EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.

By Casey Lindecrantz, Republican Journal / Tri-County Press

Kolby Lancaster, Sr., P, Belmont baseball
BELMONT — A perfect game isn’t something that happens often, and much less often do they occur in a seven inning game. Last Friday, in their home doubleheader against Black Hawk, the Belmont Braves were indeed perfect.

Senior Kolby Lancaster (6–1) pitched his first ever perfect game — the first ever in Braves’ school history, per head coach Trevor Kattre — and he did so striking out almost half (10) of the batters that came to home plate. Lancaster was on the mark, with over three-fourths of Lancaster’s pitches being called strikes. He didn’t walk a batter, he didn’t hit a batter and his defense made 11 clean outs behind him without an error; 21 up and 21 down.

The other 11 batters were out before they could even hit first base, with Bradley Riechers (eight putouts at first base), Maverick Voigts (one putout), Tanner Simmons (one putout), and Konner Lancaster (one putout) ensuring Kolby Lancaster’s perfect game wouldn’t be ruined by an error.

Kolby Lancaster and the rest of the stellar defense helped give Belmont’s offense the time they needed to score without feeling pressure at any point.

Konner Lancaster (2-for-4, RBI), Gavin Austin (1-for-4, RBI), Jesse Ruiz (1-for-4), and Riechers (1-for-3, RBI) all helped lead the Braves’ offense in the win.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the winless Warriors (0–9) gave Belmont a bit more trouble, but the Braves ultimately won, 6–3. The win went to Jesse Ruiz (2–1), who allowed one run and one hit over 4 2/3 innings pitched, striking out eight. Riechers (1-for-1, RBI), Brayden Stymeist (2-for-3, 2 RBI), and Jesse Ruiz (1-for-2, RBI) led Belmont’s batting efforts.

By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial

HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order): 
Rose French, Jr., Fennimore girls track and field
French won the girls pole vault with a new meet record of 10'0", placed second in the 4x200 relay, third in the shot put (33'5.25") and fourth in the long jump (14'4") to lead the Fennimore girls to the team title at last Friday's 13-team River Ridge Timberwolves' Invitational. A day earlier, she won the shot put (33'9.5") and finished third in the pole vault at the 17-team Cuba City Invitational to lead the Lady Eagles to a second-place team finish.

Kayahna Furrer, Fr., P, Fennimore softball
The Fennimore Golden Eagles’ softball team is flying high after a pair of quality conference victories Mineral Point and Iowa–Grant in the past week. Furrer went 4-for-4 with three doubles and six RBI and struck out seven without allowing a walk to earn the win in the upset win over the Pointers (9–2, 7–2), who suffered only their second loss of the year. Furrer (7–6) struck out seven, walked two and allowed just two earned runs on six hits in a 7–3 win over Iowa–Grant Monday.  

Payton Gile, Sr., P, Cuba City softball
For the second-time this year Gile outdueled Division 1 Mississippi State recruit Gretta Grassel and the two-time defending SWAL softball champion Boscobel Bulldogs Monday afternoon in Cuba City. Gile struck out 14 batters struck and allowed just one unearned run on three hits and three walks to lead the first-place Cubans (13–2, 8–1 SWAL) to a key 2–1 victory over the Bulldogs. Cuba City now holds a half game lead ver Boscobel (11–7, 8–2) with just five conference games remaining. Gile also struck out nine in a two-hit 5–0 shutout win over Lancaster last Friday, and struck out 12 and walked just one in a 10–2 win over Southwestern last Thursday.

Isaac Henkel, So., Fennimore boys track and field
Henkel won the boys’ 800 meters with a new school record time of 1:58.80 at last Thursday's Cuba City Christopher Becker Memorial Invitational. He also teamed with juniors Riley Foreyt and Carter Bunn, and sophomore Ben Varela to win the 4x400 relay (3:38.91), and ran with Foreyt, Bunn and junior Nick Needham to win the 4x800 relay (8:21.84) to help the Eagles to a fifth-place finish at the 17-team meet.

Nora Jillson, So., Boscobel girls track and field
Jillson was voted the Female Athlete of the meet after winning three events at last Thursday's Cuba City Christopher Becker Invitational. She anchored the Bulldogs' winning girls 4x800 relay made up of Lilah Glasbrenner, Aubrey Seep and Aleya Kliesner to a new meet record time of10:07.06, and also won the girls' 800 (2:25.02) and 1,600 (5:21.79).  

Keagan Taylor, Jr., Platteville boys golf
Taylor shot a team-best and 18-hole career low 86 to lead the host Hillmen to a third-place team finish and tied for fifth-place individually at last Saturday's 13-team Platteville Dick McKichan Invitational.