Area’s best prep athletes celebrated at awards show
Inaugural event recognizes top preps
On a night when the best athletes from southeast Wisconsin were honored, Kenosha St. Joseph’s Sidney Cooks and Oconomowoc’s Zach Clayton were the best of the best.
The two seniors capped the inaugural Journal Sentinel Sports Awards on Wednesday night by winning the Girls and Boys Athlete of the Year awards. The honors topped off a red carpet event at the Pabst Theater that drew area standouts from each WIAA-sponsored sport.
The event also recognized athletes who have worked to get younger people in their communities active in sports or whose participation showed a value of high school sports that went beyond wins and losses.
Catholic Memorial’s Morgan Rymer won the I AM SPORT Award, presented by Nike, an honor that recognizes an athlete who has been committed to getting kids active in the community. The senior dedicates her Saturday mornings to teaching children with special cognitive and/or physical needs to play soccer.
Kenosha Tremper junior Haley Johnson received the Aurora Health Care Comeback Award, which honors an individual who overcame injury or illness to return to the field and make a positive impact on his or her team.
Johnson, a UW-Milwaukee soccer recruit, sustained fractures in her leg last season that kept her out until the tournament, when her play at sweeper helped the Trojans almost win the sectional final. Then in January, a tumor was found in her chest that caused her to have shortness of breath. The tumor was benign and two months later Johnson opened the season on the field.
Milwaukee Juneau/Reagan senior Marcell Dinsmore received the Courage Award. Dinsmore doesn’t have fully developed hands, but that didn’t
deter him from becoming a two-year starter and captain of the Pioneers basketball team.
A player of the year for each WIAA sport was awarded, with the winners selected by Journal Sentinel staff and correspondents.
Cooks, a Michigan State recruit, averaged 27.6 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game and was the co-winner of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association’s Miss Basketball award. She also made history by becoming just the third girl from the state to be named a McDonald’s AllAmerican.
Clayton was an impact player in the fall, winter and spring. As a receiver, he ranked second in the state in catches and yards. As an infielder who earned a scholarship to Oregon State, he hit .422 last season and was third-team all-state in spring baseball. And in basketball, he averaged 19.8 points per game and was a first-team all-conference pick in the Wisconsin Little Ten.
Here is a list of all the award winners and finalists.
FALL Boys cross country: Winner Drew Bosley, Homestead. Other finalists - Luke Guttormson, West Bend West; Brian Jacques, Oconomowoc; Jordan Janusiak, South Milwaukee; Thomas Miller, Homestead; Cole Sandvold, Arrowhead; Corey Thornton, Milwaukee King. Girls cross country: Winner Meghan Scott, DSHA. Other finalists - Grace Dargiewicz, Waukesha South; Cami Davre, Whitefish Bay; Audrey Janik, Wisconsin Lutheran; Kate Jochims, Muskego; Leah Neustedter, Brookfield Central; Libby Whelan, DSHA. Football: Winner - Sam Santiago-Lloyd, Brookfield East. Other finalists - Tyler Beach, Port Washington; Jaylen Campbell, Catholic Memorial; Matt Henningsen, Menomonee Falls; Peter MacCudden, Waukesha West. Girls golf: Winner - Emily Lauterbach, Arrowhead. Other finalists - Sarah Busey, Racine St. Catherine’s; Abby Cavaiani, Kettle Moraine; Speedy Kent, Homestead; Ashley Kulka, Beaver Dam. Boys soccer: Winner - Ben Leas, Marquette. Other finalists - Nick Anguil-Andriacchi, Whitefish Bay; Nick Cheung, Marquette; Elian Haddock, Whitefish Bay; Zak Wegner, Arrowhead. Girls swimming: Winner Autumn Haebig, Grafton. Other finalists - Abby Cabush, Arrowhead; Mallory Fox, Grafton; Lillie Hosack, Cedarburg; Lauren Stigler, Muskego. Girls tennis: Winner - Claire Czerwonka, Kenosha St. Joseph. Other finalists - Emma Corwin, Brookfield East; Annabelle Crowley and Elise Gerard, Nicolet; Andie Weise, Homestead; Logan White, DSHA. Boys volleyball: Winner Aaron Plaisted, Wauwatosa East. Other finalists - Zach Engsberg, Catholic Memorial; Liam Schroeder, Marquette; Travis Wagner, Kenosha Tremper; Nick Watry, Brookfield East. Girls volleyball: Winner Maddy Rondeau, Catholic Memorial. Other finalists - Lexi Alden, Catholic Memorial; Brooke Andersen, Lake Country Lutheran; Mia Grunze, Waterford; Miranda Wucherer, Brookfield Central. WINTER Boys basketball: Winner - Terrence Lewis, Milwaukee Riverside. Other finalists Trevell Cunningham, Arrowhead; John Diener, Cedarburg; Tyler Herro, Whitnall; Koreem Ozier, Racine Case. Girls basketball: Winner Sidney Cooks, Kenosha St. Joseph. Other finalists - Sydnee Roby, Milwaukee King; MacKenzie Schill, Pewaukee; Kenzie Schmitz, Germantown; Shemera Williams, Milwaukee Academy of Science. Gymnastics: Winner - Samantha Weyker, Kenosha Combined (Bradford). Other finalists - Caitlin Locante, Brookfield Central; Molly O’Boyle, Kenosha Combined (Tremper); Lexi Romero, Brookfield Central; Aly Yurkowitz, Whitefish Bay. Boys hockey: Winner - Ian Malcolmson, Waukesha. Other finalists - Dylan Cox, Arrowhead; Nick Epperson, University School; Peter Genatempo, Arrowhead; Eric Sinson, Brookfield East/Central; Elijah Tormala, Arrowhead. Girls hockey: Winner - Alyssa Heim, Beaver Dam. Other finalists - Hannah Gold, University School; Mary Kremer, Arrowhead; Gaby Turer, University School. Boys swimming: Winner Danny Larson, Wauwatosa. Other finalists - John Acevedo, Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial; Ryan Linnahan, Brookfield Central/East; Sean O’Connor, Grafton; Brandon Spencer, Kenosha Tremper. Wrestling: Winner - Jacob Raschka, Pewaukee. Other finalists - Aric Bohn, Mukwonago; Peyton Mocco, West Allis Hale; Keegan O’Toole, Arrowhead; Benji Peak, Elkhorn. SPRING/SUMMER Baseball: Winner - Jeff Holtz, Arrowhead. Other finalists Alex Binelas, Oak Creek; Nathan Burns, West Bend West; Ryan Hoerter, Kenosha Indian Trail; Jacob Lindemann, Burlington. Boys golf: Winner - Harrison Ott, Marquette. Other finalists Andrew Clement, Pewaukee; Bennett Knapek, Arrowhead; Robbie Morway, Homestead; Alex Yost, Arrowhead. Boys tennis: Winner - Robert Krill, Brookfield East. Other finalists - Noah Guillermo, Marquette; Ethan MardanusBudiono, Marquette; Juan Perez, Racine Prairie; Caleb Schifano, Marquette. Softball: Winner - Alyssa Hrncar, Westosha Central. Other finalists - Ellee Jensen, Watertown; Ciera Jones, Menomonee Falls; Amanda Parsons, Grafton; Cheyenne Sowinski, New Berlin West. Girls soccer: Winner - MacKenzie Schill, Pewaukee. Other finalists - Megan Crevoiserat, DSHA; Hannah Compernolle, Racine Prairie; Brandi Thomsen, Brookfield Central; Brigid West, Homestead. Boys track and field: Winner – David Dunlap, Nicolet. Other finalists - Armani Carmickle, Kenosha Indian Trail; Zach Dybul, Mukwonago; Shon Pratcher Jr., Germantown; Ben Psichulis, Kettle Moraine. Girls track and field: Winner Cami Davre, Whitefish Bay. Other finalists - Brooke Blazei, Greendale Martin Luther; Makayla Jackson, Milwaukee King; Audrey Janik, Wisconsin Lutheran; Ja’Cey Simmons, Milwaukee Lutheran. Female athlete of the year: Winner - Sidney Cooks, Kenosha St. Joseph. Other finalists – Cami Davre, Whitefish Bay; Autumn Haebig, Grafton; Maddy Rondeau, Catholic Memorial; MacKenzie Schill, Pewaukee. Male athlete of the year: Winner – Zach Clayton, Oconomowoc. Other finalists – Ben Leas, Marquette; Terrence Lewis, Milwaukee Riverside; Jacob Raschka, Pewaukee; Sam Santiago-Lloyd, Brookfield East. I AM SPORT AWARD: Winner Morgan Rymer, Catholic Memorial. Other finalists – Jack Ryan Morrissey, Marquette; Tyler Evans, Slinger. Coach of the year: Winner – Branden Joseph, Destiny boys basketball. Other finalists - Raja Aylsworth Waukesha hockey; Louis Brown, Franklin football; Steve Lawrence, Marquette boys soccer; Bob Maronde, Cudahy girls basketball.