SPRINGFIELD — The high school sports calendar continues to heat up. Some of the best athletes in the Springfield area are working towards peak fitness.
It's now time to vote for the News-Leader's athlete of the week for Aug. 31-Sept. 5. Voting closes at noon on Friday. Here are the nominees.
If there is a player from the area who has made an impact, send nominees with stats to Liam Keating at lkeating@usatodayco.com or on X at @liamkeating7.
Rylee Allred, Ash Grove golf
The three-time state championship winner has started her senior season off on the right foot. Ash Grove’s Rylee Allred took the West Plains Tournament title with a round of 75 on Monday, Aug. 31. Allred is attempting to become the first player in state history to win four straight state titles.
Gavin Blaine, Kickapoo cross country
The senior distance
runner finished second in the SWCCCA Richard Clark Invitational at Bolivar Municipal Golf Course on Saturday, Sept. 5. Blaine finished with a time of 15:32, just behind El Dorado Spring’s Wyatt Klaiber by five seconds. Last season, Blaine took 12th place at state cross country.
Peyton Brandt, Monett volleyball
The senior eclipsed 1,000 career kills in Monett’s win over Crane on Monday, Aug. 31. Brandt is the first player in school history to record this mark. She also helped the Cubs secure a win over Parkview later in the week.
Nolan Lashley, Republic football
Republic’s running back scored four touchdowns in the first half of last week’s game. Lashley showcased his strength running through defenders while also utilizing his speed. Lashley helped the Tigers win 54-10 over Kickapoo on Friday, Sept. 4.
Caden O’Donnell, Ozark football
The quarterback led Ozark to a 48-12 win over Willard for the team’s first victory of the season. O’Donnell threw two touchdowns, including a 46-yard touchdown pass to Westin Samson. The pass came on a broken play, where O’Donnell threw a ball into the end zone, and Samson rose above the Willard defense for the score.
Previous fall athlete of the week winners
Aug. 24-29: Alivia Arauz, Willard
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Missouri State athletics for The Springfield News-Leader. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Vote for Springfield area's Athlete of the Week for Aug. 31-Sept. 5
