Here are this week’s candidates for Prime Time Performer.
You can vote once every 12 hours until the polls close on Friday at 5 p.m.
The winner will receive a $20 gift card to Mariah’s Restaurant.
Payton Long (Williamsville softball) Last week started out with a few regional championships and the Bullets’ pitcher Payton Long came out with a bang. Long struck out 12 North Mac batters, giving up just one walk and no hits to power Williamsville to the 2A Auburn regional championship crown. In the sectional semifinal, Long struck out 17 of the 21 Dupo outs in seven innings. That’s a no-hitter and a 17 strikeout game in the same week…incredible.
Reagan Miles (Rochester softball) The Lady Rockets won a regional championship. Seems like we hear that just about every year in every sport out at Rochester. The softball team added to the plaque collection on Saturday with a win over Clinton. After giving up three runs in the first inning, all unearned, pitcher Reagan Miles settled in and didn’t give up another run while her team scored eleven unanswered runs. Miles struck out five Maroons and got her 16th win of the season.
Taylor Parriott (Glenwood soccer) The Titans advanced to the sectional title game last week thanks to one goal in the semifinal against Waterloo. Their defense stood tough again, not giving up a single goal in postseason play. They needed a goal to advance and finally got it from their senior forward Taylor Parriott. The UIS bound Parriott refused to give up on the play and found herself in the right spot to bury the game winner.
Cameron Witts (Williamsville track) We had just one athlete in our coverage area return home from the boys state track meet with a state title. Sophomore Cameron Witts from Williamsville won the 1A pole vault title, clearing 14 feet nine inches in Charleston last weekend. We can’t wait to see Witts soar to new heights over the next two years.
Tony Rolfe (Glenwood track) The Glenwood boys track team scored 20 points at the 3A meet and guess who earned all those points for the Titans? Senior Tony Rolfe, at his last track meet in high school put on a show. Rolfe finished third in the long jump (23’1.25”) and the triple jump (48’4.75”) and then finished fourth in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.78. An incredible career for Rolfe wrapped up with a successful weekend at state.
Austin Chapman (SHG baseball) Having an ace as dominant as Austin Chapman is quite the luxury for any baseball team. The Cyclones took down the Rockets for the first time in three chances this season thanks to Chappy taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning in the regional championship against Rochester.
Josh Cable (Rochester track) Every time we’ve been out to a track meet this season with Rochester involved, the races that are must see included Josh Cable. The junior middle distance runner concluded his season with a third place finish at the 2A state tournament in the 800 meter run. Cable crossed the line at 1:55.58, less than two seconds behind the state champion.
Kahlil Wassell (New Berlin track) His career as a Pretzel has come to a close, but the residents in and around New Berlin will never forget the accomplishments of the Harvard bound Kahlil Wassell and what he did on the track in Charleston. His last day at the blue oval concluded with three second place finishes in his individual events and a sixth place finish in the 4×100 meter relay. Wassell finished second in the 100 (10.93), second in the 200 (22.15) and second in the 400 (49.43) on his last day in a Pretzel uniform.
Cole Hembrough (Glenwood baseball) It was really hard to keep Reid Detmers off the list this week considering he struck out 19 batters in Glenwood’s regional championship victory on Saturday, but that stellar pitching performance would’ve been all for not if the Titans wouldn’t have scored. Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, Glenwood hadn’t scored yet against Austin Newton until Hembrough stepped into the box with one out. Hembrough hit a walk-off dinger to send the Titans into the sectional, which they get to play at home.
Faith Washko (SHG soccer) This late in the season, it’s hard to find freshman that make the cut for the Prime Time Performer list because of the pressure of the postseason. Usually it’s upperclassmen that step in the big spots and catch our eye. SHG soccer has one of those special freshman that’s an exception to that rule. Faith Washko scored two goals against Mahomet-Seymour in the sectional semifinal and then netted two of the Cyclones’ three goals against Normal West. Her nack for finding the net has been uncanny lately.
Carolyn Franke (Glenwood softball) The Glenwood Titans earned a spot in their own sectional this week thanks to a 7-3 win over Rantoul to win a regional softball title. A four run third inning powered the offense to the win and the big blow came off the bat of Carolyn Franke, who has a .500 average this season with 36 RBIs. Franke blasted a two run double in the third inning to break the game open and send the Titans back home with a regional title.
