The nominations for male and female athlete of the month run the gamut in age, sport and level of competition. Click here to cast your vote. Voting ends Tuesday, May 6.
From dead-eye pitchers to those breaking school records in track and field, picking the most deserving may leave voters scratching their heads.
Kade Nilges may have an advantage in the competition considering multiple Crest baseball fans requested his nomination midway through April. In a series of early season games Nilges shined on the mound and in the batter’s box with a slew of strikeouts and home runs. As the season progressed, and the competition stiffened, Nilges continued punishing opponents with the strikeouts and homers.
Though just a freshman, that hasn’t stopped Humboldt’s Connor Newman from demolishing the competition. The area’s elite golfers quickly became acquainted with Newman, who has picked up four tournament titles so far. He recently fell in an entertaining duel for first and second place with three-time state qualifier Iola junior Brennen Coffield at the Wellsville Invitational, which could be the beginning of a great rivalry.
Marmaton Valley junior outfielder/track and field athlete Todd Stevenson had plenty of success in April. When not getting the Wildcats above .500 with timely power hitting, Stevenson also shined in a variety of field events, most recently at the Marv Smith Invitational at Riverside Park. He took first in the triple jump, second in the 100-meter dash and second in the long jump. Only days earlier at Jayhawk-Linn, he finished ninth in the 100, fourth in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump.
As for the women’s nominees, Haidyn Desmarteau may be the youngest yet to be nominated. The Iola Middle School track and field athlete broke multiple records at the Terry Lower Invitational in mid-April. An eighth-grader, Desmarteau racked up four gold medals, winning the 100- and 200-meter dashes, the long jump and anchoring Iola’s 4×100-meter relay team to victory alongside teammates Kinzley Fountain, Camryn Wille and Hannah Thompson.
Yates Center’s Cayten Cummings is helping keep its softball program alive and well as it looks to establish its place in the Three Rivers Conference. Cummings, a sophomore, continues providing a 1-2 punch with senior pitcher Avery Eakin not only on the mound, but in the batter’s box as well. She wrapped up April with multiple home runs over a span of two games, including a home run in the finale of a doubleheader against Neodesha that kick-started a 16-run barrage to take the game.
Mahalie Genoble, a junior at Iola High School, has become a star hurdler. After missing out on state in 2024, Genoble continued finishing near the head of the pack in the 300-meter hurdles. She opened the season at third place at the Paola Invitational with a time of 49.9 seconds and medaled at each subsequent meet until recently taking first at the Marv Smith Invitational at Riverside Park with a time of 50.21.
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