Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Below are the nominees for the Army National Guard Athlete of the Week for the week of January 2nd through the 8th.  Voting is below and will be open until Thursday at 4:00pm with the winner announced Friday morning.

Ashley Bartow, Verona girls basketball -- The Wildcats entered last week with two losses in the Big Eight Conference and couldn't afford any more or risk falling out of the league title picture. On Thursday Verona faced off with co-leader Janesville Parker in game they desperately needed to win. Bartow, who has committed to Drake University, made sure the Wildcats would stay in the title hunt, pouring in 18 points as Verona claimed a 38-33 win. On Saturday she added 19 points as the Wildcats easily won over Madison East, 42-16.

Chad Kanugh, Franklin boys basketball -- The Sabers are just 6-5 overall, but sit atop the Southeast Conference standings with a perfect 5-0 mark in league play. That included a pair of conference wins last week. On Tuesday Franklin went on the road and claimed a 69-57 wictory over Muskego, with Kanugh scoring 12 points. The Sabers returned home Friday night for a tilt with Racine Park, who had also been unbeaten in conference play and ranked #9 in the WisSports.net Division 1 Coaches Poll. Kanugh, a 6-5 sophomore forward, scored a career-high 30 points as Franklin won a hard-fought 66-63 battle.
Theresa Knutson, Onalaska co-op girls hockey -- The Hilltoppers are 13-2 this season and ranked #1 in the latest WisSports.net/WGHCA Coaches Poll, and Knutson has been a huge reason for that success. In just 15 games this season, the sophomore forward has 39 goals and 20 assists. In a pair of wins last week, Knutson totaled 7 goals and 1 assist as the Hilltoppers took down the Stoughton co-op and the Badger co-op.

Nate Lassila, Roncalli boys basketball -- Roncalli had just one game last week, but it was a big one as the Jets took on rival Brillion. Roncalli had played a very difficult schedule even prior to Thursday's contest against D3's 6th-ranked Lions and had lost its last two games. 3-6 overall and 3-3 in league play entering the contest, Roncalli needed a win in the worst way to get back on track. As is often the case between these two quality programs, the game was close...so close in fact that it required not one, not two, but three overtimes to decide the winner. Lassila came up huge all game, scoring 34 points (including 9 of 10 from the free-throw line) to help the Jets to a 79-76 triple overtime victory. The 6-1 junior guard also connected on a trio of three-point baskets.

Steven Phillips, Notre Dame boys hockey -- The Tritons have been on top of the WisSports.net Power Rankings all season, and that certainly won't change after Notre Dame captured the title at the Marquette (MI) Holiday Classic Tournament. The team scored wins over a pair of Michigan teams: 6-3 over Grosse Point and 3-0 over Howell. Phillips poured in three goals and an assist in the first game and added another assist in the second victory.