SUPPZ.COM SWNEWS4U ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Southwestern/Cuba City/Benton's Noah Wood

Junior wins boys individual SWAL cross country title

Noah Wood set the pace in the conference meet, running a 16:59.7 to place first with seven seconds separating himself and Fennimore’s Isaac Henkel (2nd, 17:06.8). (photo by Erin Reddy Wolff)

Noah Wood set the pace in the conference meet, running a 16:59.7 to place first with seven seconds separating himself and Fennimore’s Isaac Henkel (2nd, 17:06.8). (photo by Erin Reddy Wolff)

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

Noah Wood, Jr., Southwestern/Cuba City/Benton boys cross country
LIVINGSTON — Southwestern/Cuba City/Benton Noah Wood headlines this week's SWNews4U Athletes of the Week list after claiming the individual boys' SWAL title at last Wednesday's SWAL Championships at Iowa–Grant High School.

Wood did what he’s done good at all season long, be one of the fastest on the course. He clocked a sub-17-minute 5,000-meter run (16:59.7) for the fifth time this season to beat the entire field of 84 runners to the finish line including fellow junior standouts Isaac Henkel (17:06.8) of Fennimore and Bret Connolly (17:14.7) at Iowa–Grant.

Junior Andy Atten, who ran a 19:48.4 to finish ninth on the day, also finished the top-15 to join Wood on the All-SWAL team to help the Wildcats (120) finish fifth behind Fennimore (27), Boscobel (83), Iowa–Grant (91) and Albany (110).

Wood and the Wildcats will return to action Friday at the WIAA Division 3 Poynette Sectional. The top two teams, and top five individuals not on a qualifying team, will advance to next Saturday's WIAA State Championships in Wisconsin Rapids.

HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Layne Aurit, Jr., Dodgeville/Mineral Point boys cross country
Aurit won the boys' individual title at last Thursday's SWC Championships at Dodgeville with a time of 17:11.7, more than 20 seconds faster than runner-up Ryan Stadler of Richland Center/Ithaca to lead the Dodgers (27) to the team title over Richland Center/Ithaca (32).

Adalee Berget, So., Darlington girls cross country
Berget won the girls individual title at last Wednesday's SWAL Cross Country Championships at Iowa–Grant with a winning-time of 19:26.8 to beat runner-up Nora Jillson of Boscobel (19:30.8) by four seconds. Berget's victory helped the Redbirds (38) win the girls conference title ahead of Jillson's Bulldogs (62) and Fennimore (80).

Liam Elton, Sr., North Crawford boys cross country
Elton curised to a seven-second victory to win the boys individual title at last week's Ridge and Valley Conference Championship meet at Prairie du Chien with a winning-time of 18:37.7.

Ella McKinley, Sr., Setter, Cuba City volleyball
McKinley surpassed the 2,000 career assist mark with 25 assists in the second-place Cubans' (25–3, 11–1 SWAL) sweep of Fennimore last Thursday night.

Braycee Nelson, Sr., Setter, Fennimore volleyball
Nelson was honored prior to last Tuesday’s SWAL match over Riverdale for surpassing 1,500 career assists. Nelson, who has been the Eagles’ setter since midway through her freshman year during the COVID alternate spring season in 2020, surpassed the career milestone Sept. 30 in a match at the Belmont Tournament. Following, last week’s pregame recognition, Nelson went out and had one of her finest matches of the year with 30 assists, 12 digs and three kills in a 25–12, 25–19, 25–16 sweep of the visiting Chieftains.

Leah Patterson, Fr., River Ridge girls cross country
Finishing 17 seconds ahead of her closest competitor, River Ridge freshman Leah Patterson claimed the individual girls title at last Thursday’s Ridge & Valley Cross Country Championship Meet held at Wisconsin Badger Camp near Patch Grove. Patterson ran the 5,000-meter course in a time of 21:34.2, with North Crawford junior Agnes Carstens finishing second at 21:51.8. With her first-place finish, Patterson also earned first-team all-conference honors.

Ellie Robinson, Jr., Dodgeville/Mineral Point girls cross country
Robinson won the girls' individual championship at last week's SWC Championships with a time of 19:17.8 to lead the Lady Dodgers (23) to the team title over Lancaster (52).

Tyler Sasse, So., RB/DB, Platteville football
Sasse scored the first touchdown at the new $9 million Platteville Activities Complex on a 51-yard touchdown last Friday night, and finished the game with a career-high 196 yards and 3 TDs on 13 carries in the 45–0 rout. The Division 4 #5-ranked Hillmen (8–1, 6–0 SWC) clinched the outright SWC title for the first time since 2004 with the win.