West Athlete of the Year challenge

Congratulations to Tom Welch on being named our Athlete of the Year! Tom will be featured in print and online, receive a commemorative plaque, and their school will receive $1,000, presented by COUNTRY Financial.

This program is governed by these rules. Results are considered preliminary and are not final until winners are announced at the end of the voting period.

Looking for your school? Find the correct zone.

More: Official rules | Athlete of the Month: FAQ | Questions? Concerns?

Name: Trevor Chumbley.

Year in school: Senior.

School: Marmion.

Sport: Wrestling.

Position: 145 pounds.

Season stats: A Northwestern recruit, Chumbley followed up his individual state title with a win by decision in the team sectional as the Cadets advanced to the Elite Eight in the team competition for the seventh straight season with a 27-26 win over Mount Carmel. His record stood at 42-2.

Best effort: Chumbley squeaked out a 2-1 overtime decision against Montini's Fidel Mayora to win the Class 3A individual title at 145 pounds. He had beaten Mayora in close title matches at conference and sectional and the previous year for the 138-pound state title.

Name: Tom Welch.

Year in school: Senior.

School: Naperville North.

Sport: Boys basketball, soccer.

Position: Guard/forward and goalkeeper.

Season stats: A Loyola basketball recruit, the 6-foot-7 Welch was the Naperville Sun Player of the Year in basketball and Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year in soccer for the undefeated state champs. In basketball, Welch averaged 21 points and 8.6 rebounds. He had 20 shutouts and a 0.17 goals-against average in soccer.

Best effort: Blanked previously undefeated Libertyville 1-0 in the Class 3A state title game in soccer. In February, he returned less then 72 hours after dislocating right middle finger to score 30 points in a 69-50 win over Rich East.

Name: Greta Kampschroeder.

Year in school: Sophomore.

School: Naperville North.

Sport: Girls basketball.

Position: Forward.

Season stats: IBCA Class 4A first team all-state selection and DuPage Valley and Naperville Sun Player of the Year averaged 19.3 points, 10 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.9 assists to lead Huskies (16-10, 8-0) to DVC title.

Best effort: Kampschroeder had 24 points and 15 rebounds in a 63-53 win over Naperville Central to clinch the conference title.

Name: Marcus Skeete.

Year in school: Junior.

School: Waubonse Valley.

Sport: Boys basketball.

Position: Guard/forward.

Season stats: The 6-5 Skeete averages 15.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals for the Warriors.

Best effort: Skeete had a career-high 29 points against Hampshire and earned all-tournament honors after averaging 20.8 points in leading Waubonsie Valley to four wins and the team title at the Burlington Central MLK Tournament.

Name: RayJ Dennis.

Year in school: Senior.

School: Oswego East.

Sport: Boys basketball.

Position: Guard.

Season stats: The 6-foot-2 Dennis, who signed early with Boise State, averages 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 39 percent (22 of 56) from beyond the 3-point line.

Best effort: Dennis scored 34 points with 26 in the fourth quarter to keep his team in the game in a 72-69 loss to touted Bloom.

Name: Tyler Nubin.

Year in school: Senior.

School: St. Charles North.

Sport: Football.

Position: Wide receiver/defensive back.

Season stats: Led North Stars to Class 7A state title game, catching 40 passes for 638 yards and nine TDs and stepping up to run out of the wildcat formation 94 times for 530 yards and 12 TDs. A Minnesota cornerback commit, Nubin also played lockdown defense in the secondary.

Best effort: He had 23 carries and rushed for 140 yards and three TDs to lead St. Charles North to a 27-21 semifinal playoff win over Mount Carmel.

Name: Maria Goheen

Year in school: Senior

School: West Aurora

Sport: Girls tennis

Position: No. 1 singles

Season stats: Goheen partnered with Liz Stefancic in 2017 to win the Class 2A state doubles title, then followed it up this season by finishing second in 2A state singles. Goheen (35-1) won conference and sectional titles before becoming  the first Blackhawk to reach the state final in singles and doubles.

Best effort: A 3-4 seed, Goheen cruised to the semifinals at state, where she earned a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over second-seeded Belen Nevenhaen of Rockford Auburn. Goheen lost 6-3, 6-3 in the final to top seed Kiley Rabjohns of Lake Forest.

Name: Michael Jansey

Year in school: Senior

School: Batavia

Sport: Football

Position: Linebacker/running back

Season stats: The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Jansey has 25 tackles for the Bulldogs (5-0), 13.5 of them for loss, including 5.5 sacks. He also has 13 quarterback hurries and three passes defended. A Northwestern commit, he has 30 carries for 222 yards and two TDs.

Name: Ethan Hampton

Year in school: Sophomore

School: Aurora Christian

Sport: Football

Position: Quarterback

Season stats: Ethan Hampton, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound sophomore, made an impressive varsity debut in leading his team to a 69-14 win over Urban Prep West. Hampton completed 17 of 18 passes for 254 yards and set a school record by throwing for eight touchdowns.