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, May 13.
Voting poll at bottom of the page.
Addie Gish, Flintridge Prep: Gish had a big day at the CIF-SS Division 3 swimming championships and helped Flintridge Prep win the girls title. She won the 100 backstroke in 55.89 seconds and finished second in the 200 medley in 2:03.48. She also was part of two winning relay teams. Gish joined Natalie Walkett, Sarah Iturbe and Megan Lee on the title-clinching 400 relay team that won in 3:33.73. Earlier in the meet, the same freshmen quartet won the 200 free relay in 1:38.27.
Teagan O’Dell, Santa Margarita: O’Dell set the CIF-SS Division 1 record in the 200-yard individual medley by clocking a lifetime-best time of 1 minute, 55.46 seconds, she and won the 100 backstroke in 52.83 to help lead the Eagles to an eighth consecutive CIF-SS title. She also led off the 400 free relay that set a national independent high school record (3:18.22) and raced on the 200 medley relay that set Orange County and Division 1 records (1:39.56).
Sonja Aarsvold, Murrieta Mesa: Aarsvold was the only Inland swimmer to capture two individual championships at this year’s CIF Southern Section finals. She won the 50 freestyle in 23.98 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 51.65. Aarsvold trailed at the halfway point of the 50 freestyle final, but a strong flip turn and finish helped her surge in front. Aarsvold also swam the anchor legs on Murrieta Mesa’s 200 and 400 freestyle relays, which finished third and second, respectively. She will compete in the freestyle events at this week’s CIF State championships meet.
Layla Jelenic, San Pedro: Jelenic helped San Pedro to wins over Narbonne and Carson last week that forced a three-way tie for first place in the Marine League. Against Narbonne, Jelenic pitched two scoreless innings and struck out four. The Pirates closed the regular season with a 4-1 win over Carson. Jelenic pitched 4 2/3 innings, struck out six and drove in two runs with a fourth-inning single.
Aujane Luckey, Wilson: Luckey won her heat in the 200 meters in 24.63 seconds and won her 400 heat in 56.18 at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Track Prelims to qualify for the CIF-SS Division Track Finals at Moorpark High School on Saturday. Luckey will be the third seed in the 200 and the fourth seed in the 400 for the finals. The junior sprinter also helped Wilson win the girls 4×400 relay in 3:51.51 and finish third in the 4×100 relay in 46.85 to also qualify for the finals. Luckey is projected to help Wilson earn approximately 26 points at the track Finals, as the Bruins compete with Roosevelt and Long Beach Poly for the team title.
