EDITOR'S NOTE: The Suppz.com Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
Mackenzie Knuckey, So., Southwestern/Benton girls cross country
BOSCOBEL — This year's Southwest Wisconsin Activities League individual champion Mackenzie Knuckey added another title to her resume last Saturday at the WIAA Division 3 Boscobel Sectional.
The standout sophomore won the girls' race to lead the Southwestern/Benton girls cross country team to the sectional team title and the program's first trip to the WIAA State Cross Country Championships since 1997.
Knuckey crossed the finish line with a winning-time of 18:41.7 to beat the field of 114 runners last Saturday.
Teammates junior Maci Reichmann (3rd, 19:04.1) and senior Paisley Williams (8th, 20:26.4) also finished in the Top-10 as the Wildcats (44) held off Fennimore (60), Viroqua (76) and Westby (85).
The top two teams at sectionals, and top five individuals not on a top two team, qualified for this Saturday's WIAA State Cross Country Championships which will be held at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids.
Knuckey, who finished fourth in last year's Division 3 Girls state championship race at 19:15.1, and the rest of this year's Southwestern/Benton girls cross country team will race in the 2026 D3 Girls championship race Saturday at noon.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Brock Hinderman, Sr., QB/DB, Iowa–Grant football
Hinderman completed 13 of 16 passes for 303 yards and 5 touchdowns, and rushed for 67 yards and one TD on three carries to lead the Panthers (8–2) to a dominating 64–26 victory over No. 7 seed Riverdale (4–6) in a WIAA Division 7 first round playoff game last Friday night.
Maya Misky, Sr., OH, Cuba City volleyball
Misky posted a double–double of 25 kills, 11 digs and five blocks to lead the SWAL champion Cubans (32–7) to a 25–18, 19–25, 25–15, 25-19 victory over Madison Abundant Life (27–13) in last Saturday's WIAA Division 4 regional final. Two days earlier Misky tallied 17 kills and 18 digs — both team highs — in a regional semifinal sweep of Oakfield (24–8) last Thursday.
Ella Myers, Sr., MH, River Valley volleyball
Myers floored a match-high 27 kills and 12 total blocks to lead the Blackhawks (30–6) to 23–25, 25–10, 25–14, 25–20 victory over SWC rival Rchland Center (22–15) in last Saturday's WIAA D3 regional final.
Dax Paquin, Jr., RB/LB, Black Hawk/Warren football
Paquin rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns and caught a pass for 15 yards in the Warriors (6–4) 36–32 victory over Cashton (8–2) in a WIAA Division 7 playoff victory last Friday night.
Brynn Swenson, Jr., OH, Mineral Point volleyball
Swenson had a team-high 18 kills, seven digs and three aces in the Pointers' (23–8) 25–17, 25–21, 23–25, 20–25, 16–14 WIAA Division 4 regional final victory over Waterloo (29–7) last Saturday night.
Wyatt Temperly, Sr., QB/DB, Belmont football
Temperly rushed for a game-high 169 yards and 2 touchdowns, completed 6 of 8 passes for 101 yards and 3 more scores, and had two tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in the No. 1 Braves' 50–0 rout of No. 4 seed Palmyra–Eagle (8–2) in a WIAA 8-Player Level 2 playoff game last Friday night.
Hunter White, Sr., RB/LB, Potosi/Cassville football
White rushed for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a the game-winning 3-yard TD run with 28 seconds left, caught three passes for 17 yards, and had nine tackles in the Chieftains' 26–24 comeback win over No. 4 seed Mineral Point (6–4) in a WIAA Division 5 first round playoff game last Friday night.
Zeke Zuberbuhler, Sr., QB/DB, Darlington football
Zuberbuhler rushed for a game-high 163 yards and 3 touchdowns, and completed 2 of 3 passes for 73 yards, including a 31-yard TD pass to classmate Dante Glendenning in the #1-ranked Redbirds' (10–0) 35–14 victory over No. 8 seed Dodgeville (4–6) in a WIAA Division 5 first round playoff game last Friday night.
