EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Kaycie Wagner, Jr., P/1B, Platteville softball
Platteville junior Kaycie Wagner did it wit her arm and bat over the past week, leading the first-place Hillmen to a six-game winning streak over the past eight days. Wagner, who has at least one hit in all 12 games this year, is batting .591 (13-for-22) with one double, one triple, four homers and a team-high 14 RBI during the current six-game winning streak. She was equally impressive in the pitcher’s circle, compiling a 3–0 record with three saves, a 2.75 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched during the winning streak.
Wagner drove in three runs in Platteville 7–0 shutout of Prairie du Chien last Tuesday, then went 3-for-4 and blasted her first home run of the season in an 8–6 comeback win at River Valley on Thursday. She homered again a day later and pitched the final four innings to record the save in Friday’s 13–2 win at Lancaster. On Saturday at the Prairie du Chien tournament, she recorded a save in a 3–2 win over Arcadia, then earned the win over La Crosse Aquinas, and went a combined 3-for-7 with one home run and three RBIs. Tuesday she smashed her fourth homer of the season, drove in three and earned the complete game win in an 11-5 victory at Richland Center.
"Kaycie is an outstanding leader on our team," said Platteville head coach Becca Lowe. "She is one who leads by example and has such a strong work ethic. All of her work throughout the year and her love for softball has really shown through this year. Her bat in our lineup crucial to our team and her hot bat came at the right time with these important conference games the last two weeks. Our team has this confidence in her, that when she steps up to the plate, big things are going to happen. I am so excited for all of the attention she has been given."
Wagner is batting .537 (22-for-41) with three doubles, four homers and 21 RBIs at the plate and 6–2 with three saves and a 2.28 ERA in 12 games this year. Platteville (9–3, 5–0) will host Dodgeville (7–0, 5–0) in a first-place showdown today (Friday) at 5 p.m. after Thursday's game was rained out.
Trevor Neuroth, Sr., CF/IF, Fennimore baseball
Fennimore senior Trevor Neuroth is in the midst of a similar power streak, belting four home runs in his last four games — all Fennimore wins — as the Golden Eagles are riding a five-game winning streak. Neurotic went 2-for-5 and scored a pair of runs in Fennimore’s 7–1 win at Boscobel last Tuesday, then smacked a pair of homer, including a 380-foot shot down the left field line, had an RBI double and drove in three in a 15–11 non-conference win at Platteville two days later. Neuroth blasted his third homer in two days and drove in three runs in a 15–2 win over Riverdale on Friday. He then opened the week with a pair of hits in a 17–1 win at Darlington, then smashed his fourth dinger of the season and drove in four in Tueday’s 13–2 win over Darlington. Neuroth is hitting .474 (9-for-19) with four homers, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored during Fennimore's five-game winning streak.
“We know Trevor’s got a ton of power, but I am always on him about better pitch selection because he gets too antsy at the plate,” said Fennimore head coach Brent Sheckler. “I tell him its okay to let a low strike go by and wait for a pitch he can elevate and drive. Last week he did that and he hit three home runs in two days. Trevor had a heck of a week, but it’s not only him. A lot of guys are starting to get on the ball for us.”
Neuroth is batting .476 (20-for-42) with four doubles, four home runs, 20 RBI and seven stolen bases on the season for the first-place Golden Eagles (9–2, 6–0 SWAL).
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Jacob Amenda, Sr., Belmont baseball
Amenda struck out eight and tossed five innings of two-hit ball in a 7–2 game one victory over Monticello/Albany last Friday night. He then went 2-for-3 as the Braves blanked the Ponies 15–0 in the nightcap. Amanda homered and picked up the win in Monday’s 10–8 Six Rivers West victory over Potosi. The Braves improved to 7–2 overall and 5–2 in the Six Rivers Conference thanks to their recent five-game winning streak.
Liam Kenney, Sr., Fennimore boys track and field
The senior standout returned from a knee injury and won both the long jump (19’9”) and the triple jump (41’2”) to help the Fennimore boys’ win the team title Monday’s Fennimore Invitational.
Brynlee Nelson, Fr., Fennimore girls track and field
The Fennimore freshman finished first out of 34 runners in the 400 (1:01.8) and finished third in the 800 (2:24.76) at Saturday’s 24-team La Crosse Aquinas Knights of Columbus Relays. She then won the 400 (1:02.13) and 800 with a meet record time of 2:22.76 and the triple jump (34’2.5”) to lead the Fennimore girls to the team title by a single point over runner-up Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg at Monday’s Fennimore Invitational.
Mckenzie Vaassen, Cuba City girls track and field
Vaessen ran away with the Female Athlete of the Meet award at last Thursday’s Christopher Becker Memorial Invitational after wining the girls’ 100 (13.0) and 200 (27.23) and finishing second in the long jump (16’0”) and the 4x200 relay (1:54.65) with Brinley Wood, Kaylee Pitmen and Elizabeth Misky to help the host Cubans to a second-place team finish.
