EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Sadie Willborn (Belmont), OF/P, SW Shock U16 softball
Willborn batted a team-high .567 with four doubles, two triples and had a nine-game hitting streak to lead the Southwest Wisconsin Shock U16 softball team to a third-place finish at the North American Fastpitch Association Northern Nationals tournament July 27–30 in Minneapolis. Willborn, who also led Belmont to the WIAA Division 5 state tournament and was named the Six Rivers West Pitcher of the Year in the spring, is this week’s Mast Water Technology SWNews4U.com Athlete of the Week.
The SW Shock U16, a team made up of standout sophomores from the southwest part of the state, went 7–3 overall at the tournament to finish third out of 28 teams in the Silver Division. After a 2–1 start in pool play, the Shock defeated Austin Red (Minn.) 9–4, Carindal Power White (Wis.) 5–1 and DGF (Minn.) 9–5 on Saturday in the double-elimination championship bracket. The Shock was sent to the loser’s bracket with a 4–1 loss to eventual runner-up Johnson Creek Yellow (Wis.) Sunday morning, but bounced back with victories over Sleepy Eye (Minn.), 9–6, and Silver Bullets Extreme (Minn.), 8–4, before ending the tournament with a 2–1 loss to eventual champion Crush Tidal Waves (Ill.).
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Kaycie Wagner (Platteville), 1B, SW Shock U16 softball
Wagner batted .536 with three doubles and had at least one hit in all 10 games to help lead the SW Shock U16 softball team to a third place finish in the Silver Division at the NAFA Northern Nationals tournament in Minneapolis July 27–30. Wagner, who was a first-team All-SWC pick a year ago as a freshman, missed most of the 2017 prep season with an injured shoulder.
Jaydn Noonan (Potosi), P, SW Shock U16 softball
Noonan went a perfect 4–0 with one save in the pitcher’s circle to help the SW Shock U16 softball team to a third place finish in the Silver Division at the NAFA Northern Nationals tournament in Minneapolis July 27–30. Noonan was an honorable mention All-Six Rivers West selection for the Chieftains in the spring.
Brady Peat and Max Maylor, Iowa–Grant wrestling
Peat and Maylor each received Wrestler of the Day awards at the recent Luther College Team Wrestling Camp in Deborah, Iowa and helped the Iowa–Grant/Highland Panthers win the team championship at the week-long camp. Peat and Maylor were also WIAA Division 3 state qualifiers in the winter.
