EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
Gretta Grassel, Fr., P, Boscobel softball
Boscobel's Gretta Grassel is the definition of freshman phenom. The Bulldogs' ace pitcher tossed a perfect game in just her fifth varsity start, striking out 16 batters to lead Boscobel to a 4–0 victory over Cuba City Monday afternoon in a battle for first place in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League. Grassel also went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored to aid her own effort and needed just 69 pitches (58 of them strikes) to record 21 outs against the second-place Cubans (5–4, 5–1 SWAL).
Grassel burst upon the scene with a 20-strikeout no-hitter in a 9–0 victory over Riverdale in the Bulldogs' April 27 season-opener. Not bad for a varsity debut. Only a walk and her own throwing error prevented Grassel, from a perfect game in her first high school outing.
Grassel pitched a 13-strike out, 1-hit shutout in a 10–0 victory over Southwestern in game one of a SWAL doubleheader last Thursday. She also struck out 16 Golden Eagles in an 8–0 one-hit shutout over Fennimore last Tuesday. The budding super star allowed her only run of the season in a 10–1 victory over Mineral Point on April 29. She struck out 19 in the game, also a one-hitter.
In five starts so far this year, Grassel is 5–0 with 84 strikeouts, seven walks, three hits allowed and one earned run in 34 innings for a stunning 0.21 ERA. She is also batting .500 (11-for-22) with a triple, seven RBI and 11 runs scored as the team's number three batter, helping the Bulldogs to a 7–1 record and a perfect 6–0 mark in SWAL play.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order)
Dominic Hoerner and Mason Reese, Cuba City baseball
The Cubans’ pitching duo of Dominic Hoerner and Mason Reese combined to toss a no-hitter in an 8–0 non-conference victory over the Highland Cardinals. Hoerner worked the first five innings with five strikeouts and two walks to pick up the win, while Reese worked the final two hitless innings with two Ks and no walks and also drove in two runs to aid the victory. Hoerner earned another victory on the mound and helped his own cause by going 2-for-2 with two runs scored in a 4–1 win over Shullsburg-Benton. Reese picked up the save in that game. Reese also went 3-for-4 with two doubles, six RBI and two runs in a 16–3 win over Boscobel, and he was 4-for-5 with three RBI and a run in a 16–11 loss to Mineral Point.
Anna Kartman, Sr., Cassville/Potosi girls track and field
The Cassville senior won the girls' 100-meter dash (13.65) and triple jump (30'5.5") and placed second in the long jump (14'8") to lead the Comets to a third-place team finish at last Friday's River Ridge Timberwolves Invitational. She then placed second in the 100 (14.2 second), fourth in the triple jump (31'10") and seventh in the long jump (14'2.5") at Monday's 14-team Fennimore Invitational.
Delanee Klaas, Jr., Fennimore girls track and field
Junior Delanee Klass broke a meet record in the 100 hurdles with a winning time of 16.54 seconds and won the 300 hurdles (51.16) and place third in the long jump (14'6"), to help the Fennimore girls win the team title with 186.5 points at last Friday's nine-team River Ridge Timberwolves Invitational. Klaas also teamed with senior Brynlee Nelson and Lauryn Bunn, and freshman Braycee Nelson to win the girls’ 4x400 relay with a new meet record time of 4:18.95 on her home track at Monday's 14-team Fennimore Invitational. Klaas also won the 100 hurdles (17.08) and 300 hurdles (49.55) Monday on her home track.
Brynlee Nelson, Sr., Fennimore girls track and field
Nelson set a new meet records in the 400 meters with a winning-time of 1:00.9 and the long jump with a winning leap of 16'6.5" at last Friday's River Ridge Timberwolves Invitational. She also won the 800 (2:27.98) and the high jump (5'0") and scored 40 teams points to help the Fennimore girls rack up 186.5 points to win the girls' team title at the nine-team meet. Nelson then teamed with classmate Lauryn Bunn, junior Klaas and freshman sister Braycee Nelson to win the girls’ 4x400 relay with a new meet record time of 4:18.95 on her home track at Monday's 14-team Fennimore Invitational. She also won the 400 (58.89), long jump (16’9”) and triple jump (34’3.5”) to help the Lady Eagles finish second in the team standings behind Monroe (106.83–96.33).
Preston Steiner, So., P/OF, and Owen Vogelsberg, Sr. 2B, Potosi/Cassville baseball
Steiner launched a clutch two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to help the Chieftains defeat visiting Southwestern 7–6 in a non-conference game at PHS last Thursday afternoon. Vogelsberg smacked a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to give P/C a 5–4 lead. Steiner also started the game on the mound and struck out seven Wildcats in three innings of work. He received a no decision.
Anthony Vivian, Sr., C/P, Dodgeville baseball
Vivian homered and drove in three in a 16–2 SWC win at Platteville last Tuesday, then went 3-for-6 with a homer and five RBI in the undefeated Dodgers' 30–1 win at Lancaster last Friday. He opened this week with another homer and two RBI in Monday's 8–1 non-conference victory over Fennimore. Vivian is batting a team-best .609 with three doubles, four homers, 18 RBIs, 13 runs scored and has 10 walks for a .727 on-base percentage.
Malia Weber, So., P, Potosi/Cassville softball
Weber struck out seven and allowed just one unearned run on two hits to lead the Potosi Cassville co-op to an 8–1 victory over Benton Shullsburg last Tuesday afternoon. The Chieftains (5–1) then erupted for 10 hits and Weber tossed a five-inning, one-hit shutout in a 13–0 Six Rivers Conference win over Monticello last Thursday. Monday, Weber and the Chieftains improved to 5–1 on the season with a 13–1 five-inning victor over River Ridge.
