a sophomore.
Last fall, Bailie used her athleticism and leaping ability to emerge as a first-team all-SWC volleyball player, leading the Hillmen to a 34–5 overall record, an undefeated conference title and a berth in the WIAA Division 2 sectional finals, a year after helping Platteville reach the D2 state volleyball tournament.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Rachel Emendorfer, Platteville track & field
Emendorfer won the 400 (1:04.16) and placed third in the triple jump (29’10.75”) at Saturday’s Benton Indoor to help led the Platteville girls to a second-place finish at the event. Last Tuesday, she won the 800 at the Pioneer Indoor Invitational, also at UW–Platteville.
Trey Hunt, So., Fennimore baseball
The sophomore struck out 10 and allowed just one run on four hits to lead the Golden Eagles to a 2–1 non-conference season opening victory at Cassville last Thursday. Hunt also singled in the game and scored one of Fennimore’s two runs in the third inning after reaching on an error.
Maranda McCarthy, Jr., Iowa–Grant softball
McCarthy went 5-for-7 with a double and four RBIs, and struck out 14 batters in 12 innings to lead the Panthers to a pair of wins last week. McCarthy struck out nine and allowed just one run, and also went 2-for-4 with a two-run single to lead Iowa–Grant to a 12–1 non-conference win over Lancaster in last Tuesday’s season opener. On Friday, the junior hurler went 3-for-3 and hit two-run double in I–G’s six-run second inning. She also struck out five in the complete game victory.
Lydia Murphy, Fr., Lancaster track & field
The Lancaster freshman won the 800 (2:36.86) and the 1,600 (6:09.33) at Saturday’s Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg Indoor. She helped the Arrows finish to a sixth-place team finish. Murphy also placed second in the 3,200 (12:37.40) at the Pioneer High School Indoor Invite last Tuesday.
Jack Schaffer, Sr., Lancaster track & field
Schaffer won the high jump by clearing 5’10” and was on the Arrows’ second-place 1,600 sprint medley relay team at Saturday’s Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg Indoor Invitational at UW–Platteville.
Jesse Sturtz, Jr., Darlington baseball
The junior tossed six solid innings and helped his own cause by going 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs batted in to lead the defending SWAL-champion Redbirds to a 9–1 league victory at Boscobel on Monday. Sturtz also belted a solo homer in Darlington’s 11–1 season-opening loss to Warren/Stockton (Ill.) last Friday.
