ICCAC Athlete of the Week Honors for Seven Tritons
Kaden King – Iowa Central – Sophomore – 165 lbs
Iowa Central's Kaden King came out on top at the North Central District Championship this past weekend. Competing at 165 lbs, King entered his bracket as the No. 2 seed and easily pinned his first opponent in the quarterfinals to begin his run. Then King had a tough match, winning in overtime on a near-fall. The opponent wasn't any easier in the final as King faced the No. 1-seeded Mohamed Tarek Abdelhady. It was a hard-fought match, but King was able to earn a takedown in the third period that proved decisive in a 4-1 decision win to claim the top spot at 165 lbs and qualify for the national tournament.
Destiny Krum – Iowa Central – Freshman - 138 lbs
Destiny Krum cruised through the 138 lbs weight class at the Region 11 Championship. To open the tournament, Krum didn't take long to demonstrate her strength and skill, earning a fall within 40 seconds. In the semifinals, it took over a minute, but Krum was able to pin her second opponent as well to advance and have a chance to win her weight class in the region. Krum did not earn the pin in the final, but she did win with a 10-0 technical fall over the top-seeded Evelyn Phillips of Southeastern. It was a clean sweep as Krum will now look forward to competing at the National Invite.
Haydn Stockdale – Iowa Central – Sophomore – Shot Put, Weight Throw
This past weekend, Haydn Stockdale competed in the Ichabod Invitational, throwing in both the weight throw and shot put. In the weight throw, Stockdale continued his dominance with a meet-winning throw of 19.34 meters to set a new personal best and extend his lead in the NJCAA this season. The throw is second-best in Iowa Central school history and currently leads the NJCAA by a commanding 1.2 meters. Stockdale also competed in the shot put and placed ninth with a throw of 15.85 meters.
Said Rifi Loutfi – Iowa Central – Sophomore – Mile
Iowa Central dominated the mile run at the Ichabod Invitational, with all three of the top three, and Said Rifi Loutfi claimed the top spot. Loutfi set a new personal-best time of 4:03.31 to reach the top of the NJCAA leaderboard this season. His time at the Ichabod Invitational gives him the second-best time in Iowa Central school history and the third-best time in NJCAA history. Loutfi improved his mile time by a full second, with his previous best being 4:04.47.
Chadrak Belinda Bula Bula – Iowa Central – Sophomore – 600 Yards
Chadrak Belinda Bula Bula competed at the Ichabod Invitational this past week and claimed one first-place finish and another top-three finish. Her top event was the 600 yards, where she won by nearly three full seconds with a time of 1:21.78. Converted for the 600 meters, it is the second-best time in the NJCAA this season. Bula Bula then placed third in the 400 meters with a personal-best time of 55.19, the fourth-best time in the NJCAA this season. The 600-yard run was an Iowa Central school record, and the 400 meters is second in school history.
Sawyer Stein – Iowa Central – Sophomore – First Base
No. 8 Iowa Central first baseman Sawyer Stein's hitting prowess was on full display this week as he totaled eight hits, two doubles, a triple and a home run while the Tritons took the weekend series over Sauk Valley. In the second game of the series, Stein delivered three hits, including a homer, while the Tritons cruised to a 16-2 series-clinching victory. Stein is looking to build off his impressive 2025 campaign where he hit .350 with nine home runs while slugging .613. The Tritons will take on Southwestern before facing Black Hawk College in another weekend series.
Carter Giesen – Iowa Central – Sophomore – Starting Pitcher
No. 8 Iowa Central starting pitcher Carter Giesen followed up his impressive outing from last week with another stellar performance. Giesen opened the weekend series against Sauk Valley with five dominant innings, two hits, eight strikeouts and zero earned runs. Giesen has yet to give up a run this season and is already up to 18 strikeouts while walking just three. He's already improving upon his 2025 campaign where he finished with a 5.26 ERA, 11.65 K/9 and a 1.45 WHIP.
*Article coutesy of ICCAC.