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.
BOYS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK VOTING
The overall winner will be announced on Friday, April 29.
Voting poll at bottom of the page.
Reese Ruvalcaba, La Habra: The senior belted three home runs and had eight RBIs while helping La Habra defeat Sonora 11-4 in a game that clinched the Freeway League title. Ruvalcaba hit home runs in the second, third and sixth innings, and raised her season home run total to eight.
Xiomei Geluz, Banning: Geluz was seemingly unstoppable in three games last week. The junior was 10 for 12 (.833) at the plate with three doubles, one triple, three home runs, 13 RBIs and six runs scored. Geluz is hitting .600 with five home runs and 29 RBIs this season.
Kayla Lyon, Roosevelt: Lyon came to the rescue to keep Roosevelt’s chances of winning the Big VIII League title alive. Lyon, a third baseman who has signed with California Baptist University, belted a three-run home run in the seventh inning, and then she delivered a walk-off double in the eighth inning to lift the Mustangs to an 8-7 victory over King. She also went 2 for 3 with two RBIs in a 10-0 win over Santiago. Lyon is batting .463 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs this season and has knocked in 26 runs over the past 11 games.
Alyssa Ramirez, Saugus: Ramirez threw a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts in a 10-0 win over Golden Valley. She also went 3 for 3 with two homers in a 10-0 win over Canyon. Ramirez set a new school record for homers in a season with 13, breaking Jenna Kelly’s mark of 12. In Foothill League play, Ramirez is batting .531 with six homers and 19 RBIs and a 1.094 slugging percentage. She’s also 2-0 from the pitching circle and has 17 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA in 11 innings.
Paola Garcia, Warren: Garcia, a senior center fielder, helped Warren softball go 3-0 last week with eight RBIs against Lynwood, Mayfair and Paramount. Garcia went 5 for 8 at the plate. She also scored five runs, including a home run against Lynwood in a 12-0 win. Garcia had a double in a 13-1 win against Mayfair, and she nearly hit for the cycle in a 16-1 win against Paramount.
