EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Grady Rielly, Sr., Darlington boys track and field
Darlington senior Grady Rielly won the title in the boys’ 55-meter hurdles in 8.00 seconds and teamed with Kameron Blosch, Curtis Blosch and Blake Whalen to place third in the 4x200 relay at the Tri-State Small School Indoor Meet last Saturday. He then won the 55-meter hurdles again at Tuesday's Pioneer Indoor Invite (8.08) while joining teammates Curtis Blosch, Tanner Evenstad and Whalen to win the 4x400 in 3:49 28.
Rielly’s winning performance at Saturday’s Tri-State Indoor helped the Darlington boys place fourth out of 20 teams with 56 points, behind only Lodi (73), Lena–Winslow (58) and Benton–Scales Mound–Shullsburg (57.33).
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Donovan Blevins, Sr., Platteville boys basketball
Blevins was recently named the Southwest Wisconsin Conference Player of the Year after leading the Hillmen (19–6, 8–2) to their first boys basketball conference title in 21 years. Blevins averaged a team-high 15.8 points, a team-best 6.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.5 assists per game, while shooting a team-high 58.1 percent (162 of 279) from the field.
Curtis Blosch, Tanner Evenstad, Paul King and Payton Heinberg, Darlington boys track and field
Blosch won the pole vault, teamed with Grady Rielly, Tanner Evenstad and Blake Whalen to win the 4x400 (3:49.28), while Evenstad teamed with Paul King, Payton Heinberg and Michael Thompson to win the 4x800 relay (9:03.57) for the Redbirds at Tuesday’s Pioneer Indoor Invitational at UW–Platteville. King won the 3,200 run (10:45.16) at Saturday's Tri-State Indoor, and Heinberg won the 3,200 (10:35.03) at Tuesday's Pioneer Invite.
Cole Crubel, So., G, River Ridge boys basketball
Crubel was recently named the Six Rivers West Player of the Year after leading the Timberwolves (13–11, 8–4) to a second-place finish in the conference. He averaged a 18.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
Robert Duax, Jr., G, UW–Platteville men’s basketball
Duax was recently named first-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches Association after leading the Pioneers to a 24–5 record, a WIAC championship and a berth in the NCAA Division III Sweet 16. The junior guard averaged a team-high 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while leading the Pioneers to their best season since 1998–99.
Brianna Leahy, Sr., Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg track and field
The Shullsburg senior broke her own program record with a toss of 41’6” in the shot put to win the event by over four and a half feet at Saturday's Tri-State Small School Indoor Meet, and she won the girls' shot put again at Tuesday's Pioneer Invite with a mark of 39’10”.
Brock Schambow, Sr., Platteville boys track and field
Schambow won the gold medal in the triple jump with a winning leap of 41’2” at last Friday’s Tri-State Indoor Invitational at UW–Platteville. Schambow’s 10 points helped the Hillmen (25.5) place ninth out of 15 teams.
