EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Paige Murphy, Jr., Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg track & field
Area track and field teams got outside for the first time this season and the fresh air did junior Paige Murphy and Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg girls’ track and field team well.
Murphy, the Mast Water Technology swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week, turned in a pair of record-breaking performances to help the Lady Zephyrs win the girls’ team title at Monday’s Richard Glendenning Green–Lafayette County Invitational hosted by Monroe High School. She won the long jump with a meet record-breaking leap of 16’7.75”, which also established a new team record in the event as well. Murphy also combined with teammates Lindsey Walton, Payton Bastian and Ally Jansen to win the 4x100 relay in a record 53.35 seconds.
She also placed third in the 200 (28.75) and teamed with Bastian, Jansen and Sonja Townsend to take second in the 4x200 relay (1:52.72).
Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg posted four firsts on the way to the claiming the girls’ title for the second straight season with 142 points. Monroe Red won seven events and placed second (119) ahead of Darlington (94) in third.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Sami Brookens, Jr., Platteville/Lancaster girls soccer
The junior scored a goal and assisted on another in Platteville/Lancaster’s 2–0 non-conference victory at Sparta las Friday. Brookens also assisted on a goal in a 4–1 victory over Galena on Thursday. The Hillmen at 2–2–1 overall and 1–0 in the Southwest Wisconsin Conference.
Lane Kamps, Sr., Belmont baseball
The senior fireballer struck out 13 batters over six solid innings and also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Braves (1–1) to an 11–6 win over Shullsburg/Benton in their Six Rivers West opener on Thursday. Kamps also pitched well in Belmont’s opener allowing two runs on three hits over five innings in a narrow 2–1 loss to Fennimore on Tuesday, April 5.
Madison Kuhl, Sr., Southwestern softball
The senior pitcher struck out 11 and didn’t issue a walk in a 5–1 two-hit SWAL victory over Cuba City on Monday. Kuhl also went 2-for-3 with a double to help her own cause as the Wildcats improved to 6–1 overall and 3–1 in league play. Kuhl also pitched a five-inning shutout against Cassville/River Ridge Saturday at the Cassville/River Ridge Tournament — which Southwestern won — and struck out nine in a 3–2 league win at Boscobel last Thursday.
Lydia Leahy, Jr., Belmont softball
The junior outfielder knocked in five runs and scored two others to lead the visiting Braves over Shullsburg/Benton 12–1 in five innings in their Six Rivers West opener on Monday. Leahy put the Braves (3–2, 1–0 SRW) ahead to stay with her two-run single in the top of the first inning, then gave the team plenty of cushion when she cracked a bases-clearing, three-run double.
Grady RIelly, So., Darlington track & field
The sophomore hurdler swept the boys’ hurdle events, winning the 110 high hurdles in 16.5 seconds and the 300 intermediate hurdles in 46.06 to help Darlington win the boys’ team title at Monday’s Richard Glendenning Invitational in Monroe.
Madison Rizner, So., Richland Center track & field
The Richland Center sophomore placed in three events at the TFA Indoor Meet at UW–Whitewater last Saturday. Rizner finished second in the triple jump (37’4.5”), fourth in the high jump (5’3”) and seventh in the long jump (16’11.5”) at the elite indoor event.
Jesse Sturtz, Sr., Darlington baseball
Sturtz went 2-for-2 with four runs batted in and three runs scored in Darlington’s 18–6 non-conference victory over Argyle on Saturday. He followed that up a run scored, a sacrifice fly and a game-ending double play to lead the Redbirds to a 3–2 win over Dodgeville in the second game of Saturday’s Luke Wiegel Memorial Baseball Day. Strutz caught a fly ball in right field for the second out of the seventh inning then threw a strike to the plate to cut down the potential game-tying run and end the game.
