NOTE: Each week, the swews4u.com sports editors; A.J. Gates (Grant County Herald Independent), Jason Nihles (Platteville Journal), Tom "Gunner" Gunnell (Republican Journal) and Erik Olson (The Richland Observer) will combine to nominate or "Prep Performers of the Week" in volleyball, cross country, boys soccer, girls swimming and girls golf. If you don't agree with our rankings or you feel we missed a standout performance, feel free to post a comment and plead your case.
WEEK 3 PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK (Aug. 31 – Sept. 5) -
VOLLEYBALL
Kelley Lynch (Richland Center, sr.) - the Hornets' senior outside hitter, produced 19 kills in the Hornets' five-set win over Lancaster last Thursday in a battle of the defending SWC champions. An All-SWC selection last year, Lynch isn't the tallest hitter in the league, but she overcomes it with her jumping ability and timing to be the Hornets' most consistent offensive threat. Lynch then played a key role as Richland Center won five straight matches on Saturday to reach the championship game of the McFarland Invitational. The Hornets were defeated two-games-to-one in he final. It was their second tournament runner-up finish this year.
Tiffany Junk (Cassville, jr.) – who plays middle hitter despite standing just 5-feet, 6-inches tall, but she amassed 18 kills, four blocks, four ace serves and eight assists in a 3-1 victory over Benton last Tuesday night. The following Thursday, Junk led the Comets to a 3-2 win over Shullsburg with 10 kills, 10 blocks, 19 assists and three ace serves. Junk and the Comets opened the Six Rivers West conference season 2-0 for the first time in more than a decade.
Julia Lawinger (Platteville, jr.) – One week after being knocked out of the season-opening West Salem Invitational with a badly sprained thumb Lawinger, a first-team all-Southwest Wisconsin Conference selection in 2010 rejoined the line-up with a 9-kill effort in Platteville’s sweep of Dodgeville last Thursday night. The athlete junior then piled up 43 kills, 8 blocks as her Hillmen finished finished fourth at the nine-team McFarland Invite on Saturday.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
Tyson Miehe (Darlington, so.) - set a new course record while winning the boys' individual title at the Darlington Invitational on Saturday. His time of 16:18 shattered the old record by 14 seconds. Behind Miehe's performance, the Redbirds also won the boys' team title over a Division 1 Waukesha North team and a Division 2 Dodgeville/Mineral Point squad.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Hannah Owens (Dogeville/Mineral Point, fr.) - won the girls' race at the Darlington Invitational in 15:32 to lead the Dodge-Pointers to the girls' team title for the 12th year in a row at the meet.
Brooke Elliott (Lancaster, fr.) - The Lancaster freshman placed 24th at Saturday's Darlington Invite with a time of 17:51 in her first high school meet. Elliott helped the Lady Arrows finish eighth at the 17-team event.
BOYS SOCCER
Peshoua Xiong (Platteville, jr.) – scored two goals and assisted on three others to help the Hillmen win a pair of Southwest Wisconsin Conference matches last week. In Tuesday’s 4-1 victory at Richland Center Xiong broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the 43rd minute, then assisted on back-to-back goals in the next four minutes to help Platteville/Lancaster build a 3-0 advantage. In Thursday’s 6-1 win over visiting Prairie du Chien Xiong assisted on a Julian LaBudda goal in the first half then added an insurance goal in the 60th minute when he converted a penalty kick.
GIRLS SWIMMING
Sarah Loring (Platteville, jr.) – swam the lead off leg of Platteville/Lancaster’s 200-meter butterfly relay that finished a team-best third (1:58.22) at last Thursday’s Southern Lakes Conference Relays. Loring also swam a leg of the fourth-place Hillmen 200 medley relay, which placed fourth (2:03.50) and was the anchor for Platteville/Lancaster’s fifth-place 400 freestyle relay (4:10.74). Loring and the Hillmen scored 163 team points and finished fifth out of eight teams.
GIRLS GOLF
Naomi Black, Kayla Paquette and Nikki Zimmerman (Darlington/Cuba City) - all three senior Redbirds carded 47s on their home Darlington Country Club course to share medalist honors in a dual meet victory over Mt. Horeb.
