EDITOR'S NOTE: The 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 

Ruah Franzmann-Simmert, Jr., Tri-State Homeschool girls cross country 
NASHVILLE — Not every area standout runner finished their 2025 prep cross country season at the WIAA State Championships two weekends ago in Wisconsin Rapids. Instead, Tri-State Homeschool junior Ruah Franzmann-Simmert traveled to the Homeschool Cross Country National Championships in Nashville.

Franzmann-Simmert, who has been running at the front of the local pack at regular season high school meets for the last three season, returned to Wisconsin as a national champion. Franzmann-Simmert won this girls’ 5,000-meter event with a breakout time of 17:53.91 against a field of 292 home school competitors from around the country. Freshman Annabelle Hanson of Forsyth Home Educators in Winston–Salem (N.C.) finished second at 18:07.95.

The Home School Cross Country National Championships event, which has had a couple of Platteville athletes attend in the past, is a chance for homeschool athletes from across the country to compete on a challenging, championship-level, since most home school athletes are not generally allowed to compete in their state championships. Home school athletes in Wisconsin are not allowed to compete in WIAA postseason events.

Franzmann-Simmert, who lives in Dodgeville, placed second at the Dick McKichan Platteville Invitational Saturday, Oct. 3 just three seconds behind eventual WIAA Division 2 state runner-up Maddie Driscoll, a sophomore from Lancaster. She then closed out her regular season by winning the 153-runner girls race at the Albany Baertschi Invitational, Saturday, Oct. 11.

HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order)
Mallory Crubel, Jr., S/MH, River Ridge volleyball
River Ridge junior Mallory Crubel was recently named the Six Rivers West Player of the Year after leading the third-place Timberwolves to a 12–10 overall record and an 8–4 finish in the SRW. Crubel posted 500 assists, 85 kills with a team-best .193 hitting percentage, 59 blocks, 20 aces and 200 digs. 

Maddy Kabat, Sr., OH, Mineral Point volleyball
Mineral Point senior Maddy Kabat was named the SWAL Player of the Year after leading the Pointers (36–5, 7–0 SWAL) to this year’s conference title and a WIAA Division 3 regional title. Kabat floored a conference-high 475 kills with a .249 hitting percentage, with 27 blocks, a team-high 69 aces, 305 digs and 502 service receptions.

Kirstyn Pennekamp, Sr., Platteville/Lancaster girls swimming
PRAIRIE DU SAC — Platteville/Lancaster senior Kirstyn Pennekamp made history at Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 Sauk Prairie Sectional. Pennekamp finished fourth in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 56.83 seconds to qualify for this week’s WIAA D2 State Championships. Pennekamp earned the 16th and final state qualifier spot in the 100 freestyle in Division 2. Each sectional champion from the four D2 sectionals across the state, as well as the next 12 best finishes from all four sectionals combined. Pennekamp also placed 10th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:31.65), seventh in the 200 freestyle relay (1:51.83) and eighth in the 400 free relay (4:20.73). When Pennekamp closes her prep career Friday night at the D2 State Championships at Waukesha South Natatorium, she will become the first Platteville/Lancaster swimmer to compete at state since Maddy Albert-Nelson qualified for state in the 100-yard butterfly (8th place) in 2019. Pennekemp also becomes the first Lancaster swimmer to qualify for state since Brooklyn VanNatta in 2018 in the 50-yard freestyle (14th place).

Avery Richard, Jr., OH, Platteville volleyball

Platteville junior outside hitter Avery Richard was recently named the SWC Player of the Year, after earning a spot on the nine-team All-SWC first team. Richard was the league’s best all-around player this fall, posting 254 kills with a .227 hitting percentage, a team-high 380 digs, 240 service receptions, 17 aces with a team-high 93.7 service percentage, and 9 blocks.

River Sahr, Jr., RB/LB, Potosi/Cassville football
Sahr rushed for 129 yards and 3 touchdowns on 18 carries, and recorded a team-high 14 tackles, including 2 tackles for loss in Potosi/Cassville's 35–0 win over No. 5 seed Cashton (8–4) in last Friday's WIAA Division 7 Level 3 playoff game. The Chieftains (11–1) will play #1-ranked and undefeated Kenosha St. Joe's (13–0) Friday at Stoughton at 7 p.m.

Zeke Zuberbuhler, Jr., QB/DB, Darlington football
Zuberbuhler completed 7 of 9 passes for 85 yards and 2 TDs, and rushed for 110 yards and another score in #1-ranked Darlington's 49–21 victory over SWAL rival Belleville (7–6) in last Friday's WIAA Division 6 Level 3 playoff game. Zuberbuhler has completed 69 of 95 passes (72.6 percent) for 1,239 yards, 16 TDs and 1 interception, and rushed for a team-high 1,027 yards and 16 TDs on 110 carries entering Friday's D6 state semifinal game against undefeated Manitowoc Lutheran (13–0).