Prep Athletes of the Week: Versatility marks Elk River's Cade Osterman
A senior, he's a contributor at quarterback on offense, at safety on defense and all over on special teams.
Cade Osterman
Elk River • football
When asked about Osterman, Elk River football coach Steve Hamilton said simply, "We are fortunate to have him on our team."
The 6-1, 170-pound Osterman is "one of our captains, and he has become a huge difference-maker in our games," Hamilton said.
Osterman makes contributions for the Elks from multiple positions — quarterback, safety, punt returner, kick returner and punter.
Last Wednesday, Osterman rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns and passed for three two-point conversions in the Elks' 30-13 victory over St. Francis.
This season he has rushed for 823 yards — averaging 11 yards per carry — and 12 touchdowns and passed for 356 yards and seven touchdowns.
"His athleticism allows him to make plays that very few could," Hamilton said.
The Elks, 8-0 and ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, are averaging 419 rushing yards and 51 points per game.
Izzy Engle
Edina • soccer
The junior midfielder had a goal and two assists in the Hornets' 3-0 victory over Minnetonka in the Class 3A, Section 2 championship match. Engle has 26 goals and 13 assists in 19 games this season. The Hornets (14-4-1) had lost and tied in the two regular-season matches with the Skippers.
Jackson Ganser
Rosemount • football
A junior, Ganser rushed for a season-high 131 yards — in just 10 carries — and scored three touchdowns to help the Irish complete an unbeaten regular season with a 34-7 victory over Burnsville. He has gained 498 yards this season while averaging 6.0 yards per carry for the Irish (8-0), who earned one of four No. 1 seeds for the upcoming Class 6A playoffs.
Nora Hanson
Red Wing • cross-country
A freshman, she ran a personal-best time of 18 minutes, 49.33 seconds over a 5-kilometer course at Brooktree Golf Course in Owatonna to win the Big 9 Conference Meet on Oct. 18.
Jeronimo Laklia
Hill-Murray • soccer
The senior forward scored both goals for the Pioneers in their 2-1 victory over Columbia Heights in the Class 2A, Section 4 championship match Oct. 18. The Pioneers, who had lost in the section championship match the previous four years, reached the state tournament for the first time since 2013.
Lucy Nabedrick
Wayzata • tennis
The junior advanced to the state meet by winning the Class 2A, Section 5 individual title. Nabedrick improved to 22-2. She was tied for eighth in last week's Class 2A individual rankings.
Nolan Sutter
Chaska • cross-country
A junior ranked No. 7 in Class 3A, Sutter won the Metro West Conference meet on Oct. 18 at Hyland Greens Golf Course in Bloomington with a 5-kilometer time of 15:40.9. Sutter finished 31st at the Class 3A state meet last year at St . Olaf in Northfield.
Nominate an athlete: Send an e-mail with supporting information to preps@startribune.com. Include a photo and a link, if available, to video.
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
