Strib Varsity Athletes of the Week: Seven athletes who stood out

Addison Neiss

Eden Prairie • softball

The junior pitcher has been in fine form for much of the season. With a fastball that can reach 65 mph, Neiss is elevating her game, evidenced by her performance against Lake Conference rivals Minnetonka, Buffalo and Hopkins.

For the games played April 20-24, Addison allowed one run in 21 innings and struck out 37 batters.

Against Buffalo on April 22, she threw a perfect game — no hits or base runners allowed — and struck out 17 of the 21 batters faced.

Neiss followed that performance with another shutout against Hopkins, striking out 14 while giving up one hit. It was the first time since 2007 that an Eden Prairie pitcher threw back-to-back shutouts.

Emma Fitzmorris

Hill-Murray • girls golf

Fitzmorris, a senior, has been the driving force behind the Pioneers’ varsity girls golf lineup this spring, averaging a 35.5 across her nine-hole matches and a 72 across two 18-hole events.

Fitzmorris, who will continue her golf career at North Dakota State next fall, recently shot a 75 to place second at the Mahtomedi Invitational at White Bear Yacht Club and scored a one-under-par 69 at Goodrich Golf Club to win the first girls Metro East Conference tournament of 2026. She capped the week with a one-under 34 in a team victory over Simley at Keller G.C.

Lucas Vinje

Elk River • boys volleyball

Elk River has a state-best record of 20-1 and is ranked No. 7 in Tier I by the Minnesota Boys Volleyball Coaches Association (MBVCA).

Much of the Elks’ success can be attributed to the play of Vinje, a versatile 6-4 senior who plays setter, outside hitter and middle blocker.

The Elks suffered their only loss of the season on April 22, losing 3-1 to Andover, but they bounced back with five consecutive victories to win the Spring Lake Park Panther Challenge.

So far this season, Vinje has 71 assists, 60 kills, 32 digs, 21 total blocks and a .407 hitting percentage

Ellie Magnus

Hastings • girls track and field

Magnus, a multisport athlete, won two events and finished fourth in another at the prestigious Hamline Elite Meet.

She won the 200-meter dash in a state-best time of 24.28 and anchored the winning girls 4x200 relay team, which also posted a state-best time of 1 minute, 40.54 seconds. Magnus added a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter run with a time of 56.18, the fifth-best time in the state this year.

Magnus, who also captains the soccer team and plays basketball, won the Athena Award for Hastings. She will run for the University of South Dakota track team in college.

Robbie Babcock

St. Croix Prep • baseball

The hard-throwing righthanded senior pitcher is off to a 3-0 start.

On April 22, Babcock beat Legacy Academy 3-1 by throwing a two-hit, 17-strikeout complete game, setting a school strikeout record. He added a double and two RBI in the victory.

Through his first three starts, Babcock has struck out 46 while giving up nine hits and one earned run.

In his four-year varsity career, Babcock has a 15-4 record, 210 strikeouts and a 1.81 ERA.

Lilly Bury

Rockford • softball

Bury, a senior pitcher whose fastball has been clocked at 67 mph, was a force both on the rubber and at the plate for the Rockets April 20-24.

In four games, she went 7-for-17 with two home runs, a double and 12 RBI.

Bury was on the rubber for a pair of victories, striking out 17 and giving up just two earned runs.

She has signed to play college softball at South Dakota State.

Brendan Goedker

Big Lake • baseball

The senior second baseman/pitcher had a record-setting game in a 28-6 rout of Rockford on April 21.

He went 6-for-6 at the plate with three triples in the game, both tying state records.

This season, Goedker is hitting .417 with 10 base hits and six extra-base hits for an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.232.

Goedker has pitched nine innings with an ERA of 0.78 and a walks and hits per inning pitched rating of 1.339.

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