HILLSDALE COUNTY — The Week 5 reader’s choice Athlete of the Week poll for Hillsdale County high school sports is now open.
Vote as many times as possible before Saturday at 11:59 p.m. for your favorite athlete of the week performance. Coaches and schools can nominate athletes for the weekly poll by every Sunday. In addition, the Hillsdale Daily News chooses its own weekly award winners. Winners will be featured in a weekly video spotlighting their performance and award honors.
Nominees
Joel Tucker – Hillsdale Boys Tennis: Joel Tucker was an integral part to helping Hillsdale Hornet tennis defeat Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 4-2 in match play. Tucker earned his first singles win of his career, with 6-0, 6-0 set victories.
London Trott – Reading Volleyball: Libero London Trott had 27 digs in three games last week, helping Reading defeat Vermontville Maple Valley in a three-set match. “She is such an amazing athlete with a heart of gold and always does what she’s asked — never talks back,” coach Taylor Lake said.
Madison Recob – WCA Volleyball: It was a tough week on the court with hard fought matches against Battle Creek Academy and Calhoun Christian, but Madison Recob had a standout night at the net. Recob tallied nine kills against BAC, and against Calhoun Christian added 16 digs and five kills.
Olivia Tyler – Jonesville Volleyball: The sophomore libero was a defensive threat against East Jackson and Homer, helping the Comets win both intense conference matchups. Tyler had 33 digs to lead the Comets. “It was so nice to see these girls play so hard and stay positive and aggressive the whole time,” coach Sydney Barrett said of the win. Jonesville beat Homer 27-25, 25-22 and 25-23. They beat East Jackson 25-11, 25-19 and 25-17.
Liz Andaloro – Hillsdale Academy Volleyball: The Colts improved to 11-6 overall in Week 5, with a 25-14, 25-12 and 25-17 match sweep over Pittsford. Against Pittsford, Liz Andaloro tallied 24 assists, four kills, four digs and three aces. Andaloro helped the team beat Sand Creek at a quad match held at Lenawee Christian. Andaloro had 20 assists, eight kills and 14 digs during the day.
Troy Shamplo – Waldron (8-man football athlete of the week): This is the second AOTW honor for the senior Spartan. This time, he won after helping the Spartans beat Burr Oak 44-6 in what was their biggest win so far this season. Shamplo had 21 carries, 186 yards, one touchdown and a 2-point conversion on the ground. He also caught three passes for 80 yards and one touchdown. On defense, he had eight tackles, three assists, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
Evan Towne – Hillsdale (11-man football athlete of the week): The Hillsdale football team fell 29-18 to Dundee in Week 5, but the Hornets’ odds of winning that game were carried by their junior signal caller. Evan Towne ran the ball 17 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Towne would also complete 14 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown.
Brendan Nave – Pittsford: The captain wide receiver and defensive back made his presence felt on each play in Pittsford’s 56-8 victory over North Adams-Jerome. Nave made several big time plays, including two interceptions on defense. He returned one of those for a 44-yard touchdown. He also hauled in one 36-yard pass from Jake Drawe for a touchdown. He added an additional five tackles on defense.
Dominic Kurtz – Camden-Frontier: In addition to being named Player of the Game by his RedHawk teammates and coaches, Kurtz had the stats to back it up helping Camden-Frontier beat Litchfield 20-8. On the defensive side of the ball, Kurtz had seven solo tackles, including a sack, and a forced fumble. On the offensive side of the ball, he paved the way in the trenches on the offensive line to help his team rack up 143 rushing yards.
Baeleigh Francis – Hillsdale Girls Golf: The senior captain of the Hillsdale varsity girls golf team placed 20th overall at the LCAA conference finals, earning a final score of 128 over 18 holes.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Vote for the Week 5 reader’s choice Hillsdale County Athlete of the Week
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
