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 22.
Voting poll at bottom of the page.
Kerry Smith, Covina: Smith was one of the big winners Saturday at the San Gabriel Valley track and field championships, winning the 100- and 200-meter races and being part of the Colts’ winning relay teams in the the 4×100 and 4×400. Smith’s performance helped the Colts win the boys team title. Smith won the 100 in 10.69 seconds and the 200 in 21.74, more than a second ahead of the second-place finisher.
Christopher Coats, Upland: Coats captured the title in the high school invitational 400-meter dash at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays. He won the race in a time of 47.42 seconds, breaking the previous meet record of 47.50 seconds. Coats ranks No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section and No. 5 in the state in the 400 meters. He also finished fifth in the 200 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays with a time of 21.63.
Zack Geiss, San Pedro: Geiss pitched a one-hit shutout on 79 pitches and struck out eight to lead the Pirates to a 9-0 win over St. Paul. In his last three starts, Geiss has not allowed a run in 18 innings.
Jaelen Knox, Long Beach Poly: Knox ran the 200 meters (+2.9 wind) in a time of a 20.85 seconds to win at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays on Saturday. Knox’s time was a personal record and a Mt. SAC Relays boys invitational meet record. He also ran a 10.70 in the 100 at Mt. SAC. Knox recently received scholarship offers from the University of Iowa and San Jose State.
Colin Sahlman, Newbury Park: Sahlman dazzled at the Arcadia Invitational by establishing the season’s best 3,000-meter time in California with a winning time of 8 minutes, 6.99 seconds. The gifted long distance runner also has the best 800 time in the state (1:48.84), which he set on March 26 at the Azusa Distance Meet of Champions.
Timothy Jung, Edison: He won the the Champions’ Invitational at Indian Wells Golf Resort. Jung shot an 11-under par 205 over 54 holes to win the event by six strokes. He shot a 5-under 67 on the final day. “He had everything going,” Edison coach Brendan Patch said. “He’s been having a great year.” Jung, who will attend the University of Pacific, won the Southern Nevada Invitational earlier this season.
