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SUPPZ.COM SWNEWS4U ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Brianna Kirsch
Lancaster junior continues to dominate area golf competitions
Kirsch
Lancaster junior Brianna Kirsch has earned medalist honors in nearly every meet she has competed in this season, including last Thursday at Lancaster and this Monday at Cuba City. She also won the women's club championship at the Lancaster Country Club last weekend. - photo by A.J. Gates

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

Brianna Kirsch, Jr., Lancaster girls golf
CUBA CITY – The Lancaster girls golf team took top honors again this past Monday evening when teams from the Southwest Wisconsin Conference got together at Cole Acres Country Club. It was the Flying Arrows sixth straight team victory and junior Brianna Kirsch has been the biggest reason for the team's success.

Despite continuous rain on a chilly 60-degree day, Lancaster junior Brianna Kirsch earned medalist honors with a 9-over-par round of 46 on the par-37 course to lead coach Brooke Marcue’s Arrows to the team title, shooting a 192 and finishing 14 strokes ahead of the second-place team from Darlington. Freshman Lynell Miller wasn’t far behind Kirsch with a 48, while senior Paige Lolwing and junior Kate McWilliams finished with identical 49s. Junior Evy Dhyanchand came in with a 53.

Last Tuesday evening the Lancaster ladies were at home at the Lancaster Country Club, where they finished first with a team score of 183, which was 17 strokes better than the second-place team from Southwestern/Cuba City/Benton. Kirsch also took medalist honors on her home course, shooting a 2-over-par round of 38, followed by McWilliams with a 44.

Kirsch also won the recent Women's Club Championship at the Lancaster Country Club with a two-day scratch score of 155, 17 strokes over runner-up Dawn Snider (172). 

Kirsch and the Arrows competed at home Thursday afternoon and will now travel to Trappers Turn Golf Club in Wisconsin Dells on Tuesday.

HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
T.J. Bell, Sr., TE/LB, Boscobel football
Bell caught eight passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, all season-highs, and added 11 tackles on defense to lead the Bulldogs in a 33–16 loss at Highland last Friday night.

Hope Connolly, Sr., Iowa–Grant girls cross country
Connolly broke away from Boscobel's Nora Jillson to win the girls' 5,000 meter race at the Boscobel Ryan Zimpel Invitational with a winning time of 20:05. It was the first victory of Connolly's prep cross country career.

Rhett Koenig, Sr., RB/DB, Prairie du Chien football
Koenig rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries to lead the Blackhawks (2–2, 2–0 SWC) to a 43–0 rout of Richland Center last Friday night.

Kolby Lancaster, Sr., QB/DB, Belmont football
Senior quarterback Kolby Lancaster rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns and also passed for 159 yards and another score to lead the Braves (2–1) over the Bulldogs (0–3).

Lucas Milz, Sr., RB/LB, Black Hawk football
Milz toted the ball 19 times for 229 yards and two scores and also caught one pass for seven yards and another score and hauled in two conversion passes for the Warriors.

Evan Payne, Sr., QB/DB, Seneca/Wauzeka–Steuben football
Payne competed 4 of 7 passes for 50 yards and two TDs, and led all rushers with 159 yards on 12 carries, including a 74-yard TD run, in a 27–14 win over Ithaca last Friday night.

Aliyah Ruhland, Sr., MH, Richland Center volleyball
Rutland was instrumental for the Hornets in recent wins over Prairie du Chien last Thursday and Dodgeville on Tuesday. Ruhland led the Hornets with 16 kills and two blocks in a 24–26, 25–19, 26–24, 25–20 win over the Dodgers Tuesday night. Ruhland accounted for 15 kills and four aces in last Thursday's 19–25, 23–25, 25–16, 25–21, 15–10.