Each week, publications from the Southern California News Group’s 11 properties (Orange County Register, L.A. Daily News, Press-Enterprise, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Long Beach Press-Telegram, The Daily Breeze, San Bernardino Sun, Daily Bulletin, Redlands Daily Facts, Whittier Daily News and Pasadena-Star News) select the Athletes of the Week for their respective region.
Each athlete is then entered into the overall Southern California Athlete of the Week vote.
Click on the newspaper links below the athlete’s name to read about their performance from last week, and then vote for who you think deserves the top honor.
Readers are allowed to vote multiple times. Voting ends at midnight, but final totals aren’t always immediately reflected due to processing.
GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK VOTING
The overall winner will be announced on Friday, April 29.
Voting poll at bottom of the page.
Eric Jeon, La Mirada: The Matadores junior was the winning pitcher in a 7-0 victory over previously undefeated Sierrra Canyon in the first round of the Boras Classic. Sierra Canyon was the No. 1 ranked team in CIF-SS Division 2 when facing Jeon and the Matadores. Jeon threw six shutout innings, allowed just two hits with five strikeouts. Jeon is 5-1 with a 0.74 ERA.
Tony Ju, Santa Margarita: Ju was named swimmer of the meet at the Foothill Swim Games. He won the 200 freestyle in 1:40.01 and the 500 free in 4:35.16. His split time of 20.93 in the 200 free relay helped his team win with a time of 1:25.08. Ju was a key contributor to Santa Margarita’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship last season. “He’s a workout warrior,” Santa Margarita coach Ron Blanc said of Ju. “He usually gets faster as the distance gets longer.”
Eric Bitonti, Aquinas: Bitonti reached base safely in 12 of his 13 plate appearances last week. He went 5 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs and also pitched five innings to help the Falcons to a 10-1 win over Linfield Christian. Bitonti went 3 for 3 with three RBIs in a 25-0 victory over Western Christian. He walked four times, two of them intentionally, and scored the winning run as Aquinas outlasted Ontario Christian 3-2 in nine innings to clinch the Ambassador League title. Bitonti is batting .554 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs this season.
Kelly Giese, Mira Costa: Giese advanced to the singles final of the 120th Ojai tournament. He was the first Mira Costa player to advance to the final since Jeff Tarango in 1986. Giese lost 6-1, 6-4 to University’s Conrad Brown in the final. He is the defending Bay League singles champion.
Cole Clark, Notre Dame: Clark was stellar in the Knights’ opening-round win in the Boras Classic, helping Notre Dame to top Corona 7-0 with a complete-game shutout from the mound. Clark, an LMU commit, struck out three and allowed just two hits. Clark is 5-2 this season with a 2.04 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 48 innings.
Nico Colchico, Wilson: Colchico finished in second place in his invitational heat at the Oregon Relays in Eugene, Oregon. The senior distance runner improved his school records to 4:09.83 in the 1,600 meters and 4:11.25 for the mile. Colchico also runs the 800.
