Katelyn Valenta of Grafton girls soccer was the winner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Piggly Wiggly high school athlete of the week poll from April 6 to April 11.
The Black Hawks started the 2026 season with a 3-0-0 opening week and Valenta was a key component in that hot start. The junior scored six goals and racked up two assists for the week, including a hat trick in a Grafton victory over Ozaukee.
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Valenta received 9,928 of 16,027 total votes cast.
Bitsy Palicka of Sussex Hamilton softball was the runner-up in the poll. Palicka and the top-ranked Chargers stormed out of the gate with a 5-0 start and Palicka was massive in a 4-0 week for the Chargers. The sophomore registered eight hits in four games with 11 runs batted in at the plate and also recorded a pair of victories inside the circle against Arrowhead (2-0) and Middleton (13-0) with 22 total strikeouts.
Other nominees included Samantha Davis of Whitnall softball, Luke Breitzman and Matthew Nolan of Greendale baseball and Alex Newcomer of Homestead boys track and field.
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You can make a nomination for a future player of the week by sending an email with statistics and context on an athlete’s performance to mwhitlow@gannett.com and zbellman@gannett.com. Do not send votes to these addresses.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Katelyn Valenta wins Piggly Wiggly high school athlete of the week poll
